Post Office pre M45

[larryofcc]

Recently got a letter back on my Post Office Model.
One of 15 shipped in error to Gopher Shooters Supply. They were included in a large order of all types S&W, to Rex Firearms Co., 6-1958. I would guess they got their guns back.
Anyway, the letter states my revolver as a M45. The actual shipping invoice called it a M&P M10 .22 caliber.
Now, my revolver is a 4 screw, and is NOT model marked. Has diamond center PC stocks and a ramp front sight.
What do I call this revolver? Were they all M45's, Post Office Models, or M&P M10 .22's?
I cannot do pics, but it is a nice revolver. Thanks, Big Larry

 

[Engine49guy]

I would call it a four screw non Model marked Model 45.

If you call it an M&P .22 might cause confusion since they reintroduced that name in their polymer semi autos.

Btw Ive Never seen one in real life.

 

[DWalt]

Can you include a picture of the letter and invoice?

 

[Green Frog]

C'mon, Larry old buddy. You know in a thread like this pictures are required. Feed our habit, my friend! Most of us have only read about the Post Office Model.

Impatiently,
Froggie

 

[murphydog]

Its official name is .22 Military & Police. Since they were fairly rare and many were model stamped, the letter probably just generically referred to them as model 45s, but to me the absence of the stamping takes yours out of that category.

 

[Venom6]

Dumb but honest question: why would it not be called a "pre-Model 45"?

 

[StrawHat]

Dumb but honest question: why would it not be called a "pre-Model 45"?

How can you call something pre X before X existed? Hollywood invented "pre-quells", S&W made revolvers.

Apples and cumquats!

Kevin

 

[larryofcc]

Sorry folks. I lost my photo exchange a while back and boy, am I ever computer challenged. Another member asked for pics and he will post them.
My factory letter calls this revolver a M45 several times. As it is not model marked, I kind of doubt that is what it officially is.
I am inclined to go with M&P 22.
I do not have any pics of the invoice that was included with the letter. It does list the 15 M&P M10 22's, a couple consecutive, and all "C" prefix. All other guns listed are model marked.
It was a very large order.
I bought this revolver from a Cabelas in New York after another person decided he didn't want it. Very expensive. Very scarce.
It is # C 407568 for those of you keeping track.
Not a mint gun, so my buddy shot it. Good group at 25 yards. Big Larry

 

[StrawHat]

AND NOW, WHAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING TO SEE!!!

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

Okay, as a collector of S&W 45 ACP revolvers it still steams me that a Model 22 is chambered in 45 ACP and a Model 45 is cut for the 22 Long Rifle cartridge!

Kevin

 

[DWalt]

Sorry folks. I lost my photo exchange a while back and boy, am I ever computer challenged. Another member asked for pics and he will post them.
My factory letter calls this revolver a M45 several times.
It is # C 407568 for those of you keeping track.
Not a mint gun, so my buddy shot it. Good group at 25 yards. Big Larry

Model stamping of M&Ps is somewhat imprecise. It seems certain that no model-stamped examples were ever SHIPPED prior to 1958. Model-stamped M&P examples are known which have serial numbers as low as C387xxx, yet there are also other M&P examples known that have serial numbers in the upper C 43xxxx range which are NOT model stamped. So, is C 407568 a Model 45 or not? My opinion, and it is only that, is because C407568 is definitely within the serial number range where model-stamped M&P examples are known to exist, it is an unstamped Model 45.

The story is that those .22 M&Ps actually sold to the Post Office were all destroyed, but perhaps a few may have escaped that fate. Further, I have not seen evidence indicating whether they were purchased directly by and shipped directly to the Post Office, or if the Post Office purchased them using a gun distributor as an intermediary. There were also supposedly some of the .22 M&Ps purchased by the Boston PD for training use. I have never seen anything about what may have happened to those. The only thing certain is that not very many survived. The only comparable oddball mystery M&Ps are the few known which were chambered in .32 S&W Long.

 

[bdGreen]

Model 45, no dash, four screw .22 M&P.

Enjoy,
bdGreen

Tap on image to enlarge.

 

[larryofcc]

That sure is close to mine. Does it have PC stocks?
The M45 is scarcer than most S&W's.
I once saw a 6"er for sale at a Cabelas, but it was long sold by the time I called them. Those are extremely rare.
This, and my NIB Combat Magnum, are the highlight of my meager S&W collection. Thanks all. Big Larry

 

[Engine49guy]

Just wanted to add that IMO calling a non model marked Model 45 a "M&P M10 .22" is tantamount to calling a non Model marked Model 18 a Model 15 in 22lr.

 

[larryofcc]

Just wanted to add that IMO calling a non model marked Model 45 a "M&P M10 .22" is tantamount to calling a non Model marked Model 18 a Model 15 in 22lr.

I was sent an actual copy of the order to Rex listing the revolver
as a M&P M10 22. On another sheet, all 15 revolvers are listed by serial number. On it, it is marked to Rex Firearms.
Hand written, and circled, is the notation that 15 of these 22's were sent to Gophers Shooter Supply by mistake. No mention of what happened to the 15 22's.
There were 99 guns in this shipment, all model marked and individually listed.
Sorry, again, no pictures. Big Larry

 

[austintexas]

Pre M-45

Did anyone notice in the BDGreen S&W letter that the revolver is referred to as a PRE M-45? I'll have to check my M-45 letter.
SWCA 892

 

[DWalt]

Just some additional information, mine is C4298xx, has a 5" barrel, and is stamped as being a Model 45. There are no known Model 45-1s, but there are some known 45-2s, in the C800xxx SN range. I did find in my notes that there may have been around 30 shipped to the Boston PD in several shipments. Some .22 M&Ps were made up in the late 1970s from parts remaining in inventory, and were not model number stamped.

 

[Engine49guy]

I was sent an actual copy of the order to Rex listing the revolver
as a M&P M10 22. On another sheet, all 15 revolvers are listed by serial number. On it, it is marked to Rex Firearms.
Hand written, and circled, is the notation that 15 of these 22's were sent to Gophers Shooter Supply by mistake. No mention of what happened to the 15 22's.
There were 99 guns in this shipment, all model marked and individually listed.
Sorry, again, no pictures. Big Larry

Larry my guess is that the Model number system existed because the order was for a "Model 10 in .22lr"
But as new models were added to the product line they were assigned a new model number which would of course be a higher number, perhaps the person placing the order did not know the Model 45 existed or perhaps it didnt yet exist at that point in time.

If I wanted to place an order for a Model number that either didn't exist yet or did exist but was not in the AMC I would also call it a M&P Model 10 but in .22.

In the present day we know the factory assigned the Model 45 to describe the 22 caliber M&P so referring to it as a four screw non Model marked Model 45 gives a very clear picture of what you have to SW enthusiasts, to people that don't know what a Model 45 is ( they might think it's a blue model 645) then calling it a Model 10 chambered in 22 lr also makes sense.

S&W has revived the M&P name and broadly applied to their polymer semi auto line (as well as their AR15 Line)
IMO calling it a .22 M&P is confusing.

Doesn't really matter but fun to discuss,
Either way you have a very nice and rare model there .
Thanks for sharing it !

 

[Jim Watson]

IMO calling it a .22 M&P is confusing.

It may be confusing to the internet generation, but I think it is correct.

Which is why I refer to my automatics as Plastic M&P and Plastic M&P .22 Compact.

I don't have a real M&P revolver, mine have adjustable sights making them Combat Masterpiece and Combat Magnum.

 

[PaulDoc]

That sure is close to mine. Does it have PC stocks?
The M45 is scarcer than most S&W's.
I once saw a 6"er for sale at a Cabelas, but it was long sold by the time I called them. Those are extremely rare.
This, and my NIB Combat Magnum, are the highlight of my meager S&W collection. Thanks all. Big Larry

That'd the funniest thing I've ever read from you BL. "MEAGER COLLECTION "