Hi
I final found a Nickel Baby Chief I was missing for my group of Baby Chiefs.
This one is a serrated rib serial number is 14284 ship date is most likely
1953. It is in nice original condition and has a N on the Frame and Barrel
the Nickel is all original condition is about 97%.
With this one I now have 3 baby chiefs in Nickel, a early round front sight model.
a Ramp sighted Square butt model (Very Scarce) and this one. The only other one I could add would be a 3 inch in Nickel but I have never seen one.
Jim Fisher

What about a smooth ramp Nickel Baby Chief........

Hey Jim,
I have the same exact Nickel Baby Chief, serial # 34XX from 1951 I believe. It was my Father's that he bought new from Greenblatt's in NYC and carried it every single day of his life until he passed away 2 1/2 years ago. Mine is not in as good a shape as yours but still OK for a gun carried for 49 years! Not only did he carry it every day, but since it was his back up gun he shot it VERY often and actually competed in Snubby matches with it for years. It still wears the original grips but they do have their share of wear, tear, nicks & dents.

The gun has been shot so much that when he died I had to completely rebuild it! The gun would not shoot more than one or two shots per cylinder full because the timing was so off the firing pin was not hitting the primer most of the time. Thankfully, my Dad did all his own Smithing (like I do) and he also had a friend who was the shop steward up at the Factory years ago, so he left me every part I needed (in the exact & proper period correct part) for the rebuild. The only original parts left are the frame, cylinder itself, the barrel, grips and the flat latch. All the screws, springs, internal parts, ejector rod, hammer, trigger, etc. were replaced and fitted by me, but no one would ever know by looking because they are all perfectly matched to the originals - even the finely checkered hammer. Now the gun locks up tight, indexes and times perfectly, and I actually shoot and carry it from time to time. It is a gun that can now be relied on once again. I just recently traded a Forum member one of my Tyler T Grips that was for an N Frame for a Tyler #2 which fits the Baby Chief / Terrier frames. It makes a big difference when shooing the small little thing.

The only part that I can not find is the screw that holds the flat latch on - in Nickel. I have gotten one in blue and gave it a high polishing so it looks OK, but that particular part has been impossible for me to find in Nickel.

Good luck with yours. Do you intend on shooting it? The one I have is actually really accurate, however I only shoot standard velocity ammo through it as I do not want to push the 62 year old gun too much.

By the way, the front sight was customized by my Dad - it was just like yours.
I know this gun has no collector value because of the rebuild and sight alteration, but it was my Dad's so it will never be sold anyway. Sorry the photos are so lousy!

Regards,
Chief38

Attached Images

	Chief381951A.jpg (89.0 KB, 154 views)
	Chief381951B.jpg (81.6 KB, 119 views)

Have you had yours lettered as a factory Nickel Gun? Does it have the "N" stamps on the frame and barrel?

No I have not had the gun lettered. The gun was ordered special by my Dad (in the Nickel finish) who was friendly with the Shop Steward at S&W at the time. Dad was a Federal Agent and one of his responsibilities (aside from being a Special Agent) was dealing with S&W in procuring guns for the Agency. I was not alive in 1951 so I do not know if the gun was a special order in Nickel or was done as a favor. AFAIK it has NEVER been refinished. I was born in 1954 and it was always Nickel. Weather or not it is marked with an N - - - I would have to look. I will do so if I have a chance later this evening.

Since the gun has been rebuilt internally and my Dad altered the front sight (see photos added above) it isn't worth a whole lot to a collector, but it isn't and never will be for sale so it matters little to me.

05CarbonDRZ

I just ran downstairs and dug the gun out of the safe. I removed the grips and YES it is marked with an N in the same exact place as Jim's gun is. There is no N stamping on the cylinder but I know it's the original cylinder because the serial number on the cylinder matches the gun. I did not look under the barrel - sorry, I forgot because I was excited! Next time.

Chief38

Sweet,You have quite a Gem.Nickel Baby Chief's are rare and the gun being your father's is even better.On an interesting note,My Nickel Baby Chief #7422 was shipped to Charles Greenblatt Co,New York City,NY on June 11th 1952.I bought it from the original owners Grandson and he said that his grandfather was a Police Officer in Bridgeport,CT and drove to NY to buy the gun new.I wonder what is was about Greenblatt that he had Nickel Baby Chief's?

Greenblatt's was one of the largest Smith & Wesson Distributors in the Country for many many years. I used to go into Charles Greenblatt's store in Mineola NY (on Long Island) with my Dad when he would stop in on Saturday's. While he was doing his thing I was drooling all over the glass cases full of guns.

I believe it was around 1978 that The Charles Greenblatt Company opened a HUGE 20,000 sq. foot warehouse, showroom and gun store in Commack NY (also LI) which was a half mile away from my office. After a few visits I became sort of friendly with Charles' brother and partner, Louie Greenblatt. I purchased MANY guns from that store and except for two (that I sold) I have all of them 'till this day.

Louie was quite the salesman (a bit pushy, to be honest) but an over all nice guy. Back then if I wanted a model 41 ( or what ever) he would bring out 3 or 4 and I could choose which one I wanted. They stocked every S&W in every barrel length, configuration, finish and I NEVER heard that any gun I ever asked for was out of stock! He had every holster in all colors, just about any ammo you could want, and his prices were not cheap, but certainly the best in town. I really miss that place.

The reason Greenblatts usually got stuff no one else did was because of their size, volume and because most of the other gun shops got their guns from Greenblatt's. They also supplied three of the largest Police forces in the entire Country (NYPD, SCPD, NCPD) with their weapons, uniforms, duty belts, shoes, cuffs, etc. etc. They did SOME BUSINESS!

chief38,
I remember that store. I grew up on Long Island in Hewlett Harbor, and then in Woodmere.
Very close to the bay and the beaches, it was a great place to live back then.
Mineola was where I took my NY state drivers test. I was born in 1952. Even back when I was 16, you had a 6 month wait after scheduling the road test in Nassau County. The day I took it, I had the flu. I passed the first time. It took so long to get re-scheduled I wasn't going to miss it unless I was comatose. Both my older sisters were annoyed as they both failed at least twice. They still can't drive!

Around the corner from me in Woodmere, was Sgt. Robert Kirk and his better half. He was an older gent who was past patrol duty. His job was issuing handgun licenses to citizens of Nassau County.
He was also a gun collector. He was allowed to buy many NCPD confiscated handguns over the years. I was over at his place often. He taught me safe gun handling at an early age. At 11 or so, I was field stripping confiscated Lugers, PPKs, PPs, M1911s, you name it. He had a lot of nice revolvers, too.

Much better they went to Sgt. Kirk instead of being dumped offshore at Long Beach or the Long Island Sound!

As a kid in Queens I used to go right through your neighborhood to get to a beach club my family belonged to. IIRC it was named Capri Beach Club. Before belonging to Capri, we used to go to one in Hewlett but I can not recall the name.

Today here on LI Sgt. Kirk would have never gotten the opportunity he had back then as the confiscated guns are quickly destroyed.

My parents belonged to that beach club at one time. I don't remember if it was on Long Beach or Lido Beach. It's a long time for me. Maybe I met you there way back?
You're only 2 years younger than I am. Who knows?

Yes, that's one reason why I mentioned Sgt. Kirk. Even many small town PDs turn in guns to be destroyed, not giving LEOs an opportunity to buy or be given the guns.

Jim that is a great piece...I am happy to have 1 in Nickel let alone 3!
I bought one at our Ohio Bunch meeting last year. I guess I need to letter it as it has neither N or Bs anywhere on it. The "experts" there were quite sure it was original as was I. Now I am very unsure. S/N 37720. The stocks are matching to the gun. The box is not original..but it's a cool one with Aluminum on it for aluminum alloy cylinder. SN on the box is in the 20K range. I would have to look it up to be more precise.

__________________
John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

Very very nice!