Quote:
Originally Posted by Modelof1891
Oyeboteb
There seems to be several reasons these barrels were mixed in numbers to the frames. The main reason, I am thinking, was that extra barrels were made and sold at a later date. Some of these barrels were switched out at the factory when other calibers were ordered. Then the original barrel that was already numbered to a frame in stock was placed back in stock. Later when someone ordered a 1st model single, say around 19,000 and up, the earlier numbered barrel was mated with the later number frame and shipped. Now, this is not the case with all mis-matched but it did happen with some.
Some have also said that when a barrel was sent to H.M. Pope, it may have been switched with another already modified barrel and sent back.
Others were mis-matched because the shooter liked another barrels accuracy and switched it at that time on the range, maybe selling off the original numbered part to another shooter.
These are some statements I have heard and there could be many other facts to add to this wonder.
Others may step in with more information as time goes on.
Terry Wagner
|
Hello Terry
Excellent Information, thanks for sharing it with us here. I have been told by my friend Ralph Tremaine who is also an associate S&WCA member who collect's these single shots that the Non-Serial numbered Barrels were "Accessory barrels" sold to owners of existing single shot pistols. I guess if you got a . 22 Caliber barrel with your pistol you could have gotten the extra . 32 S&W and . 38 S&W caliber barrels at a Later date and Perhaps that is why we see these barrels with no serial numbers, or latch assemblies with different serial numbers. In the case of my second variation single shot, it came to me with a 6" . 22 Caliber barrel that has no serial number on it, and it had a Miss Matched serial numbered latch assembly on it. Because of you having my Guns original serial numbered barrel Latch assembly and swapping with me, I was able to reunite the gun with it's original serial numbered latch that it shipped out of the factory with. At this time I have not actually lettered the gun, but it would be interesting to me to know what length barrel it shipped out of the factory with, and if they perhaps just did not stamp the barrel with the guns serial number or if perhaps it was ordered with a different caliber barrel on it and that this 6" . 22 LR barrel I bought it with may have been an extra barrel that the owner ordered at a Later date ?
Ralph was Kind enough to furnish me with Five extra barrels for my single shot pistol that were in different stages of completion. Two of the barrel's were of .38 S&W caliber and both had factory address stamps on top of the barrels and caliber stamps on the side of the barrel but both lacked their front sights, Extractor Cams, Cartridge extractors and rear latch assemblies. Neither of those barrel's were serial numbered and one was still in the white as shown. I also got two .32 S&W barrels. One was a 6" Length the other an 8" length barrel. Both were blued but lacked serial numbers, front sights and rear latches, But the 8" example had it's extractor and extractor cam in place. The last barrel I got is the Prized Olympic chamber barrel. It was of 10" Length with no serial numbers as well and lacked any Barrel stampings what so ever. It had it's extractor in place but it was froze up and not operable and was still in the white, Lacking it's front sight, latch assembly & Extractor Cam. Oddly you could see on some of these barrels where they had been factory roll mark stamped, but it looked as though the stampings had been ground off them.
I suspect they were made up, then found to have cosmetic flaws, so perhaps this is why they lacked being finished or their roll mark stamps lacking ?
I had David Chicoine of Gastonia, North Carolina finish my Olympic chamber barrel along with my 8" . 32 S&W caliber barrel and he fitted them to my frame. He had to place the front sights in both barrels along with the sight latch assemblies, then he finished the Olympic barrel by Polishing and bluing it taking it from the white. They both function well and are very accurate once he finished with them and I am very glad to have them as tough as these single shot barrels are to locate. Here is what the five barrels looked like when I got them from Ralph Tremaine before they were sent to David Chicoine, and how the Two extra barrels turned out that he finished for me being the Olympic chamber .22 Barrel along with the 8" .32 S&W caliber barrel. . In speculating on their existence I assume they were left over barrels that the S&W factory sold after they discontinued these pistols, as none were finished nor serial numbered..
Regards, Hammerdown
