I don't know of any studies on that question, but there cannot have been many. Well under a thousand, I would guess, and possibly not more than a couple of hundred.

Another way to look at early production might be to ask how many five-screw Pre-25s were produced, and how many four-screw Pre-25s. The model-marked 25s were so much preferred to the light barrel Model 26 revolvers that the 26 went out of production in 1961. The 25 went on to be a steady seller for S&W. Only about 2800 26s and Pre-26s were produced from 1950-1961. I suspect more 25s and Pre-25s were sold in their first decade, but I have no idea what that number would be.

That's a nice specimen.

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David Wilson