My wife and I were originally going to spend little on each other and more on everyone else, but that didn't work out so well. She wanted this electric piano (her version of a gun hobby, music) and I found the gun of this thread. We decided to pay for half of each other's gifts.

Ever since I can remember I wanted a model 357 magnum aka pre 27. When I started collecting, I had a real hard on for any S&W in 357 and I ended up getting a 686-3 and many 357s since but never a 5 screw 357, of any type. It seemed like every time I found one, either the deal didn't work out, or the gun was priced too high. As luck would have it finally I got one!

While browsing the largest gun show of all, the internet, I came across this nice 357 magnum SN S80398. It had the period correct unrelieved target grips, 6in barrel (I didn't care much about that) and most if its beautiful high luster finish. The gun also had a ramp front with red insert, which I suppose the red insert was added later. It also had the proud pins, which I always get confused on what it means for the front sight to have proud or polished pins. Anyways, the trigger is amazing, as to be expected. I tried to do the gun justice in my photos, but that was no easy task for such a gun.




Too bad the gun couldn't have come with its original blue and gold box. Heck, even a nice wood presentation case would have been great, but instead it came in with this ****** old purple box. I guess I could put some christmas ornaments in it for safe storage before all of the Christmas decor goes back into the attic.

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}-----Jim----->
~SWCA #2732~

I saw the $30 sticker on the box. I'll give you double that for the box and hang it on my tree. Can't use the gun as it would tip my tree over.

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HIS Trains 'a LEAVIN

I give him 90 for the gun if he sells you the box . Very nice Smith by the way the bluing on the older guns just cant be beat period.

Nice 27, but where is the photo of the electric piano.

Nice score. Congratulations!

Does the RM box have a serial number on the bottom? It may be on a piece of white tape stuck to the box.

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David Wilson

A dandy Christmas present! Good for you!
I, too, like the early postwar .357 Magnum. They are wonderful pieces of equipment. Mine is not quite as nice as yours and wears Magna stocks (original). It is just a few months younger than yours (S833xx) and letters to May, 1952.
Those non-relieved targets are beautiful - and they were pretty new in production when this gun shipped (a year or so, I think?). Very nice!
Jack

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

what a terrific wife you have there !

the gun looks good. i was semi-dealing on that very gun a while back....nice score

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Kris
OGCA, NRA LM

It's hard to beat the early post war magnums. That one looks really nice. Congratulations.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

The ramp was available on the 6" guns but is very unusual. The red insert was available starting in 1953 so it's not impossible it was ordered in this configuration. But the exposed pins suggest perhaps the front sight was changed at some point. Not a bad thing IMO as I prefer the ramp.

Edit: Just noticed the serial. I have one about 650 earlier that shipped 9/50. Probably too early for the front sight to be correct.

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No life story has happy end.

It seems most of these Red Ramped Pre27s that I have seen have had the proud pins. It looks factory to me.

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Kris
OGCA, NRA LM

Jim:

Very nice package! Love the pre-27. Also, I have at least one RM box that has the serial number of a post war gun on the bottom, so it is possible (but not probable) that that box was used to ship your post-war gun (I think that my so numbered box is in the low S7XXXX range). BTW, is it my imagination or has the RM box been cut and the two top sections been glued back together (effectively shortening the barrel on the RM on the top of the picture box) with the right side overlapping the left side, so that there is a seam in the box? It looks like the box originally was one of the large RM boxes that someone "shortened" to fit the gun.

Congrats on a fun package and thanks for sharing,

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

This pre-war .357 box is numbered to the revolver and was used to ship the gun with target stocks. I think this box was used because the boxes normally used for this model (at this time) were too small for a .357 with target stocks. S92005 has an 8 3/8-inch barrel and a two-tone finish (shipped in December 1952).

Bill