I found this item in a junk shop in South Carolina about 20 years ago. I had no idea what it was and the chap who owned the shop had no idea what it was either. Because it had the S&W logo on it, and the leather case was marked “U.S.” I picked it up. I assumed it was some sort of a military item. I took it to a few gun shows, a few gun shops, and finally sent an email along with a picture to the Smith and Wesson archives. Nobody was able to identify what this is. I put it away and forgot about it. Recently as I was sorting through some old items in the basement, I came across it again. I thought somebody in this forum might be able to identify it for me. It has a small peep hole on one side and when you look into the hole there is a calibrated band that rotates as you move the device around. Anyone know what it is?

What do the buttons do? is that a hinge or a clasp on the right side? Is that 'window' in the lower half moveable at all? What is the calibration of the band seen through the peep hole? How big is it? Put something by it for scale. I feel like we can figure this out if no one recognizes it. Maybe it was standard issue but in a specialty that would use a specific tool, like navigation. My first thought was 'compass', but we don't really see too much of it. You can fiddle with the knobs and see what they do.

Update: Its a 'clinometer' from the Korean War that measures vertical angles for artillery fire and other uses. ("We have to take that hill.")

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...y-level-korean

Yours is in good condition and could be worth some bucks.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Looks like some sort of survey or photography equipment.

I've never seen anything that looks exactly like it.

How is the calibrated band marked?

How big is it? Can't tell it's relative size by the photo.

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NULLI SECUNDUS

I know, I know, It's something I have never seen before!

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Carpriver.

Bomb sight?

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S&W Accumulator

If no one at S&W recognizes what it is, and S&W made it for Uncle Sam during wartime, I'm betting the nice folks at S&W would love to have it for their displays. Maybe even want it enough to send you something very nice in exchange!

Wow! That was one fast reply. The item in the link you provided is exactly the same and even has the identical leather case. Many thanks for your knowledgeable and quick reply.

It's a soldier's personal entertainment center.
Originally, it would have had small celluloid photos inside, likely nude pics of Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Doris Day, Rock Hudson (don't ask, don't tell, men!) and the like.

Google knows everything.

copy paste

1952 Vintage Smith & Wesson U.S. Military Inclinometer & Original Leather Pouch

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Doesn't hasta call me Johnson

I've seen these on eBay a few times but assumed it was a different S&W as I've never seen them discussed here or elsewhere in relation to Smith & Wesson. Can someone confirm these were manufactured by Smith & Wesson? I'm inclined, no pun intended, to believe it's a different outfit with the initials S and W who made them as the monogram is unlike any Smith & Wesson used.

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SWHF #448

Not being in scale the first thing I thought was 'land mine' but now I see the leather pouch so it could be an 'anti-foot' mine.

My second thought was a military compass with the flip up top for sighting, figuring azimuth and all that orienteering ****.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Thanks. I was getting quite curious as to what it was.

Were they used on mortars or what?

The only inclinometers I've seen were on cranes.

Stewart Warner used to be an American company that made many gauges used in automotive use as well as the industrial scale of business. Theirs is usually a simple SW application for lettering, unless it is spelled out.

I thought it was Stewart "-" Warner. The marking on this is S "&" W.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

It's Stewart Warner and they are still in the gauge business.

PS I looked closely at the ampersand on the gizmo and it doesn't quite look like an ampersand. Maybe it's a stylized something or other.

PPS Are we nerds or what???

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

At first I thought it might be Stewart Warner, they built alot of military stuff but if they didn't print out Stewart Warner in script, they were fond of using a light colored back ground with SW in bolt print centered. On gauges that have no marking you will still find Stewart Warner in script on the back usually. The other thing that Stewart Warner put a patent on was the use of a crescent shape on the non pointy end of the hand...it was what really set them apart. I've got a set of the newer "classic" gauges on my hotrod, they are made in Mexico.