UPDATED: .38 M&P 1905, 4th, Factory Chrome Finish

UPDATED DATA 12/31/17. I lettered both 1905 4th change 6" Chrome. They were both in the same shipment to Greenblatt in NYC, in 1960, in an order of 30 (yes, THIRTY, not 3 as previously thought). I have another letter from S&W in 1960 to the owner of one of mine stating S&W experimented with about 200 chrome finished guns but mentions nothing specific. That means there are many more out there that are mistaken for Nickel, however, at the outside ... even if 200 were manufactured, WHERE ARE THEY ???

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We have a few multiple thread for the same and related subject. Starting a new one to consolidate the research.

1905, 4th Change, Factory Chrome Finish Revolvers

The combined research at:

factory chrome finish Revolvers pre 1960

and

Chrome Victory

The statements collected, thus far, seem to lean that there were 10 of these Chrome revolvers manufactured in 1937.

There is only mention, but no tangible evidence yet, that any more than those ten were manufactured. OR, perhaps more were shipped or manufactured by special order during WWII (records show between 1941 and 1942/3 by special order and 1 that Don found in the records that wsa a gift.

I would like everyone's assistance to research any proof-positive of the survival or existence of any others remaining. Of course, refinished revolvers do not count. Has to be factory verified Chrome finish.

Of the more credible stories are that during WWII, certain metals were scarce. S&W in an attempt to find a suitable substitute for nickel tried a short batch in Chrome.

Of those 10 made in chrome, several were sent out for testing to Dealers friendly with S&W to test them. I have no idea if any of these were US Govt test trials but seems not. Seems this was just an internal S&W Company project. Some or most were returned to S&W, some may hot have been returned.

Of those returned, S&W decided to clean out the safe and sell the remaining "Pink Elephants" at a discount to a few of their dealers.

Anyone having any solid, verifiable research, please EMAIL me only from the link here in the forum, to my personal email

OR ... post your pictures of your factory CHROME 1905, 4th models.

Please do not post any others.

Thank you, in advance, for your assistance.

PS: Right now, I have 3 physical revolvers accounted for. On paper, a few members (attached to the links above) provided a total of 6 more in addition to those we know of.

Here are the serial numbers and shipping information on the two I have owned, and lettered.

614697 6-inch shipped 3/10/1942 to Miles Standish VI (sixth direct descendant)
622398 6-inch shipped 12/9/1941 to Rock Island Arsenal

Mike Priwer

mikepriwer said:

Here are the serial numbers and shipping information on the two I have owned, and lettered.

614697 6-inch shipped 3/10/1942 to Miles Standish VI (sixth direct descendant)
622398 6-inch shipped 12/9/1941 to Rock Island Arsenal

Mike Priwer

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Great, Mike. Thank you. Email headed your way. Sal

Anyone else have data ?

Sal, Is there any stamping on the grip frame of your gun ( o anywhere) that might be a clue as to what the factory used to designate chrome finish ? We know B is for blue guns and N is for nickel guns. Is there maybe a C for chrome finish stamped on your gun? I think it's safe to assume the chrome guns were probably outsourced for their finish, as tooling to do chrome for just a few guns would not be something the frugal S&W factory would consider and if all the guns were a batch shipment to an outside finisher, a frame stamping of a finish code should not be needed. Ed.

I agree, setting up a chrome plating line is not something any manufacturer would do without planning to get into large-scale production, and not for a limited test run as it would require a fairly substantial investment. It would make more sense to do something like this at an outside plating job shop which already had the equipment and experience to do what S&W wanted. Today, most cities of medium or large size will have at least one job shop which performs hard chrome plating. Of course, in the mid-1930s, chrome plating technology was still in its infancy, as it really did not exist prior to the late 1920s, so there may have been a more limited number of plating job shops than at present.

There were and still are a number of plating companies in the greater Springfield area. I agree why go thru the cost of setting up to chrome plate when you could have it done off site and local.

"There were and still are a number of plating companies in the greater Springfield area."

Back in my early years I worked for a large plating chemical company as a tech service engineer to the plating industry, and can attest to the fact that there were a great many plating shops in New England. I have been in most of them.

opoefc said:

Sal, Is there any stamping on the grip frame of your gun ( o anywhere) that might be a clue as to what the factory used to designate chrome finish ? We know B is for blue guns and N is for nickel guns. Is there maybe a C for chrome finish stamped on your gun? I think it's safe to assume the chrome guns were probably outsourced for their finish, as tooling to do chrome for just a few guns would not be something the frugal S&W factory would consider and if all the guns were a batch shipment to an outside finisher, a frame stamping of a finish code should not be needed. Ed.

Click to expand...

Ed, there is nothing stamped on the chrome guns to identify it as chrome. In fact I have happened upon others with similar absence of marking that are nickel. I've been searching for over 10 years I happened by many nickel guns that had no markings for finish type either.

From documents I've collected it seems these chrome guns were all done "in house".

See post in the member's section. Sal

UPDATED DATA 12/31/17. I lettered both 1905 4th change 6" Chrome. They were both in the same shipment to Greenblatt in NYC, in 1960, in an order of 30 (yes, THIRTY, not 3 as previously thought). I have another letter from S&W to the owner of one of mine stating S&W experimented with about 200 chrome finished guns but mentions nothing specific. That means there are many more out there that are mistaken for Nickel, however, at the outside ... even if 200 were manufactured, WHERE ARE THEY ???

S&W had a relationship with "Fountain Plating" in Springfield for many years.
Perhaps the 'chrome' guns were done by them?