Chief James E. Boggs

[MigKiller]

My wife's friend Cindy has her father's .38 special snub. He was the Chief of Police of a town in Ohio.
She gave me the .38 today to clean and tell her what it is. Well it's a little over my head and I'm not sure as it's a pre model number.
I'm posting pictures and not concerned about showing the serial number. She never plans on selling and is going to leave it to someone in her family. Could you all tell me about it and just a ballpark on value for insurance.
One other question it has some service rust the backstrap especially I guess from sweat from the hand. His name is engraved there Chief James E. Boggs.
I have had good luck in the past on several firearms with surface rust by using 0000 steel wool and oil sparingly. Would this be okay? Appreciate any info on approx. date of manufacture. She said he carried it daily in the 50's.

 

[JP@AK]

Nice Chiefs Special with provenance. Very cool.

I'll let our resident Chiefs Special expert, Bob (2bitcowboy), give you the approximate date.

PLEASE do not use steel wool on a blued gun, ever. It doesn't matter how fine it is, it is still steel. Get some copper or bronze wool and use that, along with a good solvent. I know you know to go easy on the rubbing pressure.

 

[Truckman]

I have had good luck in the past on several firearms with surface rust by using 0000 steel wool and oil sparingly.

That's good although I prefer the same weight of bronze wool myself...Very nice gun... ...Ben

 

[Spurdann]

I hope Cindy does not store it in the holster.

 

[MigKiller]

I'll get some bronze wool. So would this be best described as a Pre Model 36 Chiefs Special?

 

[MigKiller]

Just a guess but don't really have a clue maybe 1956/57

• 1950s: Serial numbers increased from the early "I"s, with ranges for the 1950s including 7369-21342 (1952), 28916 (1953), and 55050-
  75000 (1955)

 

[JP@AK]

• Serial numbers increased from the early "I"s

Your numbers are correct for the early J frames. But it has nothing to do with I frames. The Chiefs Special was a J frame from the beginning.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Nice Chiefs Special with provenance. Very cool.

I'll let our resident Chiefs Special expert, Bob (2bitcowboy), give you the approximate date.

PLEASE do not use steel wool on a blued gun, ever. It doesn't matter how fine it is, it is still steel. Get some copper or bronze wool and use that, along with a good solvent. I know you know to go easy on the rubbing pressure.

I have to agree with [email protected] some bronze wool with a good solvent, followed by some RenWax. Be particularly gentle on the name engraving, because this revolver has some great provenance. Looking at the picture of the left side of the barrel, it looks to me like the barrel was re-blued...the stamping is very dished out. But maybe it's just my old eyes! In any case, you will never be able to completely remove all of the rust pits and wear, but that just adds to making this an interesting family heirloom.

 

[JH1951]

This one looks to be S&W J-frame Chiefs Special four-screw version (sometimes referred to as a 'model of 1953'). My guess on the date it shipped would be late '56 to mid-'57. Just a guess....Bob will be along to narrow it down for you.
Prices for these are all over the map, and condition is a prime factor in determining a value. This one is not in bad shape, nor is it in very good shape. The value to the family would be more than the market would bear. My guess is it might sell for about $450 to $500 on a large auction site. All guesses on my part.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Have told the tale of the Win 61 stored in a Sheepskin case.
Laying down, apparently.
One side nigh on Perfect!
Other side pitted end to end!
Every Day I want to Cry Some!
What is the recommended Grit for Bronze Wooly?

 

[Truckman]

What is the recommended Grit for Bronze Wooly?

I like 0000......Ben

 

[two-bit cowboy]

So would this be best described as a Pre Model 36 Chiefs Special?

No.

The best description is what the company called it: .38 Chiefs Special.

Smith & Wesson never (that's an absolute: NEVER) called it a "pre model" or a "Model of 1953".

If you absolutely "must" add an additional descriptor to the name, say it has a four-screw frame.

Value? Priceless!

Here are a few examples of Chiefs Specials serial numbers shipped near your friend's:

- 76262 & 76717, shipped on May 3, 1956
- 80760, shipped on May 25, 1956

Your friend would need a historic letter to tell her the exact ship date and destination ($100), probably a good investment for this one! Smith & Wesson neither produced nor shipped revolvers in serial order so it's all a guess without a letter.

How to eliminate the rust: Here are photos of a 1953 .38 Chiefs Special with a five-screw frame. It came to me with a terrible case of rust. It soaked in a pickle jar with a 50/50 mix of automatic transmission fluid and acetone for 30 days. Then I polished it with bronze wool and applied a coat of Renaissance Wax. You can see the result. Amazing! I do carry it occasionally, but I do not store it in the holster.

 

[Dave Haynes]

I have also used a piece of velcro and oil to attack light rust and it worked beyond perfect..

 

[DWalt]

I have a bottle of some ancient penetrating oil. Likely from the 1940s, maybe even earlier, but I have no idea what is in it. Fairly thin, not greasy, and not much of an odor. Anyway, the stuff works great on removing rust in conjunction with brass wool (Chore Boy). I just brush it on the rusty surface, let it sit for a few minutes, then get after it with the Chore Boy. Repeat a few times and the rust is gone. Not much help, as I know nothing about what ingredients are in that old penetrating oil, but if you have any type of commercial penetrating oil available, try using it.

 

[JH1951]

I have had good luck with using Marvel Mystery Oil as well as Kroil along with a copper scrub pad (not copper plated).

 

[tigerdvr]

My wife's friend Cindy has her father's .38 special snub. He was the Chief of Police of a town in Ohio.
She gave me the .38 today to clean and tell her what it is. Well it's a little over my head and I'm not sure as it's a pre model number.
I'm posting pictures and not concerned about showing the serial number. She never plans on selling and is going to leave it to someone in her family. Could you all tell me about it and just a ballpark on value for insurance.
One other question it has some service rust the backstrap especially I guess from sweat from the hand. His name is engraved there Chief James E. Boggs.
I have had good luck in the past on several firearms with surface rust by using 0000 steel wool and oil sparingly. Would this be okay? Appreciate any info on approx. date of manufacture. She said he carried it daily in the 50's.
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Greetings,

If you can contact your wife's friend, Cindy, please ask her if her father moved to Pompano Beach, Florida.
The Pompano Beach Chief of Police in 1960 was James E. Boggs from Ohio.

I was fresh out of the Air Force and Chief Boggs gave me my start in law enforcement.
Thanks for checking this out for me.

Regards, Harley