I bought this as a Chief Special, although the barrel is only marked for the cartridge, serial number is 737XX and dates to 1955.

The gun does, in fact, weigh in at 19.7 ounces.

Is this what is considered a "Baby Chief"? Where did that expression come from? Thanks for the help - I'm new at this.

Attached Images

	SW Chief 1.jpg (289.7 KB, 101 views)
	SW Chief 2.jpg (89.0 KB, 81 views)
	SW Chief 3.jpg (96.3 KB, 55 views)

The "Baby Chief" would have the smaller trigger guard and half moon front sight.

Is it a nickname? Was it in a brochure?

Not all "Baby" Chief Specials had the round front sight. They did all have the smaller trigger guard and the shorter grip frame. They also had two different thumb pieces. The earliest examples had the prewar style latch and then the earliest flat latch.

A nickname, yes. It was invented by collectors to distinquish the smaller frame from the Model of 1953 frame. Never, so far as I know, used by the company.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

OK thanks - appreciate the info. I also found a pretty good profile comparison in the Standard catalog of Smith and Wesson although thy don't mention the term "Baby Chief". I get it now, early production Detective Special.

When the concept of a small revolver to be used primarily by detectives or officers that needed a concealed firearm as opposed to a duty officer who carried open in a waist belt holster, the Chief Special was built..

The larger cartridge used by the .38 special required a new frame to accommodate a larger cylinder so the J frame was born. The first guns produced carried over the same trigger guard and butt size used with the earlier I frame revolvers. It is believed that due to the more powerful cartridge, users complained about the size of these two features so S&W enlarged the trigger guard and the butt frame.

As a way of recognizing these two distinct versions of the Chief Special, collectors refer to the smaller version made first as the "Baby Chief". S&W never used this terminology.

Many folks think that the first guns produced were built on the I frame and then later the J frame after the two features were enlarged. This is absolutely not correct and due to the enlarged frame window and cylinder this model was always built on the new J frame albeit initially with the same size butt and trigger guard as the older I frames.

The very early guns have the half moon front sight which was later changed to a smooth ramp and then a serrated ramp.

The stocks that came on the early guns are about 1/8" shorter and won't fit on the later guns and vice versa.

Hope that helps.

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James Redfield
LM #497

These folks have already told you more than I know---having been a collector of great big target guns. You can spot a Baby Chief across a good size room the same way I did---Babies have a round trigger guard, and the later Chiefs have an oval trigger guard. If you ask me about sights and grip frames, you're going to get a blank stare.

That said, I had a Chiefs Special Target at one time--and it had a square butt---and wore J frame target grips---and was unbelievably accurate----if/when you were up to snuff on your practizin'!


Ralph Tremaine

here is a picture of the 3 styles of sights on my babys.L to R
round, smoth ramp .serrated ramp

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age is just a number

SCSW, 4th ed. does mention the term "Baby Chiefs Special" under Variations, pg 177, along with the premium associated with these guns.

"Baby" is an unofficial collector's name, as noted above.

And although similar and probably was pursuing the same market, the Detective Special is from a company that (as one might say at Hogwart's) "shall not be named".

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Congratulations on your new Chiefs Special.

I should think the last two digits of your serial number are lower
than 80 because S&W's J-frame Bodyguard began at 73781 and
had quite a nice uninterrupted run before the Chiefs picked up
production again at around 75xxx.

Here's a photo that shows the difference between the grip frame
and grips (stocks) of the 5-screw (Baby) Chiefs Special (left) and
the 4-screw Chiefs Special (right), like yours. The screw S&W
eliminated on the 4-screw model was in front of the trigger
guard when it changed from rounded to more oval in shape.

Other Chiefs in the 737xx serial range shipped in the spring of '56.

Attached Images

Baby vs Model of '53 Chiefs Specials.jpg (61.6 KB, 43 views)

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Thank you and correct on the serial number. Mine is 26. Curious where you got that information? I'm waiting for access to the S and W Collectors Association database, I guess they are having issues.

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SWCA#3969

Damn, I have one of those unmentionables too. I always get them confused.

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SWCA#3969

I am the curator for the S&WCA Chiefs Special database. I've
been compiling the details for a number of years.

Have you applied for membership in the S&WCA? That's the
only way to gain access to the website and database. I was just
in the database, and I know of no problems with the site or the
database.

Thanks for the last two digits of your serial number.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob