Could use some expertise for this .22/32 "Bekeart" ???

[Oldbird13]

Took delivery today of a gun won in an auction supposedly from a former gun dealer's estate. It was marked as "Smith & Wesson Beaker Style Kit Gun Revolver cal. 22 LR SN: 208400. Reblued"

They misspelled Bekeart. I have included some photos. Barrel, frame and cylinder all have matching numbers, clearly visible. The stocks are in very nice condition and when I removed them I faintly saw on one of the penciled serial number that matched the other parts. What puzzles me is the left-sided stock is stamped 2563 on the bottom. Appreciate any thoughts on what I have.

 

[mrcvs]

With credit to JSRIII:

The FOUR BASIC CLASSIFICATIONS of the “.22/32 Bekeart Model 1911” in order of their collectability and value are summarized below from the SCS&W, 3rd edition and other sources:

In April 25, 1911 an order for the 1st production run of 1050 serial #s, of the Model 1911 Bekeart models began in the serial range of # 138226 thru # 139275, completed on July 10, 1911. Only 1044 revolvers were actually completed/shipped and their grips were #’d 1 - 1044. The 1st 3000 guns were numbered 1 to 3000 on the butt of the left stock in the order that they were assembled.

1st classification, the "True" Bekearts, the “Model 1911 22/32 Bekeart HFTs” are the 294 (lately revised from 292 by Roy Jinks) from that original production run on the known serial number list within the above serial range that were actually shipped to Bekeart.

2nd class of Bekearts are the remainder of the guns in that 1044 production run and serial range that went to other dealers.

3rd class of Bekearts is the remainder with grip number order of assembly from #1045 to #3000, shipped to Bekeart or not, after which grip #s were discontinued, but there is no official factory 'list' of serial numbers for this class, albeit there are accumulated partial lists from lettered guns; the grip number and with grip serial number matching the gun, being sufficient to identify them along with a factory letter.

4th and last class, is any “22/32 Heavy Frame Target” from after the 1st production run that 'letters' as being shipped to Bekeart Sporting goods in S.F., since there is no official serial number list for this class.

 

[mrcvs]

With credit to JSRIII:

The FOUR BASIC CLASSIFICATIONS of the “.22/32 Bekeart Model 1911” in order of their collectability and value are summarized below from the SCS&W, 3rd edition and other sources:

In April 25, 1911 an order for the 1st production run of 1050 serial #s, of the Model 1911 Bekeart models began in the serial range of # 138226 thru # 139275, completed on July 10, 1911. Only 1044 revolvers were actually completed/shipped and their grips were #’d 1 - 1044. The 1st 3000 guns were numbered 1 to 3000 on the butt of the left stock in the order that they were assembled.

1st classification, the "True" Bekearts, the “Model 1911 22/32 Bekeart HFTs” are the 294 (lately revised from 292 by Roy Jinks) from that original production run on the known serial number list within the above serial range that were actually shipped to Bekeart.

2nd class of Bekearts are the remainder of the guns in that 1044 production run and serial range that went to other dealers.

3rd class of Bekearts is the remainder with grip number order of assembly from #1045 to #3000, shipped to Bekeart or not, after which grip #s were discontinued, but there is no official factory 'list' of serial numbers for this class, albeit there are accumulated partial lists from lettered guns; the grip number and with grip serial number matching the gun, being sufficient to identify them along with a factory letter.

4th and last class, is any “22/32 Heavy Frame Target” from after the 1st production run that 'letters' as being shipped to Bekeart Sporting goods in S.F., since there is no official serial number list for this class.

And so the 2563 is the grip order of assembly.

And yours would have been shipped to M W Robinson, early 1914.

 

[S&W ucla]

It's so hard to tell from pics, but my first look doesn't say re-blue. Pins look proud, ejector knob is case hardened, rear of cylinder doesn't look polished.
My thought on what you have is a nice gun! Congratulations

 

[rct269]

It's so hard to tell from pics, but my first look doesn't say re-blue. Pins look proud, ejector knob is case hardened, rear of cylinder doesn't look polished.
My thought on what you have is a nice gun! Congratulations

Just as an aside not to be overlooked, the typical tell-tale signs of a refinished gun don't exist for all intents and purposes when the original finish has been stripped, rather than removed by polishing wheels.

Dings and other scars from a prior life (that may not have been properly corrected prior to a refinish) will stick out like a sore thumb---as will such imperfections not corrected by experts.

You have to look at the color--I say look at, you have to compare it with known originals within the same time frame.

I once had a very spiffy .44 H.E.4th Target---very spiffy except for the world's worst turn line-----looked like it had been made by dragging it down a gravel road!! I took it to Turnbull's (after calling to see if they could refinish it to match the rest of the gun----"Yes."). It turned out that "Yes. came from someone who was talking when he should have been listening 'cause when I got there with gun in hand, the answer was "No!". That went along these lines: "Who told you that?" "I don't know." "Well I'm in charge of all the bluing, and I'm telling you we can't!" He went on: "Bluing is a living thing---it reacts to its environment. We can refinish that cylinder, and it will look exactly like it did when it was made---50 years ago---but it won't look like the rest of the gun looks now! Now we can refinish that cylinder 50 times---altering the several variables every time; and we MIGHT get a match two times out of those 50 tries----how do you like those odds?!" I allowed as how I didn't much care for them at all. (All this is back in the good old days when Turnbull would re-do S&W's-----and so would the factory---and I had the whole gun re-done by the factory---and all was well that ended well!!

Ralph Tremaine

As another aside worth noting, this gun had been sold; and the purchaser asked me to have it refinished by the factory----AND to ask them to NOT apply ANY factory service markings. I told him I'd ask, but I was pretty sure they would not comply. I asked, and they complied------with no fuss, no muss, and no bother---just as though it was everyday business as usual. You might wish to keep this in mind if you should come across a 50 year old gun that looks like it just left the factory a week ago---because it may very well have just left the factory a week ago.

 

[JP@AK]

A "Bekeart Kit Gun." That's a hoot!

Nice acquisition!