Highest Serial Number For 1st Model SS ?

[ol777gunnerz]

In another thread it was stated the highest number in what I assume is the Neals-Jinks book, is 18873. I was wondering what the highest serial number anyone has or has seen for the 1st Model of 91 single shots. I have two & both letter well above that number, #20021 was shipped in 1902, & 19872 was shipped in 1903. I am sure there are some with even higher numbers. The one shipped in 1902 is an 8 inch barrel .22LR while the 1902 shipped pistol is 10 inch Pope barreled 22 short. the wood target grips shown on the 8 inch model were originally on the 10 inch Pope pistol, I switched to make the latter more correct to the way it was shipped. I have no idea whether R H Sayre, H M Pope, or someone else replaced the black hard rubber grips. Should I leave them as they are or switch them back to the way they were when I purchased them?

 

[Model52guy]

Just sent for a letter this week on SN 20731. It's a 6" nickle and the recoil shields were cutoff leaving stubs. Hopefully this letters as a SS transitional. It does have Model of 91 barrel.

 

[glowe]

Forty years after THE BOOK was printed, we know that the SS pistol was made way past the 18,000 range. Many have been lettered, plus there are a dozen Single Shots above serial number 21,000 in the SWCA database. How many of these are lettered, can't say, but the highest number on the list is 26,XXX that shipped later than 1905. Since there were 28,000 38 SA 3rd revolvers made, it is possible that the highest number could be in the 28,000 range. We know the factory ended up with a large quantity of SS barrels that they sold off, so parts were readily available at least up until the Model 1891 revolver was gone sometime after 1911.

 

[Modelof1891]

1891 LATE NUMBERS

Hello All,

The 1891 Single Shot 24946 letters as being shipped 8-14-1907 as a .38, Blue 10 inch barrel to Peden Hardware, Iron & Steel Co. = Lettering as a single shot and is numbered on the (butt) and barrel... Another example of a shipped as a Single Shot and Numbered on the BUTT

Number 23837 was shipped 05-27-1908 as a special order to William H. Armstrong a competitive shooter. 10 inch, Blued, Olympic Chambered barrel

 

[red9]

i Have #22772 (.22 6" nickel) which shipped 7/04. I also have model 1891 target revolver #26608 which was a set with singleshot barrels.

Bob

 

[rct269]

My highest is 23001 (8" blue). The highest for an individual pistol in N&J is 16678. The highest number noted there (18873) is a combination set.

Bob: Does your 26608 set letter as a set?

Ralph Tremaine

And in the opinion department, I can make a case either way, but my modified guns are left in their modified state. (That served to inconvenience me when I was comparing the balance of the three top-break models (10" versions), because my 10" 1st has been treated to different sights----especially at the front--------and even the tiniest variation from bone stock at either end (but especially at the front) is going to change the balance.)

And Terry, was your Olympic chambered 1st made that way, or sleeved? As an aside, yours is the first Olympic chambered 1st I've heard of-----other than from Jinks, who said he had a couple of 1st's/2nd's with short throats.

 

[Modelof1891]

"And Terry, was your Olympic chambered 1st made that way, or sleeved? As an aside, yours is the first Olympic chambered 1st I've heard of-----other than from Jinks, who said he had a couple of 1st's/2nd's with short throats."

Ralph,
The barrel does not have a liner. There is a date under the left grip of 6/45.
That may have been when it went back to the factory and had a second model Olympic chambered barrel installed. The barrel has the single line address on top. The serial number is stamped on the left lug, reading from opposite direction 2383 and the 7 on the right lug.
Terry Wagner

 

[Model52guy]

Update, letter received on Model of '91 SS

Just got the letter today from Roy. My 1st model single shot SN 20731, is almost righteous. It was shipped September 30, 1902 to Charles Osborne's Co. in Birmingham England. It was shipped as nickle with a 6" barrel as a special order of 2 units. Roy's letter indicates the sights are not original. I believe the nickle finish is original as the British proof marks are sharp and are stamped into the nickle. I also assume the recoil shields were removed at the factory leaving the stubs, as the finish is original.
Hopefully it is worth more than I paid for it.

 

[JSR III]

One has to remember that the shipping records that Roy uses and referred to when writing his book and then all those that took his information to include in their books is not on a computer. These are old handwritten ledgers that are very difficult to read. Guns were produced in batches and many of the tabulations were made as a result of pouring over these records, writing letters and talking to other collectors. You can't just push a button on a computer and get a precise list of a given model starting with 1 and ending at XX,XXX.

This is why time and time again we have these threads where folks are confused when a serial number pops up out of a preconceived range.

 

[glowe]

. . . I also assume the recoil shields were removed at the factory leaving the stubs, as the finish is original.

The NICKEL does look age appropriate, but the recoil shields where they were ground off do not appear to be plated and have that "grey steel" look. To me, that would never happen at the factory. I also believe that the factory would have polished them off flush with the frame. My guess is that the recoil shield was ground off when the sights were changed out.

The good news is that it does letter as a 6" nickel single shot, which is quite uncommon, but after-market work does lower the value. That is a tough one to put a price on.