2 inch, Pre-war M&P observation

pace40 · Feb 16, 2012

As I compile information on this variant, I have come to notice an extremely high percentage being attributable to law enforcement or municipal use. In the meager collection I have assembled, agency use is at 50%. In a larger database of shipments known to me so far, that ratio approaches 60%.

A quick snapshot below...enjoy.

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Most recently noted in another thread is Sheriff Long's revolver...

pace40-albums-few-m-p-s-picture6165-long-layout-email.jpg

From a while back, Deputy Sheriff Roger Rogers' square butt nickel. The date inscribed, Jan 3rd, 1939 was the date of his appointment ...

pace40-albums-few-m-p-s-picture6191-rogers-m-p-layout-3-email.jpg

A more recent addition from Harvey, Illinois...

pace40-albums-few-m-p-s-picture6190-roll-layout-2-email.jpg

Heck...even ol Bubba's Special was a municipal shipment, y'all remember Bubba...

pace40-albums-few-m-p-s-picture6189-bubba-layout-email.jpg

Just another tidbit of obscure information to take up collector's brain cell space

PuertoRican · Feb 16, 2012

Those are real beauties.

Malysh · Feb 16, 2012

Excellent post, pictures, and observations.
Thanks very much, pace40!

DCWilson · Feb 16, 2012

I feel the envy monster stirring in my heart. What a great collection of prewar snubs!

That last gun is the kind you'd expect to see in the sheriff's pocket in an artsy culture-laden town like Ashland.

Chief Roll's gun is a beauty. Do you know if it shipped with the hard rubber grips?

Nice nice nice.

ADDENDUM: Actually, now that I look twice, I see the Long gun has hard rubber stocks as well. Only the Rogers gun has what look like contemporary wooden stocks. I don't quite understand the stocks on the Ashland specimen -- wood, service style, but with rounded corners on the checking field. Early postwar?

linde · Feb 16, 2012

Outstanding . . . I especially like the A. E. Roll example

Thanks for sharing!

Russ

pace40 · Feb 16, 2012

DCWilson said:
I feel the envy monster stirring in my heart. What a great collection of prewar snubs!

That last gun is the kind you'd expect to see in the sheriff's pocket in an artsy culture-laden town like Ashland.

Chief Roll's gun is a beauty. Do you know if it shipped with the hard rubber grips?

Nice nice nice.

ADDENDUM: Actually, now that I look twice, I see the Long gun has hard rubber stocks as well. Only the Rogers gun has what look like contemporary wooden stocks. I don't quite understand the stocks on the Ashland specimen -- wood, service style, but with rounded corners on the checking field. Early postwar?

Hi David

Chief Roll's did ship with hard rubber grips. This gun was restored by the previous owner, but, since these things are so hard to come by, I bought it.

The Ashland gun was actually received with magnas on it.( See http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/211266-pre-model-10-engraved-revolver.html) Threw these on to at least have the right shape. Period correct are on the way (or maybe pearls

).

gametime · Feb 17, 2012

Beautiful guns there Pace... and shooters too! I have one that could be a twin to your Mcfarlan gun that I took out a few months back and was very surprised how well it handled.
Any idea at what serial # they started at? I believe the ashland gun is about the earliest serial # I've seen.

Regards,
Manuel

Oyeboteb · Feb 17, 2012

Mine had Lettered as shipping April 11, 1938, to Hamilton PD, Hamilton Indiana ( if memory serve )...and, is a round Butt, Blue, Black HR Stocks.

Indeed, I imagine Detectives would have been the major Market at that time, especially fellows who's hands were just a little large for the Colt Detective Special...and or who prefered a little faster recoil recovery with stout Cartridges than the smaller and somewhat lighter DS would have provided.

pace40 · Feb 17, 2012

gametime said:
Beautiful guns there Pace... and shooters too! I have one that could be a twin to your Mcfarlan gun that I took out a few months back and was very surprised how well it handled.
Any idea at what serial # they started at? I believe the ashland gun is about the earliest serial # I've seen.

Regards,
Manuel

The earliest S/N I have recorded is the Ashland gun. Interestly, I have two guns in the database with 626xxx serial numbers that shipped in the summer of 1934, over a year earlier than the 597xxx Ashland.

Oyeboteb said:
Mine had Lettered as shipping April 11, 1938, to Hamilton PD, Hamilton Indiana ( if memory serve )...and, is a round Butt, Blue, Black HR Stocks.

Indeed, I imagine Detectives would have been the major Market at that time, especially fellows who's hands were just a little large for the Colt Detective Special...and or who prefered a little faster recoil recovery with stout Cartridges than the smaller and somewhat lighter DS would have provided.

I would love to include your gun in the database if you would be kind enough to PM me the serial number. I don't record any owner info, just the shipping information and configuration. Same with yours, Manuel.

gametime · Feb 17, 2012

pace40 said:
The earliest S/N I have recorded is the Ashland gun. Interestly, I have two guns in the database with 626xxx serial numbers that shipped in the summer of 1934, over a year earlier than the 597xxx Ashland.

I would love to include your gun in the database if you would be kind enough to PM me the serial number. I don't record any owner info, just the shipping information and configuration. Same with yours, Manuel.

I'd be nice to know what happened there for sure! Maybe the Historical Society docs would help clarify what may have occurred?

Mine is 612672, I'll send shipping info as soon as letter arrives.

Regards

pace40 · Feb 17, 2012

gametime said:
I'd be nice to know what happened there for sure! Maybe the Historical Society docs would help clarify what may have occurred?

Mine is 612672, I'll send shipping info as soon as letter arrives.

Regards

Thanks, Manuel

i've got a request in to the foundation on a few of these. We'll see what turns up.

Pote · Feb 17, 2012

awesome pistols...I particularly like the SS.

Funny how the large print in the newspaper articles screams "Vigilante" and then the caption reads how officers were dispatched to watch over a part of town struck by a tornado where people where doing some plundering in the aftermath....they were there to make sure no one did any other pilfering...then it reads "to date, two BOYS have been caught..." for stealing tires off of cars....now that's a Vigilante story!!!

thanks for sharing...great history on those!

j38 · Feb 18, 2012

Those RB M&P's are as good looking as they are uncommon. I'd love to find one one day myself. Thanks for the post & great pictures,

Jerry

Mitch_D · Feb 19, 2012

2" M&P, Round Butt

I finally found time to take a few photos of my 2" M&P...

626366 Shipped 6/2/1934 to Western Metal Supply Co., San Diego, CA. Two guns in the shipment, billed at $19.07/ each.

I believe the stocks to be too early to be original to the gun, but they have been on it a long time, fit it perfectly, and are beautiful.

It doesn't look like this was a law enforcement gun, but quite probably brought in for "private security" in some form. San Diego in 1934 had all of the makings of what made Raymond Chandler's stories so intense.

Please excuse my cowboy lighting and photo skills.

Mitch

H Richard · Feb 19, 2012

This is not a pre-wr, but a 1957 vintage 4 screw, but with the round front sight. Would this be considered a Transition?

Malysh · Feb 19, 2012

Not with the short action, 4 line address, and the last pattern hammer.

Oyeboteb · Feb 22, 2012

pace40 said:
I would love to include your gun in the database if you would be kind enough to PM me the serial number. I don't record any owner info, just the shipping information and configuration. Same with yours, Manuel.

Be happy to...will have to wait till I can dig it up...packed away now from having recently moved.

Here's an image of it snapped the day I got it -

Lettered as having shipped with the Black HR Stocks.

The old Grip-Adaptor was pretty chipped up and I gently took it off and kept it aside. Looks a lot better without it I think, anyway...such sweet lines these had/have!

Oyeboteb · Feb 28, 2012

Just got one, ( pre-War, 2 inch, 'M&P', sq butt ) images and details later...might not be real though...

Jim NNN · Feb 28, 2012

Wow, what fantastic revolvers. I just recently acquired a post war 5 screw more on the order of H Richard's gun. All the pictures are great, and of great interest to me.

Pace40's collection is really something. Don't think I could be dedicated enough to get to that level of presentation, but I'm sure glad there are people who do!

Oyeboteb · Feb 28, 2012

Sorry my images are sub-par ( as usual )...always Night it seems, and, glary indoor Lights.

Anyway, single line 'Made in USA' on right side or lower frame...what looks like Factory Nickel to me, all edges and details and texts look factory-crisp...no washed out Screw holes or wavyness anywhere...Blued Ejector Star, old brownish Patina color with traces of Case Hardening on the Hammer and Trigger ( both have the patent info on their backs ).

Small S&W Logo on left side of Frame.

Ejector Rod 'knob' shows pliers-type damage to the Checkering.

Serial Number of Butt, Cylinder Face, and, underside of the Ejector Star all match.

Underside of Barrel is blank and appears to have never had any Numerals stamped in it, but for a letter N, close to the detent Lug.

Tiny letter N on the side of the Butt close to the Stock indexing Pin.

And, on the other side of the inside or would be under the Stocks Butt area in tiny font, is stamped 759.

What do we make of this?

Could it be a factory re-barrel?

A non-factory re-barrel?

A factory re-finish of what began as a Blue Gun, but which was still in high condition and hence, had little buffing? Done in July 1959?

Or..?

Could it be a pre-war 2 Inch?

2 inch, Pre-war M&P observation

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