Here are few pix of my S&W pre-Model 40, Centennial revolver. Very early production, SN 2xx. It came to in the box shown which is marked for a “Chief Special Hammerless”. I conjecture this is probably the correct original box considering the vintage and the literature that also accompanied it.

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Really nice to see one so early and in so fine of condition!

Possibly these were called "Chief Special - Hammerless" at first?

That's a fine early Centennial, and the box and literature make for a wonderful package. Congratulations!

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David Wilson

absolutely beautiful!

Great gun, and having the box makes it even better! Probably shipped in 1952; first year of production like mine, serial number 147:

It's a beauty! Serial # on bottom of box?

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Interesting. I've got 157, and its nickel. But when I sent for a letter, Roy returned the feared response "open on company books."

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Dick Burg

What a fortunate man you are! I love it!

Thanks for all the nice kudos guys! Wow, other Centennials with even lower serial numbers in the fold! Then also I've been trumped by a royal flush at that, gatorbaiter! What a beautiful piece. I know nothing about engraving, so I would like to ask if it is factory work? (Just curious since it is outstanding anyway!) Do you have a letter? Sad rburg, that your information has gone missing but it sounds like you too have a great piece in that nickel Centennial! Hondo44, re your question, unfortunately no serial on the box at all. Last, the the "Chief Special Hammerless" name issue. I have no real information Oyeboteb, but it seems conceivable that the the Centennial name may have followed an interim factory name of convenience. Mere speculation! Thanks again for al the great responses!

I just checked my collection of All Model Circulars for the 50's. The one from January 1, 1953 shows the Chiefs Special but no mention of the Centennial.

The September 1, 1953 AMC shows the Chief Special and on the back page, The "Centennial". $62.00 for blue and $68.00 for nickel. There is also a footnote that states "Also supplied in AIRWEIGHT model weighing 11 1/4 oz. BLUE ONLY $65.00" The Centennial is listed as 19 oz.

I am guessing that the factory floor referred to these as the Chief Special Hammerless until the advertising department came up with the name Centennial. Since 1952 would have been the 100 year company anniversary, they probably were looking for something to hang the centennial tag on even though the Chief Special Hammerless is more descriptive and accurate a name.

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James Redfield
LM #497

iskra, JSR,
I still have no doubt the box is original and I'm bought in to JSR's scenario 100%. Labeled as it is, what other gun could it possibly be for.

Somebody at the plant had to have ordered those labels before the Centennial name was thought of and S&W never threw anything away. So by golly they were gonna use 'em up. Actually I kinda like "Chiefs Special Hammerless". There's an earlier model with lotsa names; .44 Hand Ejector (which is probably how the box read); .44 Hand Ejector 1st Model; 44 Military, Model of 1908; New Century and Triple-lock. Most are collector's terms but I like the names on the boxes.

How about "Chiefs Special Snagless" for the Bodyguard?

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Jim
S&WCA #819

My Model 40 in the Red box has the exact same label as yours, but has Centennial stamped in blue ink in block letters on the lower part of the label. The serial number of 3562 should help date the change.

The other thing to remember is that back then, IIRC, the boxes and I would guess labels were made in house. So when the idea for this gun was hatched, the guys on the floor probably just had the labels made using the most descriptive term that they could think of. Later, after receiving a sample of the gun, the ad guys sat around and said, "Hey, let's call it the Centennial to celebrate our 100th anniversary."

Similar scenarios were involved with the "Chief's Special" named at a conference of Police Chiefs in 1950. And the "Highway Patrolman" that was the suggestion of Florence Van Orden of The Evaluators Unlimited, one of S&W's largest distributors.

Obviously, S&W was open to name suggestions and didn't always have a name picked out when a new gun was produced.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Outstanding Centennials!

I have Centennial Airweight # 3651, sold in early 1954. No box. It's about 87% condition, but although I ocassionally shoot it I don't carry it like some of my other J frames.

My Pre M 40, SN2638, came in a red box with an end label marked ".38 Centennial". Its a 99% gun with a 98% box. I'm the second owner!
Great pocket piece!

Great bunch of early numbered Centennials showing up! I wanted one for about 20 years before I found mine.
#171 letters to July 17, 1953 on top of 1852-1952 Centennial catalog reprint. My original Centennial catalog is marked "First Printing - October 1952" on the inside back cover..

Stephen, very nice and great catalog in the back. I had pulled my Centennial catalog out and looked through it as a result of this thread. Right there on the top of the page, they explain that the Centennial is the marriage of two existing guns. The Safety Hammerless and the Chief Special. Now more than ever, I believe that the folks on the floor referred to this gun as the Hammerless Chief Special until the sales/ad guys got the brainstorm to name it as a result of the companies 100th birthday.

That would make those guns shipped before the Centennial name took over as very rare and collectible indeed.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Took some more pics of my Centennial sn 147 with the box. Note that although the box is marked 38 Chiefs Special Hammerless, the instruction sheet inside says Centenniel revolver! It was shipped on April 16, 1953 and delivered to House Hasson Hardware Co., Knoxville. TN in a shipment of 10 units of this model. It was not engraved when it left the factory.

According to Jinks letter:
"The first of the Centennial Models completed were those with the alloy frames known as the Centennial Model Airweight. These were completed in November 1952 and were followed a month later with the steel frame version.
The Centennial Models were assigned a separate serial number series beginning at serial number 104. This serial number series was continued until serial number 30160 was reached in 1968. At this time, because of the new federal laws regulating serial numbers, a new serial number series was started. The new series began at L1 and continued until serial number L9861 when these models were dropped from production in 1974. The total production of both Centennial Models was 40,021 units.
In 1957 when Smith & Wesson assigned model numbers to all of the various handguns, the Centennial Models became known as the Model 40 with a steel frame and Model 42 for the light weight alloy frame."

Not to be a stickler for details, even though I am, the total production numbers for the Centennial do not add up correctly. If you add the highest serial number from the first run (30,160) and add it to the last number from the second run (L9861) discounting the L, the total is in fact 40,021. However, since the first run started at 104, the total first run production was only 30,056.

30,056 added to 9861 equals 39,917.

Jusy didn't want 104 of you guys to keep searching for a Centennial when they really aren't out there.

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James Redfield
LM #497

The very early Centennials did come in a red box marked as you described. I started an historical thread here, which gives more detailed information on the Centennials:

A brief history of the Centennial revolvers

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

That is the earliest label for the red box hammerless. Later, the first appearance of "Centennial" was a rubber stamp on the label, often casually stamped diagonally. The label with the word "Centennial" printed on it was last. I don't know that there is any serial number that can be attributed to the changes since they simply used up the rubber stamped labels and had the word added in the next order.

Bob

Interesting. In Roy Jinks' book History of Smith & Wesson, he states that the all-steel Centennials started at serial number 1, not 104. The copyright date on my copy is 1977; perhaps new information has surfaced?

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

John, you are correct. I just checked my Jinks books and rechecked the SCSW and the beginning serial number is "1". Not sure where the 104 came from in Gatorbaiter's letter but it may have been an error in the original letter or in GB typing.

I did go through the serial number charts in the back of SCSW and the only gun that I see that didn't start at 1 was the 1953 .22/32 kit gun that shows a beginning serial number of 101.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Its pretty well acknowledged that the K targets started at K101. All of the early serials were K22s, but over time the K38 and K32 came on line, and then later others in the serial sequence.

Another comment that should be made is all the serials were not used. My number 157 is "open". We don't know if there are other unassigned numbers out and about. We have no way of knowing if the frames were produced and the guns finished, or maybe the frames were somehow unsuitable and destroyed.

As we collect more and more guns and have them lettered, we run into oddities. I have a gun that isn't a K22, yet its on a "page" inhabited by K22s, none of which were sold. What happened to them all? This last from the seller to me in a letter from Roy. Its somewhat upsetting you guys manage to extract the good information from him while all the rest of us just get "open on company records."

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Dick Burg

Fellows, read it for yourselves:

I've read for years about the pin kept under the grips to secure the grip safety, but I still have yet to see a photo of one 'in-situ'.
Was it secured? How?
How about a photo of that?

Regards

Russ

Russ,

It is simply held in the hole by the grips. That's why it is usually lost when folks remove the grips without knowing it is there. You can easily make one with a piece from a large paper clip.

Bob

Russ, check the OP here - a factory instruction sheet is illustrated and describes the pin and how to use it. Later on in the thread there are some photographs of the Model 40 and the Model 40-1 to compare them. The Model 40-1 does not have the pin.

Let's see your Centennials/Models 40/42!

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

My 1961 Mod 40 has the pin, but my 1954 Centennial Airweight was missing it's pin. I made one for the Airweight using a common small brad and rounding the sharp edges on both ends with a jeweler's file.

A good way to insure not having a grip safety lock out pin getting lost is to put a tiny amount of grease on it to keep it from falling out of the frame when the stocks are removed.

I've got quite a few Centennial pix posted here: S&W .38 Centennial
with sideplate off, grips off, pin location, safety white dot, etc.
One fact rarely mentioned is the absence of a hammer safety block on the Centennial, not needed because the hammer can't be accidentally jarred off. I think part of the reason the actions are so smooooth!
Less friction.

Thank You both very, very much.
It's always a productive day when you can learn something.
That's why I hang out here!

Regards

Russ