Once again, I'm posting a draft article here for information and comments. This revolver is near and dear to me, as my dad and I each had one. We loved to go target shooting with them together now and then. Hope you enjoy it.

John

The S&W Highway Patrolman Revolver



Way back in 1967 a number of my co-workers and I enjoyed going out on the desert near Phoenix to target practice with centerfire revolvers. I had a well-used S&W Model 1950 .45 ACP target revolver that I had picked up a number of years earlier because it used then-plentiful military surplus ammo. Some of my friends had Smith & Wesson Model 28 Highway Patrolman revolvers. They were excelling at longer shots (out to and beyond 100 yards). At those longer ranges my old .45 revolver had a trajectory like a thrown Dutch oven, while their .357s got out there with plenty of hustle left over. That lesson was not lost on me – the .357 magnum was a lot of gun. While talking with them and examining their revolvers, I learned that these beauties could be had new for a lot less than the deluxe Model 27. It didn’t take long for me to trade in that Model 1950 for a brand new Model 28. Yes, the ammo was more expensive, but I could learn to reload, and I did.

I was not unique in my zeal for this gun. At that time, the Highway Patrolman revolver was often an individual’s first .357 revolver. It was, very simply, a more utilitarian and less expensive version of the famed S&W.357 Magnum (which became the Model 27). While that fine revolver had held sway as an ideal robust N-frame in the S&W lineup since 1935, it was always a classy premium firearm. It featured a high-gloss blue or nickel finish, with the frame's top strap, rear sight tang and top rib of the barrel finely checkered to reduce any possibility of light reflecting off of those surfaces while aiming. There were many choices offered on the gun, including types of stocks, front and rear sight options, and target-style triggers and hammers. All of those things cost money.

In the early 1950s, numerous inquiries were made to S&W by various law enforcement agencies regarding a possibly less-expensive version of the .357 Magnum. Hopefully, such a gun would be more affordable by both the agencies and individual officers. One of the most vocal of the groups was the Texas Highway Patrol. Their pleas did not fall on deaf ears. The president of Smith & Wesson at the time was Carl Hellstrom. He took the initiative to huddle with his engineers to see what could be done to satisfy this perceived need. What was called for, he thought, was a gun fully as functional and as smooth-operating as the .357 Magnum, but with a lesser cosmetic finish and fewer options. It would be less expensive to make, and the economies could be passed on to their customers. S&W had some experience doing alterations of this type when they made the Victory Model .38 special revolvers for our armed forces during World War II. The Victory Model was basically a Parkerized version of the cosmetically-nicer Military and Police service revolver. It did not cost nearly as much to make, and more could be made quickly to meet the needs of the services. Hellstrom’s engineers went to work, and what resulted was a real game-changer.

In January of 1954, prototypes of the new gun were crafted. These guns mimicked the .357 Magnum, but had a brush blue finish rather than the high-polish blue or nickel finish that was standard on the flagship gun. The top surfaces (non-serrated barrel rib, top strap and non-serrated rear sight tang) and the front and back of the frame received a matte finish. The plain no-insert Baughman front sight and its base were transversely serrated. There were no trigger or hammer options offered. There were only two customer choices – either a 6-inch or a 4-inch barrel, and either magna (service) or target stocks. All of these guns would receive a micrometer click-adjustable rear sight with no frills. Samples were sent to a number of agencies for field evaluation. The original test samples were marked simply “Patrolman.” By March of that year, the majority of the opinions returned were quite favorable, and plans were made for volume production. On April 15, 1954, the first production guns came off the assembly line, with the initial serial number being S103,500. The gun was first presented in the January, 1955 catalog. The only listed customer options were barrel length and stock style. Either barrel length cost the same ($85.00), but if target stocks were ordered, the gun cost slightly more ($89.50). The only finish was blue. The name change to “Highway Patrolman” was widely reputed to be at the suggestion of Mrs. Florence (Flora) Van Orden of Evaluators Ltd., located near Quantico, Virginia. At any rate, this name was adopted and stamped on the barrel. All of these first-production revolvers were built on the square-butt target N-frame with 5 screws.

The acceptance of the new revolver was quite strong, and S&W produced a total of 8,427 of them by the end of 1954. All had chambers counterbored for cartridge rims, and pinned barrels. The stocks had checkering with a diamond center pattern. The guns had shrouded extractor rods, semi-target hammers, and 6-groove serrated backstraps and forestraps on the grip frame. These were later changed to 10 grooves, front and back. Triggers came from the factory either .265” grooved or .400” smooth, depending on inventory. In 1956, the upper sideplate screw was eliminated in favor of a dovetailed tab.

In 1957, the Highway Patrolman officially became the Model 28. The model number was stamped in the frame recess for the crane, and the barrels continued to be marked as before. Some very rare variations were made over the years. Twenty-five guns with 5” barrels and nickel finishes were made for the Florida Highway Patrol in 1959. 761 guns with 6” barrels were made as Washington State Patrol commemoratives. Less than 100 were reported to have been made with 8 3/8” barrels. Five specially-crafted guns were reported as being made with a satin nickel finish for Adolph Blaick, Inc., and stamped with the Performance Center trademark in 2000. Some salesman samples and some made for the New York State Police (marked NYSP) have been found with red ramp front sights and white outline rear sights. In 1960, the Model 28-1 (now extremely rare to find because of its very short run) changed the extractor rod from right hand to left hand thread. The following year saw the Model 28-2, in which the cylinder stop was changed, eliminating the trigger guard screw. In 1968, the diamond-center stocks were discontinued. The revolver illustrated is a 28-2, manufactured in September, 1980. It’s factory-equipped with beautiful target stocks. The Model 28-3, in 1982, eliminated the counterbored chambers and the pinned barrel, making it the least desirable version for collectors.

The Model 28 continued to be made until 1986 as a standard catalog item. As semiauto pistols took over the police market and an increasingly large segment of the civilian market as well, it was finally discontinued. In its day, the Model 28 was wildly popular and quite economical to purchase. It has never lacked for being the equal of the famed Model 27 functionally. For quite a while, these guns were plentiful as used items, usually in great condition, as they were tough revolvers. In recent years, however, the prices they command have zoomed as more and more people realize what great revolvers they have always been. I still have the 6” model I bought in 1967, and my father’s 4” variation I chose for him in 1968. I have many fond memories of us going out shooting together with them. As a home defense gun, a field gun, or as police equipment for agencies still using revolvers, it’s pretty close to ideal. Although it’s heavy compared to some .357s, it has great strength and can easily withstand years of shooting with very high-powered loads. Its weight also soaks up recoil and makes it easy to shoot well. If you find one in decent condition, think twice before passing it up. It’s become a modern classic.

(c) JLM

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Very good article.

The only thing I noticed might be too quibbling to be concerned about but here it is.

You may want to note that the serrated trigger was 0.265" and the smooth trigger was 0.400". As written, it sounds like it is the same trigger, (same width), just with or without grooves.

I had thought that the two different triggers constituted an option, I did not know that they were used based on whatever was available. That is interesting. I learned something.

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You're shy a few manners.

Very well written. I love these and the model 27's as well. By my estimation they are the finest .357 Magnums ever made by Smith & Wesson. That of course is the opinion of one man and may be disputed by others. In any case they happen to be my favorites for a plethora of reasons. Thanks for the post!

Great article.
Here is a 5 screw I picked up recently.
Serial range S125xxx which I reckon puts
it around 1955-56.
18K into production.
They seem difficult to find this early and good + condition.

Over all it is an excellent article. The beginning reminds me of plinking with my brand new 28-2, a 4 incher, along with my old 1917 in 1980. That was a great 28-2 that I fired a ton of home cast through. However, the 1917 sunk beer cans quite a bit faster.

Here in Washington the highways were patrolled with 6” 28s. Those followed 6” Heavy Duties which were preceded by 6 or 6 ½” .44 Specials so in the NW 4” 28s are thought of more as city police and security guard revolvers.

You requested nit-picking so here goes. I’d add a few words to add that the barrel rib was not serrated, not just the sight. The WSP commemoratives are high polish blue every where else which makes the sand blasted appearance of their model 28 barrel rib top and rear sight leaf stand out. Since so far as I know it is unique to 28s I’d also include that, excepting the commemoratives, the tops, bottoms and fronts of 28 frames have the sand blasted appearance. Further reducing labor costs they didn’t even polish them to satin . Patrolmen who carried them have told me frames rejected for cosmetic reasons out of frames otherwise bound for the commercial market were used to fill large WSP orders. Also they said 28s that had to be sold across gun store counters tended to be polished better than WSP 28s. Like my first 4” 28-2 the I own now is polished better than my San Francisco PD surplus 4” 28-2 which lends credibility to their stories.

Today is the first time I’ve read that any 28s had smooth triggers. Recently it was posted that smooth triggers wider than .265” were rare before the 19-3 Texas Ranger Commemorative introduced what would be called a Combat Trigger in L frames. Did I learn some thing or do you need to double check what you wrote?

Thanks! I've made a few minor changes in the text make clear some of the points you mention. I won't go into details on the commemoratives due to space constraints.

My source for the info on the sometimes-smooth triggers is the SCS&W 3rd edition p.136 and p.196, where this is mentioned both for the pre-28 and the 28. Again, this was never a customer option, but the factory apparently could and did use either style. The only customer choices were always length of barrel and stock style.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Thanks for a very informative article. My 1967 Highway Patrolman is one of my favorite pistols.

Enjoyed the article. I have a Model 28 that I'm quite fond of. Reading this made me glad all over again that I picked one up sometime in the 80's. Thanks for sharing this.

Great article. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

I have a 4" M28-2 with a smooth 0.400" trigger. I bought it mainly because this is the only one I have ever seen with a smooth trigger. Of course, I can't prove it came that way from the factory, and I doubt that even a factory letter would help.

Nevertheless, "the book" says they were built that way so I trust it is factory original.

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You're shy a few manners.

That certainly redeems my faith in Supica and Nahas. I can't say that I have ever personally seen one with a smooth trigger. Do you have any idea in what time frame your 28-2 was produced?

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I have 4 M28's, one is now a 6" .45 Colt, another one was made into a 6" 38-40.
The other two are a 4" N that was nickeled, the other is a S 6".

The 4" is the one that gets the most use....

Wonder why.....

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

I believe the NYST M28s had the red ramp front sight AND the smooth .312" combat trigger.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

The 28-1 is mentioned, and described as "rare". As far as I know, the only 28-1 every confirmed to exist is the one that has been posted on this forum. That's an unusual enough circumstance that being more direct on the issue might convey the uniqueness more clearly.

"WSP" is not the Washington State Police, but the Washington State Patrol.

Enough nitpicking for me.

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NHI, 10-8.

Yes. Per "the book" it was produced in the time range '70 to '72.

Serial number is N414xx.

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You're shy a few manners.

Duly noted - thanks. I've modified the OP. The 28-1 is now described as extremely rare. This is in view of the possibility that there may be some still out there that are not in the hands of collectors and hence not recognized for their extreme rarity.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

John,

Nice article. I gave my M28-2 to my son (he's going to get them all eventually). I eventually replaced it with a M28-3 (no pinned barrel, no counterbore) that's easier to clean and to chamfer. No difference in shooting - my M27-2 mostly stays in the safe these days. BTW, I don't see many 28-3's, but mine only cost me $300 a few years ago - I guess these "inferior" -3's do have some advantages.

Buck

Attached Images

S&W M28-3.jpg (63.8 KB, 71 views)

My only addition would be that early S&W documents refer to it as "checking" or "checked" as opposed to checkering or checkered.

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James Redfield
LM #497

The correct name of the business at Triangle (Quantico), VA was "Evaluators Ltd.", not "The Evaluators Ltd." Further, Mrs. Van Orden's name was always signed as "Flora M. Van Orden," so I do not think her name was "Florence."

In addition, I thought I had an email from the daughter of the Van Ordens confirming that Mrs. Van Orden did suggest the name "Highway Patrolman." After looking, however, I could not find it. You might check with Flora Van Orden, the daughter, who has occasionally posted on this forum.

Good luck.

"...a trajectory like a thrown Dutch oven"--what a wonderful phrase!

Nice article, as always, but that line is choice.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Great article, thanks for sharing. I'd really like to get my four inch 28 no dash back. I sold it a few years ago at a gun show.

While not my first 357, the M28-2 was certainly my favorite. I liked it so much I used it as the base for my 45 ACP.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

John, great article Thank You for taking the time to do it. I have always rgearded the 28-2 as one the special revolvers in my collection and your article reaffirms it. I had an old beat up 28-2 and sold it by mistake. I found this one last winter and it will be with me forever.

Pete

[QUOTE=PALADIN85020;138482326
Less than 100 were reported to have been made with 8 3/8” barrels.

(c) JLM[/QUOTE]

Thank you for stating this in your article. I have been accused of telling an untruth when I tell people one of my mentors had one. He had a Lawrence Gunslinger rig and the end of the barrel was close to the ground. Larry

Thanks for the great article John. I appreciate the time and research you've done on one of my favorite S&Ws. Having gotten tired of babying the Model 28s in my safe, I've picked up both a 4" and a 6" just for shooting. A Model 28-2 has always been in my shooting bag when in the field or on the range. I've also gotten two friends and my son onto the 28s.
Dave
SWCA #2778

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mr mom
Fire Chief, Retired

I have conflicting hearsay evidence purported to come from family members both pro and con on the issue of the name suggestion. As to Mrs. Van Orden's first name, I still need verification on it. Roy Jinks, in his classicThe History of Smith & Wesson gives her name as Florence. If anyone has her daughter's "handle" here, I'd like to give her a PM. Thanks for the correction on the business name.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Here you go:

"My dad was Brig. Gen. George Owen Van Orden (the Beast), and my mother was Flora Mitchell Van Orden (Beanie) and the two of them started Evaluators, Ltd. in Triangle. Mom designed the S&W Combat Masterpiece. She drove to S&W's offices to draw her ideas on a piece of paper: a weapon with a shorter barrel and different configuration on top, and she also designed a grip adapter and spring loaded holster so that her 'boys' in combat could draw down and save time. I worked in the office of Evaluators for awhle during high school, and learned to love the feel and shine of the weapon. Men and women in the services would come and tell things to mom that they couldn't tell to their wives or husbands, because mom and dad had security clearances. I know she taught at least 2,000 FBI agents how to shoot and helped to improve the scores and effectiveness of thousand more law enforcement personnel. My brother, a retired Col. in VA, and I are very proud of both of them. Mom was the East Coast champion in 1941 and 1942 with a Colt 45 and her wall of medals was only surpassed in numbers by my brother, George Mason Van Orden's. She never got a dime for her design. All she wanted was to save the lives of those who were in jeopardy across the seas when their M-16 jammed in combat conditions by supplying a small weapon that would be easily carried and on target accurate. I would love to hear from people who had met them and who had bought the K-38 Combat Masterpiece. My email address is [email protected]. I help vets reverse & cure chronic diseases, like diabetes and heart disease with the same program that ex-president Clinton is on. I do not charge for my services."

You might find this thread of interest too: Anyone know Evaluators Limited Quantico ?

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Great article, and I don't want to nitpick either, BUT the numbers on the first year guns appear to be off. S115,927 should have been the last gun per this article, but I own S116,709 (pictured), which shipped 9/54 per Roy.

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357 left.jpg (76.3 KB, 41 views)

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Peter #2091

I would not confuse serial numbers with the number shipped. The number 8,427 (shipped) is referenced in both Jinks' The History of Smith & Wesson and in the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. Guns are shipped in no particular order at S&W; certainly not sequentially by serial number. I would not be surprised if one serialized earlier than S115,927 was shipped in 1955, and I'm sure that with S&W's system, others with higher numbers also shipped in the first year. This is further complicated by the fact that the serial numbers for all N-frame revolvers were intermixed, and production batches of frames varied from 50 to 300 in number. The only way to determine when a specific serial number was shipped is through Roy Jinks as the official company Historian.

Just a couple of examples of the haphazard serial shipping: I have a Kit gun with a frame serialed in 1940, but it was not shipped until 1951. I also have a Model 64 that was finished in 1994, but kept for promotional use at the factory and not shipped until 2001. Never say never at Smith & Wesson! You should certainly be proud that you have a first year Highway Patrolman, documented as such by Roy Jinks, but the serial number is irrelevant.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Coming from a guy who only owned ruger 357 revolvers me, your right I put the s&w m28 & m27 right up there as s&w's finest revolvers in 357mag. I put the m27 & m28 right up there quality wise with the colt trooper/lawman & Python. I like the ruger too for a modern rugged revolver. But the s&w n frame just feels right in my hand. There's only two guns that feel right in my hand the s&w revolvers and the 1911 auto. These feel like they were made to fit my hand only. The balance of the s&w n frame is spot on. I like colts, rugers, and s&w revolvers but I put a plus ++++++ on the s&w revolvers.

The story about the s&w m28 highway patrolman is awesome.
I went from no n frames in 357mag to owning five in a month.
As soon as my online dealer posted them I grabbed them. The planets and stars were in the right place in the universe, big bill had his gas money saved up from being retired. It was December my Christmas shopping was done and I jumped on these awesome s&w revolvers, I have 2/m28, 1/m28-2, 1/m27-2 blued, 1/m27-2 in nickel all 6" barrels. How can we pass them up? Locally I havent, never, ever seen a used m28 or m27 here for sale in decades, never even one. I guess everyone who purchased them are hoarding them. No rugers or colts till recently. No used ones in the past.

Think about how many s&w n frames are showing up during the time of the Dirty Harry movie run?
Besides all the m29's being sold the 357, 41, 44spec, 44mag & 45lc n frames were being sold too I place of the 44 mags. I look at how many there are for sale now that are dated in Dirty Harrys years?
The desire to own a m29 continues to this day.

Very interesting, John, thanks for sharing.
I have two M28-2s. One an S serial number and the other an N. Both 4". The N one was the carry gun of a small town Iowa Police Chief. It has a serrated rear sight leaf. I know that wasn't standard. Could it have been factory installed?
Jim

One of the cost-saving measures effected on the Highway Patrolman was the non-serrated tang/leaf on the rear sight, and that was certainly standard on this gun. The only variances I know of were cited in the OP.

My best guess is this would probably be a user-installed sight, as there was never an "official" option other than choice of stocks and barrel length. I myself have installed a white-outline rear sight on one of my revolvers, just because I liked the contrast this type of sight gives for quick shooting. I've also installed red-insert front sights on all my mountain guns, again for contrast with the target. Someone in the future will wonder about that, but I'll be dead and gone, and won't really care.

But as I often say, never say never with S&W. There's the off chance that someone knew someone at the factory, and this could have been done there. Special orders were not common on this utilitarian revolver. A factory letter might tell you, but I'm not even sure it would be mentioned unless the gun went directly to a specific individual. Bottom line is that I doubt its originality on the gun.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

It is always a pleasure to see and read about Smith & Wesson's N-Frame .357 Magnum revolvers. They are my favorites.

Thanks for the history lesson.
As a kid I liked the Smith & Wesson .357 my dad's friend had.
I always wanted one.
Thru the years I kept looking for an older Highway Patrolman. A few years ago I found one, made in 1961. I always wondered if the grips were factory. I now believe they might be the optional target grips you mentioned.
The revolver had a scope mounted on it, so I kept it on. You are right about the .357 at 100 yd shots, with the scope, I can group 6 shots in about a 4" group.( I did miss a few ground hogs at that distance ) image.jpg

Attached is a better pic of the grip.[ATTACH
]193215[/ATTACH][ATTACH][/ATTACH]

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image.jpg (142.0 KB, 30 views)

No, those grips are not factory.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Those are not factory target stocks. Check the original post for a picture of factory stocks. Earlier ones were walnut with diamond-pattern checkering. Later ones, such as the the ones illustrated in my post, were made of Goncalo Alves wood, and the checkering omitted the diamond center. Later ones also had the "football"-shaped scooped-out section in the upper part of the left stock.

John

PS - check inside the crane recess in the frame for the model number. If you have a 28-1, you would have an extremely valuable gun. Few were made, mostly in 1960, but possibly some in 1961. The 28-2 came on stream sometime in 1961, and it is relatively common.

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Very nice article John! Oh, and k22, the WSP Heavy Duties were 6 1/2". One sits in my safe, along with two Commemoratives.

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Even older, even crankier....

As others have stated, you can not just add the number produced to the starting serial number to arrive at the year end serial number. There were other models numbered within this series.

The other factor to consider is "what is a first year gun?" Since production for most S&W's does not start on 1/1/XXXX, technically and according to Roy Jinks, if a gun was first produced on 4/15/1954, then a first year gun would be any gun made until 4/14/1955.

I know this because I own one, S129,113 that was produced in early April 1955 and is considered a first year gun.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Great article. My only comment is that I think you are a bit off with the initial serial number. I have S106374 which left the factory in May 1954. I always thought the first Highway Patrolman was S103500.

Here is the thread for my gun.
Can't be too many nicer Highway Patrolman (Pic Heavy)

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Ash

Once again, I need to point out that guns were not usually completed or shipped in serial number order. Serialed frames went into bins, and were pulled out for completion and then shipment quite randomly. Also, all N-frame serial numbers were intermixed. Production batches commonly ran from 50 to 300; quite possibly more. It's not unusual to find an earlier serialed gun shipped later than one numbered higher. Never confuse serial numbers with shipping order at S&W. I made an earlier post in this thread about that, and cited a couple of examples of this that I personally own. You have a nice early Highway Patrolman, but the serial number is largely immaterial to when it was shipped. See posts 30 and 40 in this thread.

The serial number S107,500 comes from Roy Jinks in his book The History of Smith & Wesson as being the first production gun. Roy has to be the final authority on that, citing April 15, 1954 as the completion of the first run of production guns.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Last year, I picked up a heavily used 28-2, and it has become a favorite. I occasionally shoot IDPA, just for fun. 125 grain full house magnums in the old blue warrior will get the gamers' attention every single time!

I apologize John that I was not clear with my comment. I totally agree with you about the ship date / serial number issue. I just assumed that guns came off the line in order. I am right with you that it is a mystery as to when each gun is shipped. Roy is the best resource for that information.

Just to be clear though. Are you saying that S107500 came off the production line before S103500? If that is the case, why is there more value placed on the earliest serial numbered examples of models. Would a collector value S107500 more than S103500?

I assumed there was a typo or transcription mistake (using a 7 instead of a 3), but if the guns were actually produced out of order, that would be interesting to me. I love to learn from the knowledge base on this forum. Thanks.

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Ash

That's exactly what I'm saying. And the fact that S107500 is documented as being the first production gun makes it infinitely more valuable than any other gun that has a lower serial number.

Lower numbers usually mean higher values, but I think that's based almost entirely on the erroneous belief that at S&W, the guns came off the line in serial number order. The ONLY way to know when the gun was shipped would be to get a factory letter from Roy.

The FIFO (First In First Out) system, it seems, was NOT followed by a huge number of firearms firms, and often, serial numbers are only a general guide to the approximate time frame when a gun was made. Experts will often say "This change took place over an extended period, between approximately serial numbers xxxxx and xxxxx." Old parts were sometimes used well into newer production. Nailing down a definite shipping date, no matter who the manufacturer was, is often an exercise in frustration, with only approximations being possible in most cases. Using styles of parts to date a gun can be hard; I have a Winchester Model 62 pump action .22 that has a steel buttplate. At the time of its manufacture in 1946, the standard buttplates were plastic. Was it a later replacement? Nope. The steel buttplate was used after the war to clean up parts from discontinued guns; in this case the Model 55 lever action guns. You often have to dig deep to find these things out.

Often factory records are lost; sometimes the date of serialization was recorded (Winchester was good at this), but not the date of shipment (usually regarded as a gun's "birthdate"). Some manufacturers will stamp a code on a gun (Remington was good about this) that can be translated to a month and year (or just year). Unfortunately, that can sometimes only be interpreted as the date the component was made. Winchester barrels were often stamped with the last two digits of the year on the barrel, but the barrel may not have been assembled to the gun until the following year or even later. Remington stamped month-year codes on barrels, but if the barrel was detachable (think Remington 870 or Nylon 66), it could have been switched later or not used on a gun until a later date.

Such things make for collector headaches, and it's good to know the game rules for each manufacturer.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Thank you.

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Ash

Unfortunately, this is one reason that we get confused because we sometimes confuse each other.

If you re check on page 216 of the History of Smith and Wesson by Roy Jinks, you will find that he states that the first gun produced was serial number S103,500 and NOT serial number S107,500.

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James Redfield
LM #497

My copy (1977 edition) specifically says 107,500, and that's what I used in the article. If you have a later edition that says otherwise, we'd probably have to go with that as a later correction. Roy has made occasional typographical errors in his writings. I'll change the OP. What's the date on your copy of the book?

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Hi John:
My copy says "Ninth Printing, June, 1988"

As was mentioned, it has the lower number on page 216. Here is the complete sentence:
"The first production revolvers completed were on April 15, 1954, beginning at serial number S103,500."

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You're shy a few manners.