Just picked up my first S&W top break. Appears to be a 38 top break fourth model serial # 329225. Guessing 1895-1909 period.

My questions is, what were they shipped with? Fixed sight so no SAT, cleaning rod, mop, brush, what paperwork?

My search has been fruitless.

Thank You,
Terry

__________________
Buy the gun not the story

My first gun; 5” (I think) nickel in perfect condition, $40 in 1969.

__________________
Richard

These were shipped in pasteboard boxes with the end label indicating the contents. Your box would have a label glued to the inside of the lid with instructions for use. The instructions for use varied based upon the model. Often a wire wound brush would be included but they were supplied by the distributor.

Your end label would read: Double 38 Action. Second line: Nickel (or Blue) and the barrel length. The serial number was usually written in pencil on the box bottom and is often illegible. Nickel guns had orange labels (sometimes white) and blue revolvers had green labels (sometimes white). Most boxes were brown regardless of nickel or blue contents with the occasional russet mixed in.

__________________
Mike Maher #283

Hi There,



What little I know is they came in a fabric covered box, with
instructions printed on the inside of the top and a single wire
wrapped bristle scrub brush. The fabric covering was cut along
the two short sides and one of the two long sides. This left one
of the long sides intact and this fabric acted as a hinge for the
lid.

There are others here that are more familiar with these period
boxes and may post pics for you to see what they were like.


Cheers!
Webb

Mike,
Thats is the information I was hoping for. So, the wire wound bore brush was supplied by the distributor rather than the factory. Interesting. With instructions printed on the inside of the box lid there were no other flyers, leaflets, etc ? what about vapor paper?

__________________
Buy the gun not the story

There was a notice about factory pearl stocks with medallions being offered by the factory because the dealers often swapped inferior quality pearls on to the revolvers. The notice was glued to the inside bottom of the box (under the revolver). There was no vapor paper but often a sheet of tissue paper is found in the box, but I can only guess that it was supplied by the S&W factory.

__________________
Mike Maher #283

Thank you. I'm surprised by how little information I was finding about these Top Breaks. Its really a nice little gun.
Oh, one other question is a 3 1/4" barrel common.

Thanks again,
Terry

__________________
Buy the gun not the story

The 3 1/4" barrel is probably the most common. The 4", 5" and 6" are not so common. Two inch, 8" and 10" are known but are very rare or scarce.

__________________
Mike Maher #283

The bore brush has natural bristles with a wire wound handle. Attached are a couple of small information sheets that MAY have been in with some of the early break top revolvers. The top one is about S&W self lubricating bullet and the bottom about not crimping bullets. I picked these up separately so I can not say they definitely were included in some boxes. I have seen a number of boxes with brown tissue paper so I think that was in many boxes. The label glued to the inside bottom about pearl grips was started about 1900 (I think) when S&W started putting medallions in the grips, earlier boxes did not have the label. I have also seen small bottles of 3-in-1 oil in with the guns that was supplied by the dealer. I also recall a warning sheet about perspiration damaging the bluing but do not have a copy.

B. Mower

Attached Images

1899 price list 1.jpg (98.6 KB, 39 views)

orbruce,
That cool information. Im getting an idea of what to keep an eye out for.

Thanks

__________________
Buy the gun not the story

There's a book by David R. Chicoine , Antique firearms assembly/disassembly, among other books out there with a ton of info on old guns like that one. Somebody here turned me on to the title.

__________________
Waiting For The Sun.

Thank You Jeffrefrig I will look into it.

Terry

__________________
Buy the gun not the story