Four Inch Barreled Pre-27's - Photo and Info Thread

[bulldog06]

Pre 27 4" Nov 1956

Here's mine. S164375 Only have a few photos. Stocks are not matching, later numbered. Haven't lettered it yet.

 

[RKmesa]

Would it fit in the box with target grips?

Yup - it fits. Here's a quick phone photo of of the gun in its box with a set of KB smooth targets on it.

 

[Zebadiah]

Here's mine. Only have a few photos. Stocks are not matching, later numbered. Haven't lettered it yet.

Doesn't anyone ever shoot any of these beautiful Smiths??????? They all look so pristine.

 

[bulldog06]

This one is a safe queen

I have a 4" 27-2 also a queen, but do shoot some 4" 28's, and some 3.5" pre- and 27-2's.

 

[RKmesa]

Here's mine. Only have a few photos. Stocks are not matching, later numbered. Haven't lettered it yet.

Mike:

That is a beauty. Can you share the SN range?

 

[bulldog06]

added serial number to original post

Richard,

Here it is, S164375, November 1956.

 

[RKmesa]

Summary... so far

Four post war pre-27's posted in this thread:

SN S164155 Shipped April 5, 1957
SN S164375 Shipped November 1956
SN S164755 Shipped February 25, 1957, H.H. Harris order for 24
SN S164775 Shipped April 22, 1957, H.H. Harris order for 8

Hopefully a few more will be posted.

 

[1blindref]

Great, another pre 27 barrel length I need to find.
And I thought finding 5", 6", 6.5", and 8 3/8" nickel pre 27's was hard!
I wonder if there were any 4" nickel pre 27's??

 

[RKmesa]

I wonder if there were any 4" nickel pre 27's??

I don't believe that I have ever seen a 4" nickel pre-27. I would love for you to find one. When you do - please post the info here. I would love to see a thread where you post your other nickel pre-27's (I have a couple of 3.5"ers and an 8.375" one).

 

[Engine49guy]

Four post war pre-27's posted in this thread:

SN S164155 Shipped April 5, 1957
SN S164375 Shipped November 1956
SN S164755 Shipped February 25, 1957, H.H. Harris order for 24
SN S164775 Shipped April 22, 1957, H.H. Harris order for 8

Hopefully a few more will be posted.

Interesting they all have S-164 serials that end in the number 5.

 

[PMac]

Four post war pre-27's posted in this thread:

SN S164155 Shipped April 5, 1957
SN S164375 Shipped November 1956
SN S164755 Shipped February 25, 1957, H.H. Harris order for 24
SN S164775 Shipped April 22, 1957, H.H. Harris order for 8

Hopefully a few more will be posted.

Add one more to your list. According to Mr. Jinks, shipped from factory in February, 1954. # S 103689. Correct grips, 4" barrel.

 

[Art Doc]

Right in the middle of that S164xxx range of special order barrel lengths is my 6.5" example...S164278 shipped May 17, 1957. I wish I had a 4" version. Really neat.

But with all the comments about a 3.5" barrel vs a 4" now I have to chrono both side by side.

 

[silver armadillo]

I have always wondered why the boxes never fit right . Always alittle too narrow for me.......Slowly hammer rubbing that soft cardboard and usually my splits on these beautiful gold box eras end up this way.

This is a great post with many beautiful guns. Thanks Richard for a great thought on this. Blessings, Bill

 

[silver armadillo]

Oh yes,,,if you look at that beautiful gun in the box ,,,you can see how the hammer just rubs that poor box and pushes it out..... like I was talking about.... I guess you have to store them with the gun in the box. Anyone have any other thoughts on this. I would love to see that remedy too. Blessings, Bill

 

[RKmesa]

From another thread:

I have one of the I believe 12 of that configuration shipped to H H Harris Co. special ordered with the 4" barrel. Mine was shipped April 22, 1957 ser# S164758. I found it in one of my local shops mismarked as a 3.5" and my friend who worked there at the time argued with me when I told him it was a 4 inch gun because they didn't make one in 4 inch. Guess they didn't own a ruler!!!

Updated Summary:

Seven post war 4" pre-27's posted in this thread:

SN S103689 Shipped February, 1954
SN S164145 Shipped February 25, 1957, H.H. Harris
SN S164155 Shipped April 5, 1957
SN S164375 Shipped November 9, 1956 to H.H. Harris part of 8 unit shipment
SN S164753 Shipped April 22, 1957 to H.H. Harris, 5 units in this shipment
SN S164755 Shipped February 25, 1957, H.H. Harris order for 24
SN S164758 Shipped April 22, 1957, H. H. Harris, believed to be one of 12
SN S164775 Shipped April 22, 1957, H.H. Harris order for 8

Hopefully a few more will be posted.

 

[bulldog06]

S164375 update

Richard,
thanks for the reminder. I recently lettered S164375.

It shipped Nov 9, 1956 to H.H. Harris Co, Chicago ILL as part of 8 units of the model in 4" configuration at $73.77 each.
Mike

 

[KSK]

4 inch Pre-27

4 inch Pre-27, S/N S164753, shipped 4/22/57 to H.H. Harris. There were 5 units in this shipment. Although the letter lists the the grips as being Target style, the factory invoice indicates the gun originally shipped with standard Magna grips.

 

[rubiranch]

Hopefully a few more will be posted.

I wonder where mine fits in.

I'll add the serial number and letter soon.

 

[rubiranch]

I just checked, and although the magnas fit like they were made for the gun, they do not number to the gun (close...). So you are correct, it could have shipped with targets - maybe even smooth rosewood targets - now that would be nice.

I've read a few times that the numbers might be a few off if they were working on more than one gun at a time, like a special order of a few of the same guns.

Do you think your's might be the case? And even thought the numbers don't match they may still be the original stocks that came on your gun??

 

[RKmesa]

I've read a few times that the numbers might be a few off if they were working on more than one gun at a time, like a special order of a few of the same guns.

Do you think your's might be the case? And even thought the numbers don't match they may still be the original stocks that came on your gun??

I know that serial numbers on the early target grips (the few that had SNs) did not always match the frame, but for guns that shipped with magnas, I am only aware of such a situation with the Model 520 in the late 1970s or early 1980s. BUT with S&W you never know. Also, stock switching could have happened at the dealer as well...