Jim,
On page 53 of SCSW4, you describe the following: Two-piece boxes. 1933-1941. Blue picture box. In early 1933, S&W introduced a blue box with a picture of the model printed on the lid and with model information printed on the sides of the lid. It is believed that these were initially issued for both the .38/44 Heavy Duty and Outdoorsman models.
On page 181, you state, in reference to the .38/44 Heavy Duty model, that “Guns manufactured from 1930 to 1935 shipped in maroon boxes and from 1935 to 1940 in blue picture boxes. I don’t know if there was overlap until 1935 with the blue picture box and the maroon ones or if the maroon one was discontinued in 1933, but the reference to the blue picture boxes starting in 1935 is in error and should be revised to early 1933.
Lastly, I don’t know if a reference to the wording on the inside of the box being bilingual (English/Spanish) warrants a reference, as it’s certainly interesting, likely for sales to Mexico and/or South America, but I’m not sure how extensive these sakes were to begin with.
Also, there were two types of picture boxes for these models and the Registered Magnum. Type I, that pictured the service stocks on the box, and Type II, which pictured the Magna stocks on the box. There is no reference to this in SCSW4, and a reference to this in SCSW5 would be more thorough.
The end date of the blue picture box, on page 181 is stated as being 1940, and yet it states that 11,111 .38/44 Heavy Duty revolvers were manufactured 1930 - 1941. And, on page 53, it states the blue picture boxes ended with S&W’s closure for wartime production in 1941, so I would think a revision is necessary on page 181 to reference 1941 instead of 1940 as the end date for blue picture boxes.
Thus, this line should read, on page 181, as follows: Guns manufactured from 1930 to 1935 shipped in maroon boxes and from early 1933 to 1941 in blue picture boxes. Unless the maroon box ended with the advent of the blue picture box, in which case that would have ended in early 1933. I’m not aware if there was overlap, or not.
Photographs of my .38/44 Heavy Duty that shipped in July 1934 are attached, it having Service stocks and being in the correct Type I box are attached. The serial number on the tape on the underside of the box is illegible, and so I don’t know if I have THE box or just A box.
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