The March, 2015 Rifleman, This Old Gun (p. 92) features a 1975 vintage model 49 revolver sold at auction. In describing the condition, the article says "... It would have been NRA Perfect had not the previous owner, at some point during the last 40 years, fired three shots..."
Factory test firing. The NRA/Rifleman should know better.

Bob

NRA should hire some gun people

Funny l just finished the article this morningand thought the same thing.Maybe the rifleman is changing like everything else. l work in a shop that caters mainly to law enforcement,its amazing how many police officers have stated to me they have never fired a revolver.

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SWCA#2288
SWHF#407

I saw that too. I'm surprised no one caught that error.

The exact same thoughts I had

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SWCA # 2887

American Rifleman used to have some very technically competent writers and I always felt they continued to give honest reviews long after most of the other gun rags had gone to a policy of nothing but high praise for an advertiser; or, in some cases, no article at all unless the company placed an ad. Times, however, have changed....

I got my March edition and was disappointed in pretty much the whole thing. Not much in it at all.

In the December issue Wiley Clapp said the new model 69 made use of a "transfer bar" style firing pin system.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

I don't believe S&W ever cleaned the revolvers after test firing them. Even way back pre-war.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

+1 One of our younger officers borrowed my 4" Model 19-4 when he went to Firearms Instructor Basic (as they were required to bring an auto and a revolver). Afterwards he told me that a lot of guys were questioning why LE ever went away from revolvers.

I went through the state LE Firearms Instructors course about ten years ago. The instructor's manual had a detailed section on the revolver but it wasn't taught as part of the course. It seems that no one carries revolvers anymore. I have been at crime scenes where younger officers did not know how to clear a recovered revolver. Times change........not always for the better.

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Keep Shootin' and check 6

I GOTTA ROLL WITH YOU ON THIS ONE, red9. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT………...

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

I think almost anyone who knows anything about factory practices has already spotted this. There will probably be a Mea Culpa in the next issue, just as there was in this issue concerning the blunder of confusing a rusty relic Spanish revolver with a Victory model. I imagine thousands also caught that, at least I and several others did. But for 99.9% of NRA members, they don't know and don't care.

The AR needs to keep Rick Hacker away from the Smith & Wesson reviews.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I was worried at first. I thought you were talking about Chuck Connors! I loved that show and thought he never blew it. But I digress.
On second thought, maybe he did blow it when he chose to star in that slasher/horror flic!

Roger

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Eph 2:8-9

At least it wasn't an example of the rare S frame...

I have every issue of AR since 1928. I do not dare to look at a copy from about 1970 back. The quality of the articles is nothing like what they used to be. This is partly that at 72 it takes a pretty sophisticated writer to come with something that is new to me in an area to my interest.

Of course, the prices of stuff in the old issues causes me to stain the pages with tears!

I don't believe Garry James would have made that error.

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Georgia On My Mind

The fault is not solely the responsibility of the writer. There should have been several levels of editorial review to fact-check, catch, and correct this sort of ignorant error before any article ever goes to printing. There is an obvious deficiency in this area at AR.

Wiley Clapp. Nuff said.

I would of paid the $525 (or whatever it sold for) on that gun.... wish I could find them around here.

Turned the pages while eating breakfast, then tossed it in the trash. No more than 10 minutes of reading in that one.

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John

I went and qualified today. First up a combat commander .45. Next my mdl 19 4inch, then 19 2 1/2 inch. I did better with the revolvers. That was nice. I bought the 4 inch 19 new in 1975 for $135.00 and the 2 1/2 inch for $145.00. Both had the three fired chambers. I just finished cleaning same. I still smell like Hoppes # 9... Tomorrow the 19 goes to work with me.

S&W 49 Bodyguard.jpg In the March 2015 American Rifleman, the “I Have This Old Gun” column features a mid-70s S&W 49 Bodyguard.

It is said to be “NRA Excellent (Modern Gun Standards)”.

In the text, it is reported as having been fired only three times, leaving two perfect chambers. It reportedly sold at auction for $535 a year ago, including box and accessories.

Three rounds??? I remember when they, along with other J-frames, were as common as shoes among police and close protection people. The idea that anyone would buy one and not use it is unimaginable to me. They were, to be sure, “Carry lots, shoot little” guns due to the felt recoil and concern among some that the aluminum frame models would not hold up. I don’t remember anyone who just shoved one in a pocket and hoped it worked, and I never HEARD of anyone just leaving one in the safe. It's a working-gun, for cryin' out loud!

I also remember some people who hot-loaded wadcutters to what would probably be considered +P levels today. Not MY idea of fun, but, Hey, whatever floats your boat!

THREE ROUND and STORE IT? Who DOES that kind of thing?

The three rounds were the factory test rounds. Someone bought it and never used it. Happens a lot with non-gun people.

Happens with gun people, too. Last year, I was looking for a snubbie to carry. I ended up buying a NIB Model 40. Matching box, matching grips, papers, blah blah blah.

I still haven't been able to bring myself to carry and/or shoot the thing. It's just too pretty.

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I read the same article and thought the same thing, factory fired only. Evidently the reviewer isn't aware of the practice of test firing a firearm therefore he downgraded the condition from pristine to excellent. Sure looked like and read like a NIB gun to me.

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BCCI Life Member #2068

There are any number of reasons for this revolver to have remained unfired. Perhaps it was priced really well so it was purchased even though it wasn't "needed" or perhaps the originally owner died or for some other reason was unable to use the firearm. Could have been purchased as a spare in case his EDC was lost, stolen or returned to the factory for repair.

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BCCI Life Member #2068

I say the same about all guns. They are all "working" guns. I don't get the people who frat about turn lines and immaculate bluing

Simple. Someone bought it for "protection" and never needed it.

Of course, the other alternative is what Watchdog said. Could have been either one - or a bit of both.

You're seeing this more and more often (not necessarily in this case), I call it the "inheritance effect." Dad passes away, kids take inventory, and what's the most common bedside gun of that generation? A .38 Special. Kids don't want it, it gets sold to a pawn shop or other dealer.

Ten, twenty years ago there were lots (comparatively) of Lugers, P38s, Nambus, etc at those places because the WWII vets were passing away. Now it's the Silent generation, the people born in the '30s and '40s.

Different people is different.

Times, they change.

Watchdog, I guess you and the others make sense. I just never thought of guns as collectibles. That said, I do have a few that I've accumulated over the years and kept well-past their utility for me. BUT, none is unfired and most show the wear of regular use. I kinda prefer them that way.
S&W 27-4 30kb.jpg
Bought a 27-4 a few years ago. Seller said it was unfired. It is superb and, if not unfired, at least little-fired. Took it to the range the following weekend. Kinda like the idea of seeing collectors cringe . . ..

I have to admit I didn't buy it to be a working gun. Just a nostalgia trip each time I take it to the range. I put the new, thinner style grips on it because they feel better in my hand. Put the originals in the box - in case I ever sell it to a collector.

I thought the section that dealt with metal fatigue, stress, and fracture was outstanding.
Jes' sayin'......

I bought a book from NRA several years ago that was supposed to be by some experts, one of whom stated that the fictional hollywood character "Dirty Harry" carried a .357 Magnum-$15.00-done.

Thing of it is, that old Model 40 is the lone exception to my shoot-everything-I-own rule. I'm not really a true collector, I don't think. More of an accumulator.

He was a scary zombie!

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William Iorg

It's the pre-election season... I've notice that the technical articles become lesser in direct proportion to where we are at in the election cycle... watch for the RKBA "the white house is going to take all of you guns away unless..." type content to ratchet up more than the usual, then after the 2016 election is over and the dust starts to settle, more of the stuff we enjoy reading will start to return... hopefully.

At an Estate Sale I bought a collection of American Rifleman magazines from the 50's & 60's.... what I difference, THOSE I thoroughly enjoyed going thru and have come to covet those issues from the "golden age" of firearms.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

Glad to know other people have noticed how light in "gun" content AR has become. It's usually a "FUD" (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) article, a five page spread on some conference, a couple short articles on guns, and a couple reviews (often times on guns I couldn't care less about).

I get way more out of the free-to-view GUNS magazine issues, frankly.

More about AR than the 49, but for some time now, I thumb through the pages but seldom ever read an entire article.
Don't know if it's me or them but the articles just don't hold my interests as much.

LOL, it must have really stumped him,
that it was every other charge hole fired.......sorta
Chipmunk6

The NRA used to offer hardbound volumes of American Rifleman. One year's issues would be bound in a black hardbound format with gold lettering on the spine. I can't remember how much they cost, but I had bound copies from 1970-1975. When I moved in 2007, I gave them to Goodwill. I don't know if the NRA still offers these or not.

The American Rifleman used to be all about guns.

Now it seems to be all about gun control.

Pretty much a ****** mag these days, if you ask me...

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FBINA, 204th Session

There were times, maybe 15 years ago, I didn't even read it when it arrived. I would look at the article titles and drop it in the bucket. Then, for some years it got better, almost decent. Now, it's no fun again.

Muley, I looked all over your post for a double or triple like. Alas not there.

I remember one review he did and I don't remember what specific firearm it was. I quit part way into the article.

If he has an article in something I may be reading I move on past his story.

I think the correlation is whether or not the sitting President associates with the "Ds" or the "Rs," frankly. With someone like Obama in office, they are in full fundraising mode.

I have one and have had it for years, it was my late wife's gun and just sat in the safe. I carried a Kahr PM9 which I really didn't like much; hard for me to hit the target well and when I put my trigger finger in the best place for accuracy the trigger guard chewed a little hole in the knuckle. Last time I shot it much I put a protective tape around my finger ... At that qualifying time I also shot the 49 and qualified with it as well. This time I wondered why I would even want that horrible little striker fired 9mm and got rid of it.
My 49 was well used by some previous owner and has one of those brass grip expanders and a wide trigger. I think it must have some gunsmithing work on it as well as all you have to do single action is think of maybe firing the gun and off it goes!
I like it much better than the Kahr.
I may be going back to wheelguns ...

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Regards;

David Jackson

I cant believe the ill comments about the AR magazine. Why just this morning I spent several minutes in my favorite reading room totally
enjoying the informative gun articles I was reading in my AR--of course
it was a JULY 1970 issue. Tons of great stuff in there.
I couldnt even tell you where the last months issue, nothing but buy gold articles,, adds and send money. The organization has become too nepotistic and lost its focus. I know that they are fighting the good fight , but they are loosing contact with the average joe. IMO. Bob

I enjoy my ARs. I too, have lots of them going way back; some years ago a guy gave me a bunch from the late 1940s and 1950s. Good stuff in those too.
To be a little kind, don't forget that it must be hard to produce a magazine which is going to fascinate all of its readers all the time; and, of course, don't forget, that even though some might feel our Association is soft on issues occaisionally, it is still one of the most powerful lobbies that there is and we should be thankful for its existence. Where, after all, would we be without it?

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Regards;

David Jackson

Was the grip safety pin under the grips? I love the fact that these guns shipped with a device that would make modern lawyers cringe!

The Mad bomber...

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Thugs that comply don’t die!