The 9mm Automatic Pistol (Single Action)

DARE

DARE

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The 9mm Automatic Pistol (Single Action)
Saw a listing for this in the S&W 1956 AMC (All Model Circular).
When model numbers were assigned it became the Model 44. Think I read that only 10 were produced.
It was in the January 1956 S&W catalog priced at $65. It was in the catalog until March 1958. They were hoping for police and military orders, but none were forthcoming. Officially discontinued in August 1959.
A rare bird.


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Definitely a rare bird. I've never seen one in the wild myself let alone even a real picture of one. I see that the drawing depicts it with having similar safety lever and left grip panel as a pre model 39. The trigger and action is obviously different from a pre 39. I wonder if they were were more accurate than a model 39 and fitted with a better barrel?
 
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Did this recent auction show decent pictures of the $36,000 Model 44?

You know it's rare when the thread is opened regarding its appearance in a sales catalog and the only picture is an artist's rendering! 🤣
 
Sevens said:
Did this recent auction show decent pictures of the $36,000 Model 44?

You know it's rare when the thread is opened regarding its appearance in a sales catalog and the only picture is an artist's rendering! 🤣
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Sevens, there was a great picture of it in the auction catalog and It also came from a longtime S&W collector. Better than that, I am at the SWCA Symposium in Concord NC and the buyer is here and he actually let me hold the gun. That's about as good as it gets.
 
cougar015 said:
the buyer is here and he actually let me hold the gun. That's about as good as it gets.
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I would be extremely curious about what that single action trigger pull feels like but I cannot imagine that your excellent experience went quite THAT far…!
 
One of the great things about the symposium is seeing and learning new information. To that effect, I stumbled across a second M44 with a s/n, 1210, that is NOT in my database yet it is clearly stamped leaving no doubt as to what it is. it's also for sale! This increases my list of known M44 guns to 8. Full disclosure their is a 3rd M44 s/n 1214 here. That's 3 out of 15 that we know of in the same place, what a small world.
 
Rich, wow! 3 of 15 at the Symposium.
Please encourage these folks to make a thread on their guns or contribute to this one. Think a bunch of us would appreciate whatever details they are willing to share.
 
DARE said:
Rich, wow! 3 of 15 at the Symposium.
Please encourage these folks to make a thread on their guns or contribute to this one. Think a bunch of us would appreciate whatever details they are willing to share.
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Dave,
1210, 1214 and X134 are all owned by the same person and I don't believe he posts on the forum. I will continue to get pictures and get as much information on all three guns. s/n 2010 was offered to me for sale. I need to start a go fund me page to do that LOL
 
I'd be curious as to why the modest increase in size was so problematic.

Unless there were significant deviations from the usual S&W mechanism.
 
I have to say that it was a bold choice to color the lettering in on the pistol. Does anyone have opinions on this?

On one hand, it absolutely works wonders to show off the lettering and obviously, these guns are -ONLY- for show. We benefit from this treatment, look at how well we can see the lettering!

On the other hand, the colored in lettering is not "as shipped." And though it will clean out, well again, these are not your average guns here, so cleaning these rollmarks out, well I would not want to do it. These are white glove pistols.
 
Sevens said:
I have to say that it was a bold choice to color the lettering in on the pistol. Does anyone have opinions on this?

On one hand, it absolutely works wonders to show off the lettering and obviously, these guns are -ONLY- for show. We benefit from this treatment, look at how well we can see the lettering!

On the other hand, the colored in lettering is not "as shipped." And though it will clean out, well again, these are not your average guns here, so cleaning these rollmarks out, well I would not want to do it. These are white glove pistols.
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The gold lettering really stands out but I'm in agreement with you and would hesitate to fill in the numbers and letters on high end guns.
 
So looks like 18 guns manufactured. 8 prototypes X130-136 & 141. 10 production guns in the 1200 range and Rich knows 8 of those numbers. 16 of the 18 numbers are now known. We have pictures of three guns. Have seen pictures of the X gun log book. Probably the log book would confirm the prototype numbers. I have learned a lot from this thread. Much appreciate the contributors.
 
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DARE said:
So looks like 18 guns manufactured. 8 prototypes X130-136 & 141. 10 production guns in the 1200 range and Rich knows 8 of those numbers. 16 of the 18 numbers are now known. We have pictures of three guns. Have seen pictures of the X gun log book. Probably the log book would confirm the prototype numbers. I have learned a lot from this thread. Much appreciate the contributors.
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Dave, I have the X-book pages of the eight numbers you listed for the prototype or experimental guns so they are correct. I will agree there are a known 8 production guns since we have identified them by S/N and will hold off judgement on the possibility of there being 2 more until we have solid proof that they exist.
 
There is a very good article in the Spring, 2006 S&WCA Journal about the 9mm pistols.
"The Smith & Wesson Model 39 Its Variations and Modifications" by Richard A. McMillan.
McMillan says S&W produced ten single action aluminum frame pistols with serial numbers in the 1200 range. Interestingly there is a photo of 1214, one of the guns that was at the Symposium.
Also looked at "History of Smith & Wesson" by Roy G. Jinks, Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition.
Roy also says there were ten single actions. Two completed on December 13, 1954 and the remainder between March 1955 and August 1955.
 
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