I purchased a Model 53-2, 22lr. It has a 4" Bull Barrel. S/N is
2K93xxx. I was told by a local gunsmith that Smith only made this model in Blue, and by special order Nickel. He did agree that this pistol was Stainless, not Nickel. Have any of you guys seen a Model 53-2 in Stainless? Thanks in advance for any input.

How did he determine it was stainless steel? You may have a Jet that someone has hard-chrome plated. If it has a .22 LR cylinder, the original cylinder in .22 Jet is missing - or at least one of them.

Its most likely a hard chrome or other aftermarket finish. S&W didn't make that model in stainless steel.

At least once a month a new member posts that he has a one of a kind stainless S&W handgun. In reality there are four possibilities.

1. The gun is nickel plated but a little dull looking and looks like stainless.

2. The gun has been refinished in a hard chrome which can look like stainless.

3. The gun is actually completely devoid of finish and the bare metal looks like stainless.

4. It's a model where both blued and stainless versions were made and the incorrect model number was accidentally stamped on it.

The Model 53 is a carbon steel revolver and no stainless version was ever produced. Therefore, one of solutions 1 through 3 explain the situation with your gun.

The 53 was not regularly offered in nickel but special orders were filled and if you decide this may be a factory original nickel finish you will definitely want to document this as it makes the gun valuable. Overwhelming odds are that if it is nickel, it has been refinished at some point.

There is zero chance a 22 Jet revolver (this is the caliber on a Model 53 and I am assuming that your gun actually is a Model 53) is in stainless. I would question the competence of the gunsmith who declared it is stainless.

It could be the OP has the special "Seal Team" version of the model 53 Jet............

Welcome to the Forum. There are many fine folks here willing to share their knowledge and love of Smith & Wessons.

Being your first post here you may find us asking some very basic questions, but answers may help us help you . . . bear with us.

1. Is the gun model-marked . . . is "MOD 53" stamped in the frame cutout (visible when the cylinder is open)?

2. Is "22 Magnum" the caliber designation on the right side of the barrel? You indicated that it is 22lr.

3. Does the hammer have a selector switch to switch between rim and center-fire?

Russ

I visited the Smith&Wesson plant in Springfield Mass in the late 1970's to visit a friend of mine who was at the time the service department manager. While I was there I did see a real 6 inch stainless steel "JET". This was in the office of the head of manufacturing whose office was also located in the service department building which was across the street from the main plant which has since burned down. I commented at the time that I didn't know they made a stainless "JET", and the reply was they don't, but when you are the head of manufacturing you can get certain things made. This was about the same time production of stainless steel guns was growing fast. This "JET" might have been a test/experimental model. I know that if I was in that position I would have had certain models made up too, a 2" Model 67 comes to mind.
I also know of and have seen a complete stainless Model 41 5 inch sporter pistol, which a factory employee had made for himself.
You all have heard of lunch box guns, like an 8 3/8" Model 19, or 8 3/8" Model 28, or a 4" Model 49 in 22 LR, so who knows what has been made, and by whom. Never say never. There are probably alot of guns never seen or heard of before that are out there.

Thus the question, "How did he (the gunsmith) determine it was stainless steel?"

Manufacturing can be a funny process. As soon as you think something could never happen, it already has - or will. Whenever people are involved, all you really know is what you see with your own two eyes.

I would not be flabbergasted to see a stainless steel Jet.

The pistol is marked 53-2. The hammer is set for rimfire, but can be flipped over for centerfire. There are no markings on the bull barrel. I did not ask the gunsmith how he determined the pistol is stainless. I handed it to him and asked "is this stainless?". He answered, "yes it is and I have never seen one before". He even had a Blue Model 53 on display for sale. It was 22 Jet with the inserts. I bought my pistol from a guy at a gun show. I didn't even know what a Model 53 was. He only wanted $250.00 for it, so I bought it for a truck gun.

Twice you have said "bull barrel." The 53 came with the same "heavy barrel" as the Model 19. It should be marked Smith & Wesson on one side and have the caliber stamped on the other but you say yours has no markings. I believe this is a replacement barrel. With the gun undergoing this level of reworking I would guess it was also refinished so that it now appears as stainless. Indeed, the barrel may be stainless, but the frame is not.

Welcome to the forum. Is it possible to post pictures of the gun? As others have stated, never say never with S&W as many guns have left the factory that are not on the books. The unfortunate part of all that is that the S&W historian may not be able to document the gun as being a "real" S&W. Without that blessing, the gun may as well be a spanish copy as far as collectors are concerned. As a shooter or truck gun as you mentioned, it really doesn't matter.

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James Redfield
LM #497

I will try to post photos tomorrow(no camera here). I know the barrel is not original, I personally have never seen a barrel like this on a Smith Pistol. I also do not claim to have seen every pistol that Smith made. Before a couple of weeks ago, I had never seen a Mod 53-2. Hopefully the photos will help. I will also get a photo of the 53 next to my Mod 63, I know for a fact it's stainless. Thanks for the feedback.

Here are the photos, Stainless??

Attached Images

IMAG0041.jpg (45.6 KB, 139 views)

Hard to tell from the photo but I don't see an ejector shroud. I am wondering if it is acutally a model 63. Don't think it is a stainless 53.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

Can't be a 63 with a 2K serial number.
They didn't make any 53 in stainless, my guess is it's been hard chromed, looks just like matte stainless.
The barrel doesn't look right. Looks like a bull barrel.

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Dick

I'd say someone took a 53 and put a heavy PPC style barrel on it and then had it hard chromed. Notice how the rear sight is still blued? Definitely not factory.

Well that is an awful thing to do to a Jet! Over the years, I have seen quite a few abused Jets. Usually, the cylinders bulge upon firing. It can be enough that they "wedge" themselves against the top strap, or sometimes even bend the top strap. The gun is locked up, the owner is mad because he "did nothing wrong" ( ), and he ends up disposing of it after a week or two. That is the usual scenario. I wonder if that is how that gun came to be in the condition it is in?

Epilog... The extraordinary exception to the "usual scenario" is our own SwissMan and his "Jet adventures." See here:

IT'S ALMOST DONE!! SWISSMAN'S DESTROYED MODEL 53 IS BACK!! NOT 56k-modem-friendly