Okay, here's another gun to add to the database. This NM3 .44 Russian came into my possession when I worked at a large gun shop about 10 years ago. A woman was liquidating the estate of her deceased father, a US Marine who had fought in the Pacific in WWII. Along with a couple US military issue pistols - a 1911 and a Victory, as I recall, was this S&W NM3, which I bought. Odd thing about it is, although the external condition shows some damage to the nickel finish and buggered screw slots, the darn thing otherwise appears unfired. The bore, chambers, cylinder face, and recoil shield are all pristine, and it's as mechanically sound as a brand new gun.
Now I seem to recall reading somewhere about Marines fighting on the Pacific islands recovering these guns in like new condition. Until just now, it never occurred to me that my NM3 might have been one of them, but now it kind of makes sense.
Here are a few photos of my gun. The lanyard and the markings inside the frame look practically identical to those Fredcoyote posted. I also have the tiny "2" stamped between the latch ears.
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IMG_5172 copy.jpg
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Okay, wow. Next step I guess is to do what I've been putting off for 10 years: get it lettered. Not sure how long it's taking these days, but I'll get the form sent off pretty soon, and when I get the letter, I'll hunt down this thread and update it.