This is essentially a work in progress for publishing in The Blue Press. I thought I'd give you an advance peek.
John
Some of the most popular pocket revolvers during the late 1800s through the 1930s were the so-called "hammerless" top-break designs. Smith & Wesson offered these from 1888 to 1940. The newer Hand Ejector series of S&W revolvers with solid top straps and swing-out cylinders had proven to be stronger and quite reliable. Accordingly, by 1941, no further topbreak guns were manufactured at S&W. Discontinuance of the old pocket revolvers left a void in Smith's lineup that was not addressed until 1950, when the first "Chief's Special" .38 special J-frame snubby revolvers were manufactured. These were more or less conventional small frame 5-shot revolvers that allowed both double and single action fire. There was a perceived flaw, however. The hammer tended to catch on clothing when the arm was drawn, and S&W heard many calls for another "hammerless" design that would be smooth on the draw and operate in double action mode only. Among the early proponents of this concept was Col. Rex Applegate, a WWII-era self-defense expert. It was thought that such a gun would be the ideal concealable undercover arm. In 1952, the centennial year of its founding, S&W introduced the Centennial revolvers.
Basically, the Centennials were revolvers which melded the 2-inch barreled Chief's Special with the hammerless design concept of the old Safety Hammerless revolvers. Although they were called "hammerless," the guns did have hammers, but they were completely internal. As with the older topbreak guns, the new guns had a squeeze lever incorporated into the backstrap. This was ostensibly as a safety measure to preclude juveniles from easily firing the weapons. The profile of this safety lever was almost identical to that used on the old Safety Hammerless revolvers, and it operated in exactly the same way. When the gun was gripped forcefully, it pressed in on an internal lever which swung away from underneath the concealed hammer and allowed it to retract and drop when the trigger was pulled. The old nickname of the previous guns also stuck to the new ones. They were popularly called "Lemon Squeezers."
The first guns to be manufactured were lightweights. These were called the Centennial Airweights, and they became available for limited sale on November 21, 1952. Amazingly, the first 37 guns weighed only 11 ¾ ounces, as they had aluminum cylinders as well as aluminum frames. These have become rare collectibles now. By May of 1954, the factory had substituted steel cylinders, increasing the weight to a still-light 13 ounces. The all-steel model was simply called the Centennial, and a number of these were first completed for shipment on December 1, 1952. These weighed a heftier 19 ounces. The guns were first shipped in red boxes, and the very early end labels read "38 CHIEFS SPECIAL / Hammerless." A separate serial number series began with the number 1 and continued through number 30,160 in 1971. Due to regulations contained in the Gun Control Act of 1968, a new serial number series was then begun with the prefix L, beginning with L1.
Some early guns had a smooth trigger face, but most were serrated. All were of round-butt design. The first production guns (made before 1955) will have a small screw located at the top of the sideplate. In 1957, the Centennials and the Centennial Airweights were assigned the model numbers 40 and 42, respectively. The revolver illustrated is a Model 40, manufactured in 1966. It has the optional "high horn" smooth stocks which are original and numbered to the gun. Stocks for the old Centennials are not interchangeable with other J-frame guns because of a smaller semicircular cutout in the grip frame.
The initial Centennial and Centennial Airweight revolvers were available in either blue or nickel finish. The earlier production guns had a flat cylinder release latch, while later ones had the dished design as seen on the revolver pictured here. All guns had an indented and white-painted dot on the top of the safety lever. This feature had a purpose. Each of these revolvers had a concealed hole in the frame, underneath the grips, which housed a small pin. This pin could be withdrawn and inserted through the frame into the squeezed safety lever to lock it in the compressed position. The white dot gave a visual clue as to whether the gun had a functional safety lever or not. Over the years, most of those small pins have become lost, but it's an easy task for the owner to cobble up a new one from a small nail or something similar. The Centennials were not wildly popular at first, and became even less so when Smith & Wesson introduced the humpbacked "Bodyguard" revolvers with their shrouded hammers - the Airweight version (later the Model 38) in 1955, and the all-steel version (Model 49) in 1959. These allowed an easy snag-free draw combined with the ability to thumb-cock the revolvers for more precise single action fire. S&W decided that for economic reasons, they could no longer manufacture the Models 40 and 42 Centennials, and production was halted in 1974 at serial number L9861. These fine revolvers were dropped from the Smith & Wesson catalog. But the story didn't end there.
It appears that whatever is no longer available is often appreciated more, and this was true with the Centennial revolvers. From 1974 to 1990, the public began to re-understand the merits of a double-action-only hammerless self defense revolver. Such an arm precluded accidental fire from the single action mode, and was smooth as silk on the draw. No dirt or pocket debris could get into the action to foul things up. A number of gun writers were pressuring S&W to recognize these facts by re-introducing the Centennials. This rising demand resulted in the introduction of the stainless Model 640 .38 special in 1990. While similar to the Model 40, it did not have a grip safety lever. The Model 640-1 in .357 Magnum was introduced in 1996. .38 Special Airweight versions in blue (Model 442) and stainless (Model 642) became available. Both of these have aluminum frames and steel cylinders, weighing 15 ounces. In 1991, the stainless 9mm Model 940 was introduced. It was discontinued in 1998. Three hundred stainless guns were built in the oddball .356 TSW caliber. Some six-shot Airweights have been produced in .32 Magnum. For masochists willing to discharge potent .357 Magnum loads from 11-ounce guns, the models 340Sc and 340PD came on stream in the new century, all with advanced lightweight metallurgy. The .38 Special 342Ti shared these metallurgical innovations.
In recent years, S&W has seen fit to produce Centennials with politically correct external key-activated locks above the cylinder release latch. This unsightly device has upset many people, me included. Some Models 442 and 642 have been tentatively produced without the locks, and these guns are experiencing heavy demand. In 2007, S&W began marketing the Model 40-1 as part of its "Classic" series. This re-make of the original Centennial design features the squeeze-safety, but no lockdown pin. It's available in blue, nickel, or case-hardened finish. To the sound of enthusiastic handclapping, this modern Centennial is produced with no external lock.
The Centennial concept has now been accepted to the degree that the Model 642, the .38 Special Airweight aluminum/stainless version, has become one of S&W's best sellers. From a somewhat shaky start, the reliable Centennial revolvers have evolved into ultra-popular handguns, riding the crest of the concealed-carry wave that has swept the country. This popularity has propelled the original Centennials and Models 40 and 42 into the category of desirable collector items, and values on these are escalating regularly. Originating over 50 years ago, the Centennials have become bona fide classics today.
Copyrighted 2011 JLM
John
Some of the most popular pocket revolvers during the late 1800s through the 1930s were the so-called "hammerless" top-break designs. Smith & Wesson offered these from 1888 to 1940. The newer Hand Ejector series of S&W revolvers with solid top straps and swing-out cylinders had proven to be stronger and quite reliable. Accordingly, by 1941, no further topbreak guns were manufactured at S&W. Discontinuance of the old pocket revolvers left a void in Smith's lineup that was not addressed until 1950, when the first "Chief's Special" .38 special J-frame snubby revolvers were manufactured. These were more or less conventional small frame 5-shot revolvers that allowed both double and single action fire. There was a perceived flaw, however. The hammer tended to catch on clothing when the arm was drawn, and S&W heard many calls for another "hammerless" design that would be smooth on the draw and operate in double action mode only. Among the early proponents of this concept was Col. Rex Applegate, a WWII-era self-defense expert. It was thought that such a gun would be the ideal concealable undercover arm. In 1952, the centennial year of its founding, S&W introduced the Centennial revolvers.
Basically, the Centennials were revolvers which melded the 2-inch barreled Chief's Special with the hammerless design concept of the old Safety Hammerless revolvers. Although they were called "hammerless," the guns did have hammers, but they were completely internal. As with the older topbreak guns, the new guns had a squeeze lever incorporated into the backstrap. This was ostensibly as a safety measure to preclude juveniles from easily firing the weapons. The profile of this safety lever was almost identical to that used on the old Safety Hammerless revolvers, and it operated in exactly the same way. When the gun was gripped forcefully, it pressed in on an internal lever which swung away from underneath the concealed hammer and allowed it to retract and drop when the trigger was pulled. The old nickname of the previous guns also stuck to the new ones. They were popularly called "Lemon Squeezers."
The first guns to be manufactured were lightweights. These were called the Centennial Airweights, and they became available for limited sale on November 21, 1952. Amazingly, the first 37 guns weighed only 11 ¾ ounces, as they had aluminum cylinders as well as aluminum frames. These have become rare collectibles now. By May of 1954, the factory had substituted steel cylinders, increasing the weight to a still-light 13 ounces. The all-steel model was simply called the Centennial, and a number of these were first completed for shipment on December 1, 1952. These weighed a heftier 19 ounces. The guns were first shipped in red boxes, and the very early end labels read "38 CHIEFS SPECIAL / Hammerless." A separate serial number series began with the number 1 and continued through number 30,160 in 1971. Due to regulations contained in the Gun Control Act of 1968, a new serial number series was then begun with the prefix L, beginning with L1.
Some early guns had a smooth trigger face, but most were serrated. All were of round-butt design. The first production guns (made before 1955) will have a small screw located at the top of the sideplate. In 1957, the Centennials and the Centennial Airweights were assigned the model numbers 40 and 42, respectively. The revolver illustrated is a Model 40, manufactured in 1966. It has the optional "high horn" smooth stocks which are original and numbered to the gun. Stocks for the old Centennials are not interchangeable with other J-frame guns because of a smaller semicircular cutout in the grip frame.
The initial Centennial and Centennial Airweight revolvers were available in either blue or nickel finish. The earlier production guns had a flat cylinder release latch, while later ones had the dished design as seen on the revolver pictured here. All guns had an indented and white-painted dot on the top of the safety lever. This feature had a purpose. Each of these revolvers had a concealed hole in the frame, underneath the grips, which housed a small pin. This pin could be withdrawn and inserted through the frame into the squeezed safety lever to lock it in the compressed position. The white dot gave a visual clue as to whether the gun had a functional safety lever or not. Over the years, most of those small pins have become lost, but it's an easy task for the owner to cobble up a new one from a small nail or something similar. The Centennials were not wildly popular at first, and became even less so when Smith & Wesson introduced the humpbacked "Bodyguard" revolvers with their shrouded hammers - the Airweight version (later the Model 38) in 1955, and the all-steel version (Model 49) in 1959. These allowed an easy snag-free draw combined with the ability to thumb-cock the revolvers for more precise single action fire. S&W decided that for economic reasons, they could no longer manufacture the Models 40 and 42 Centennials, and production was halted in 1974 at serial number L9861. These fine revolvers were dropped from the Smith & Wesson catalog. But the story didn't end there.
It appears that whatever is no longer available is often appreciated more, and this was true with the Centennial revolvers. From 1974 to 1990, the public began to re-understand the merits of a double-action-only hammerless self defense revolver. Such an arm precluded accidental fire from the single action mode, and was smooth as silk on the draw. No dirt or pocket debris could get into the action to foul things up. A number of gun writers were pressuring S&W to recognize these facts by re-introducing the Centennials. This rising demand resulted in the introduction of the stainless Model 640 .38 special in 1990. While similar to the Model 40, it did not have a grip safety lever. The Model 640-1 in .357 Magnum was introduced in 1996. .38 Special Airweight versions in blue (Model 442) and stainless (Model 642) became available. Both of these have aluminum frames and steel cylinders, weighing 15 ounces. In 1991, the stainless 9mm Model 940 was introduced. It was discontinued in 1998. Three hundred stainless guns were built in the oddball .356 TSW caliber. Some six-shot Airweights have been produced in .32 Magnum. For masochists willing to discharge potent .357 Magnum loads from 11-ounce guns, the models 340Sc and 340PD came on stream in the new century, all with advanced lightweight metallurgy. The .38 Special 342Ti shared these metallurgical innovations.
In recent years, S&W has seen fit to produce Centennials with politically correct external key-activated locks above the cylinder release latch. This unsightly device has upset many people, me included. Some Models 442 and 642 have been tentatively produced without the locks, and these guns are experiencing heavy demand. In 2007, S&W began marketing the Model 40-1 as part of its "Classic" series. This re-make of the original Centennial design features the squeeze-safety, but no lockdown pin. It's available in blue, nickel, or case-hardened finish. To the sound of enthusiastic handclapping, this modern Centennial is produced with no external lock.
The Centennial concept has now been accepted to the degree that the Model 642, the .38 Special Airweight aluminum/stainless version, has become one of S&W's best sellers. From a somewhat shaky start, the reliable Centennial revolvers have evolved into ultra-popular handguns, riding the crest of the concealed-carry wave that has swept the country. This popularity has propelled the original Centennials and Models 40 and 42 into the category of desirable collector items, and values on these are escalating regularly. Originating over 50 years ago, the Centennials have become bona fide classics today.
Copyrighted 2011 JLM
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