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S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 3-Screw PINNED Barrel SWING-OUT Cylinder Hand Ejectors WITH Model Numbers


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Old 01-02-2018, 11:19 PM
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Default Navy overrun Chief for the Chief

Came up with this on GB, not a perfect example but came with the original box and all of the paperwork. One of 112 overruns from a 1977 Navy contract for 2000 pieces.
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Old 01-03-2018, 12:45 AM
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Howdy Chief.

Congrats on your purchase. Enjoy.
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Old 01-03-2018, 01:14 AM
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Very nice find.

I've never seen one with a lanyard ring.
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Old 01-03-2018, 09:48 AM
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Please return that to the Armory. I will be there in the morning in uniform with the correct paperwork (that I will generate tonight and back-date to 1977).
Nice find!
V/R,
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Old 01-03-2018, 10:43 AM
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One word to describe that gun:

BEAUT.
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Old 01-03-2018, 06:57 PM
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I've seen just one of those. With so few released on the civilian market, now I know why.

But who got the Navy guns like that? Why put a lanyard ring on a J-frame, if for intelligence or LE personnel?

Why issue a little snub .38 to aviators? Maybe the idea was to conceal it if thy could get civilian clothes behind enemy lines?

Maybe admirals got some, or paymasters? Couriers? I used to know an Army guy who was issued a Colt .32 auto when on courier duty. He wore civilian clothes then. But the supply of those little Colts ran out decades ago.

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Old 01-03-2018, 08:54 PM
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Congrats, looks good!
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Old 01-03-2018, 09:07 PM
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Maybe a Master at Arms weapon?
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Old 01-03-2018, 09:20 PM
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Maybe a Master at Arms weapon?
This. I knew a guy who was a third class in absentee collections in chicago. He carried a "snub .38" he said while on duty.
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Old 01-03-2018, 09:34 PM
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Chief, that's a beauty....learn something every day on here. Never heard of this variation!! Great find!

Best Regards, Les
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Old 01-03-2018, 09:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Star View Post
I've seen just one of those. With so few released on the civilian market, now I know why.

But who got the Navy guns like that? Why put a lanyard ring on a J-frame, if for intelligence or LE personnel?

Why issue a little snub .38 to aviators? Maybe the idea was to conceal it if thy could get civilian clothes behind enemy lines?

Maybe admirals got some, or paymasters? Couriers? I used to know an Army guy who was issued a Colt .32 auto when on courier duty. He wore civilian clothes then. But the supply of those little Colts ran out decades ago.

Like Texas Star I have questions too. But mine are more elementary. How do you recognize one? Yes, I get the lanyard ring, but other than that what are the differences? Thanks for your input.
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Old 01-03-2018, 10:05 PM
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Since a few folks have said this is the first one they've seen, I'll offer this thread from last year to fill in a few blanks...

US Navy M-36 "MADE IN USA" on Backstrap & Lanyard

A tidbit often overlooked is these little characters don't have a serial number stamped on the butt (due, I presume, to the lanyard ring), but rather it's stamped on the frame inside the yoke.
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Old 01-03-2018, 11:38 PM
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Personally, I love any revolver with a lanyard ring!

Ivan
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Old 01-04-2018, 12:14 AM
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Originally Posted by squidsix View Post
Please return that to the Armory. I will be there in the morning in uniform with the correct paperwork (that I will generate tonight and back-date to 1977).
Nice find!
V/R,
Chief
True story, on the job we once caught a forger because he used a typewriter font which post dated the supposed creation of the document.
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Old 01-04-2018, 12:18 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Star View Post
I've seen just one of those. With so few released on the civilian market, now I know why.

But who got the Navy guns like that? Why put a lanyard ring on a J-frame, if for intelligence or LE personnel?

Why issue a little snub .38 to aviators? Maybe the idea was to conceal it if thy could get civilian clothes behind enemy lines?

Maybe admirals got some, or paymasters? Couriers? I used to know an Army guy who was issued a Colt .32 auto when on courier duty. He wore civilian clothes then. But the supply of those little Colts ran out decades ago.
If military lieutenants (ensigns) are like police lieutenants, so they don't lose it?
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Old 01-04-2018, 01:00 AM
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These were for Naval aviators. The Navy also bought some Model 37 revolvers for aviators.
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Old 01-04-2018, 11:11 AM
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These were for Naval aviators. The Navy also bought some Model 37 revolvers for aviators.
Makes sense, in the mid 70's the Navy changed the personal survival vests for one that incorporated flotation. The new vest had 2 compartments for personal items and one had a slot sewn in for a small revolver or pistol. Being in P3's none of the aircrew was issued a personal sidearm. On the rare occasions that the crew needed to be armed those of us that were qualified had to draw a sidearm from the armory and the only choices were 1911 or M10 S&W.

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Old 01-04-2018, 02:04 PM
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This. I knew a guy who was a third class in absentee collections in chicago. He carried a "snub .38" he said while on duty.
Never heard that one. Probably after my time.

Just real bad shore duty there.
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Old 01-04-2018, 02:06 PM
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Makes sense, in the mid 70's the Navy changed the personal survival vests for one that incorporated flotation. The new vest had 2 compartments for personal items and one had a slot sewn in for a small revolver or pistol. Being in P3's none of the aircrew was issued a personal sidearm. On the rare occasions that the crew needed to be armed those of us that were qualified had to draw a sidearm from the armory and the only choices were 1911 or M10 S&W.
Why were P-3 (Neptune? Orion?) crews not armed? If they crashed/bailed out, they'd have the same survival needs as anyone.

I think WWII PBY crews were armed and even had rifles, to kill sharks if needed as they picked up survivors in life rafts.

RAF PBY's/Catalinas were armed. Coastal Command called in the RAF Colt M-1911's in .455 from WWI, as the crews needed pistols to protect themselves from rescued Luftwaffe crews who crashed in the Channel. Otherwise, the armed Germans could commandeer the rescue plane!

That order also got all the .455's and their obsolescent ammo in one command, and those Colts were more powerful than the .38-200 revolvers usually issued.

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Old 01-04-2018, 02:31 PM
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I was awarded a base security job (mid watch) from time to time and all I ever saw was a 1911. That was at two different duty stations, one in Fl. and one in N. Africa. 67-71.

Revolvers were uncommon in the Navy during my time and I worked with aviators almost every day.

That snub is a peach.
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Old 01-04-2018, 02:42 PM
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Quote:
Why were P-3 (Neptune? Orion?) crews not armed? If they crashed/bailed out, they'd have the same survival needs as anyone.
That's a good point.

Best not try to figure out any military logic. That was my mantra. It served me well.
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Old 01-04-2018, 02:43 PM
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Some Navy aviators bought their own revolvers. I think the guy who wrote, Flight of the Intruder carried a M-19 .357 like his fictional character did. The author flew A-6 Intruders in the Vietnam war. Name is Stephen Coonts.

His book became a quite good movie, marred for me only by one piece of casting that stank of Hollywood's preoccupation with PC.
You can see clips on YouTube.

While in the USAF, I occasionally saw Navy aircrews on our bases. They were in transit or refueling, etc The guns I saw were always WWII S&W Victory Model .38's. Knives showed more variety.
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Old 01-04-2018, 04:05 PM
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Texas Star:

Thanks for the plug for Stephen Coonts. He grew up here in West Virginia, in Buchannon, which is about 30 miles from where I'm sitting right now.

We don't have all that many famous people from WV!! And, from what I understand, he is a good guy.

The movie was directed by John Milius, who is a real pro gun guy, a director of the NRA, and also directed, IIRC, the Dirty Harry movies, and made the 44 Magnum famous.

Best Regards, Les
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Old 01-04-2018, 06:22 PM
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Some Navy aviators bought their own revolvers. I think the guy who wrote, Flight of the Intruder carried a M-19 .357 like his fictional character did. The author flew A-6 Intruders in the Vietnam war. Name is Stephen Coonts.

His book became a quite good movie, marred for me only by one piece of casting that stank of Hollywood's preoccupation with PC.
You can see clips on YouTube.

While in the USAF, I occasionally saw Navy aircrews on our bases. They were in transit or refueling, etc The guns I saw were always WWII S&W Victory Model .38's. Knives showed more variety.
The casting was not only PC but also historically incorrect. The Navy didn't have any colored aviators until the early 50's and they would not be senior enough for squadron command at that time.
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Old 01-04-2018, 06:25 PM
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WOW ! What a find
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Old 01-04-2018, 06:44 PM
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That's a good point.

Best not try to figure out any military logic. That was my mantra. It served me well.
An old friend flew USAF KC-99s and then later KC-135s, apparently they gave aircrew parachutes then took them away in both types at different times. (Why, who knows. Based on the price of silk?)
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Old 01-04-2018, 08:34 PM
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The Navy didn't have any colored aviators until the early 50's and they would not be senior enough for squadron command at that time.
Hello Chief:

I think that CMDR Benjamin Cloud, CO of an RF-8 Crusader photo recon squadron (VFP-63) operating on Yankee Station, would be surprised to learn of that. By 1972 he was XO of the USS Kittyhawk.

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Old 01-04-2018, 10:11 PM
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Hello Chief:

I think that CMDR Benjamin Cloud, CO of an RF-8 Crusader photo recon squadron (VFP-63) operating on Yankee Station, would be surprised to learn of that. By 1972 he was XO of the USS Kittyhawk.

I stand corrected.
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Old 01-04-2018, 10:22 PM
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There was a large contract for the Japanese National Police in the 90's for model 36's. Those guns had a lanyard ring just like this one. I'm not sure how many they made but it was a big order.
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Old 01-05-2018, 03:23 AM
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There was a large contract for the Japanese National Police in the 90's for model 36's. Those guns had a lanyard ring just like this one. I'm not sure how many they made but it was a big order.

I think they used the model 36 long before that, too.

And have had some SIG-Sauer P-232's.
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Old 01-05-2018, 10:26 AM
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Super pick up. Wish I was so lucky.
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Old 01-05-2018, 10:41 AM
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Sweet very nice looking revolver.
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Old 01-09-2021, 12:02 PM
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I 'think' I recall these being offered by either RSR, ASHLAND, J & G, & perhaps one or two others. Please excuse the fact that I haven't read all the prior Posts on on this Thread. However, the ones I seem to recall were very similar, although they exhibited 'U.S.A.' stamped on their Backstrap. I too also recall something about being Contract Overruns for the Japanese National Police, along with an so!omar Contract for 7.65mmm / .32 ACP Sig-Sauer P-230's.
( IIRC, in Stainless, although I could be wrong. )
It seems like every other week S&W was offering up assorted Contract Overruns, primarily from Foreign Export orders. If, if I only had the money back then, but unfortunately I didn't !!

Best, dpast32
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Old 01-14-2021, 05:18 PM
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My guess is shipboard watch standers, probably on submarines. The armory on subs is usually a locked cabinet in the stbd side aft, in the engine room. Pretty small cabinet as space is tight.
Submarine watch standards are prone to drop guns overboard, hull is round and once dropped, over the side it goes.
Cant tell you the number of time I sent the shipyard divers to retrieve a dropped overboard side arm. The got pretty good at it.
Usually a bored 19 year old playing with the weapon !
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Old 01-14-2021, 05:40 PM
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Never seen a J frame with a ring. Very cool. I like rings.
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Old 01-14-2021, 06:05 PM
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Nice catch of a not common Chief. I fired a few Chief's Specials when stationed at NS Long Beach. Worked as the Marine Cadre there for about 14 months. Our Security Department Detectives carried them as did the Chief of Police. The Chief's Chief was taken from him when he could not qualify with it. Boy, was he smoked. Had quite a discussion with the Base Security Office and the C.O. of Navsta about it.
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Old 01-14-2021, 07:18 PM
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Wow! Nice weapon, shipmate. I never saw anything like that in the Navy. Not in the Army, either!
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Old 01-14-2021, 07:25 PM
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Very Nice Piece of S&W History You have there! I Love it!
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Old 01-14-2021, 08:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Star View Post
Some Navy aviators bought their own revolvers. I think the guy who wrote, Flight of the Intruder carried a M-19 .357 like his fictional character did. The author flew A-6 Intruders in the Vietnam war. Name is Stephen Coonts.

His book became a quite good movie, marred for me only by one piece of casting that stank of Hollywood's preoccupation with PC.
You can see clips on YouTube.

While in the USAF, I occasionally saw Navy aircrews on our bases. They were in transit or refueling, etc The guns I saw were always WWII S&W Victory Model .38's. Knives showed more variety.
I spent 20 years working on A6's, in country, state side, in the Med and anywhere we could land one. Most of our aircrews carried their own sidearms. Lots of revolvers, mostly .357's, a few liked autos and carried those.
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Old 01-14-2021, 08:28 PM
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Default Update to this two-year-old thread

I've been documenting all of these odd little Chiefs, and I've only come up with seven serial numbers. They range from J5737XX to J5837XX, and there are many other blue and nickel Model 36s, some 36-1s, and some 37s sprinkled in there, too.

According to one prominent seller on the big auction site, "S&W shipped them to the Naval Supply Center, Craney Island, VA, on June 29, 1977."

Most of the the ones on my list shipped in the fall of '78, and the latest one shipped in June '80.

Many have grips with no serial number stamped inside the right grip, and one has a stamp with a mis-matched serial number.
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Old 01-16-2021, 12:46 AM
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Quote:
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An old friend flew USAF KC-99s and then later KC-135s, apparently they gave aircrew parachutes then took them away in both types at different times. (Why, who knows. Based on the price of silk?)
I flew as an inflight avionics tech on KC-135A's at Pease AFB, NH from 77-79. All our tankers had a half dozen chutes hanging in the pax/cargo compartment. Never had a use for one.
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