How should a factory nickel finish Model 53 be marked? There is a nickel 53 being offered for sale that is stated to be a special order gun. The seller says that there is an "N" marked on the cylinder and that indicates that the nickel is a factory original finish. However, I cannot see a "N" on the cylinder in the photos but I do see a star stamped into the rear face. I thought the star stamp was indicative of a factory refinish. The gun is a 53-2, 4k4xxxx serial number with six inch barrel and looks pretty good from the photos.

- - - Buckspen

There should also be an "N" stamped on the frame under the grips to indicate factory nickel.

On the model 53 a "factory nickel" finish is very hard to document! There are very few 53s that will letter as leaving the factory as nickel finish. I have an unfired 8 3/8" mod 53 that looks to be factory nickel! However the factory letter states it was shipped as a blued gun. It is my understanding that these guns were not good sellers and when they recieved an order for a nickel gun they would remove a blued gun from stock, send it back to the finishing department, refinish it in nickel, and then ship it to the customer! SO, it is on the books as being manufactured as a blued gun but it left the factory as a nickel gun, is it factory opriginal?
jcelect SWCA#LM723

Factory nickel 53...no marking under the grip. 1961, 4-screw, RR/WO, TH, TT, TS...looks nicer without the flash. I need to pull it out, polish it up, and re-shoot some pictures. These are a few years old. I just took it out and snapped some quick pics back then.

It should look like this, an N underneath the cylinder star. This is the cylinder for a factory original nickel Jet. A star stamp indicates a refinish/rework of some type. Ask the seller if there is a R-N stamped on the butt frame underneath the stocks like the second photo. As jcelect states, be careful. If it doesn't letter as a nickel gun, it can never be proven that it was!
Regards
Chuck





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This is from a factory refinish to nickel in 7 74 on an 8 3/8th inch Jet shipped in Blue originally and sent back in 1974 for the refinish.

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Chuck...I am assuming mine is an H.H. Harris gun since we have so many of his guns floating around the Chicago area. I bought this one from the second owner who bought it from the original owner in the early 70's. He ordered a lot of his guns with RR/WO and Rosewood stocks.

Mine is K441xxx

I have heard this as well. In fact, I heard it from my close friend that I bought my 8 3/8" from. He always says how difficult it is to document some guns, and he has been collecting S&Ws since the 50's!

I think that is why David Kern had a great idea when he had the table display, "Guns that will never letter but should".

29-1 I usually don't comment on people guns when they post them up but that 53 is amazing. I am very envious.

I believe the one being offered is a change of finish gun. It has a star on the back of the cylinder and the front sight is a nickel patridge instead of a blue ramp. I would need a factory letter to buy it. Will he take off the grips and look for the R-N mark? In the description he never mentions if he actually found an N marking on the revolver.

Be Careful!

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Dick

Thanks, guys, for your helpful comments. I now have several more questions for the seller.

- - - Buckspen

Does your gun have the N stamp on the grip frame and back of the cylinder? I have often wondered the stamping was done when they changed the finish.

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Dick

The seller responded to my questions with some additional photos. One is of the left side of the butt under the grip. There is a "R-N" stamp there indicating a factory refinish.

Thanks for all your help gents!

- - Buckspen

Hey rck281
My nickel 53 lettered as being shipped on Feb 28, 1962 to Rex Fireaems Co, NY,NY. Under the grips it does not have the N but has the star and a date stamp of 3 62. Something interesting is where Chuck pointed out the N under the exractor star my gun has a star stamp!
jcelect SWCA#LM723

Well, it could be but again, the only way to know for certain is to get a letter from Roy. That will tell the tale.
Chuck

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Didn't I recently read a post by Doc44 that stated there was only one Jet made by the factory as an original nickel finish. All the rest started out life as blue guns and then were refinished to nickel...hence the R-N stamp.

Beautiful guns guys... I have 61 6" that I finally had the barrel changed on. It had fired well over 1000 Jet...the barrel had a bulge and the forcing cone looked like a funnel. No more Jets...rimfires only...

Bob

Bob, the one above is the only one known, but if you'll read the letter there was another in the same shipment. I believe the one pictured is the gun Bill would have been referring to.
Chuck

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I believe the post referred to referenced a Model 29-2 with a 5 1/2-inch barrel and nickel finish as being the only one finished in nickel. While I know a little about the Model 53, I am certainly not an authority on this model.

Bill

Economic realities come into play here. Anyone with a nickel Jet is going to want a significant premium for it because of its rarity. Without a factory letter, you can't be certain of its status. A refinished Jet or any other gun is worth less than a blue one that is original. This is one of the exceptions to lettering a newer gun.

While I personally feel its a waste of money most of the time (and I've wasted a good bit), this is a gun that cries for a letter. At least make a call to Roy before paying a huge premium to someone. If its legit, its a gun you probably need to acquire. If its not.....

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Dick Burg

Dick, well said.
Chuck

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I don't understand why there is a question about the gun on GB. buckspen says there is an R-N stamp on the grip frame, it has a star stamp, and it doesn't have the N stamps where they should be. What's the concern - it's a blue gun that was refinished into nickel by S&W. Don't you think that's why there isn't a factory letter. He also presents the N frame presentation case as original to the gun.

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Dick

There are 3 classes of nickel plated Jets (3 we know of). The first and most sought were from the shipment of 2 that started life as nickel. The second were those ordered from the factory as nickel, where the company pulled them, plated them, then shipped them. Those should letter as nickel guns. The third an least desirable are those someone has had the finished changed after taking delivery.

Say a blue jet in great condition is worth $1500. One from the first category may be worth $5000 (for instance). One from the second might be worth $4000. But one from the last, that you or me or anyone has had sent back for the $300 replating is worth, maybe, $1500 at best. Being able to sell a gun with a letter verifying its originality as nickel is worth so much more the $50 letter charge is insignificant when compared to the increase in value.

Hope that answers your question. And I hope I haven't offended the owners here of the nickel Jets. I pulled numbers out of thin air.

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Dick Burg

The point of my post is that the GB gun is clearly one that was returned to the factory for a change of finish. I really don't think a change of finish gun is worth as much as one with the original finish. I guess it's up to the buyer.

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Dick

Wanted to bring this back up to see if there was any consensus on what is considered factory. There is a Model 53 (no dash) 8.375 inch with serial number of 4k83xxx in nickel available locally. It has the markings of a factory refinish with the star on the rear face of the cylinder, R-N stamped on the frame under the grips with the date 775. So likely changed from a blue to nickel gun before it ever left the factory. I can see in the database other jets with very close serial numbers that shipped in October of 1975 so I can make a pretty good guess that it never left the walls of the factory in blue. So what do the experts feel about these guns???

The guy was a little grumpy about letting me see under the grips. I am guessing he's worried that he made a bad deal as he is trying to sell it for $1000. It has some "stuff" on the front sight that is either just crud that needs to be cleaned or possible corrosion. It doesn't seem to go into the finish though. Also, a lot of cloudiness on the finish under the grips as if they were never removed and had any cleaning done under them. Not really a buyer on the gun but found it interesting to see. Drop me a PM if you want to the shops info as I think he'd be willing to ship.

There were a few Jets in that serial 4K83xxx---I owned an
8-3/8" that was 4k83101 (sometime in the 70s) and it was blue for sure,wonder
what last part of the nickel serial is? Pete

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NRA LIFE 1974

I think it was 4K83122, but not entirely sure so I x'd a few out.

I believe if the 53 shipped with a nickel finish, the records would reflect that. I "think" most of the R-N marked guns that were shipped with a nickel finish, letter as such.

Bill

IMHO - A Nickel 53 is one with a letter stating it was shipped as a nickel gun. I would consider an R-N gun as one that was sent back (but I realize there is a small possibility it may have been shipped that way) for a finish change. If a gun had all of the proper nickel markings and no refinish stamp but lettered as blue, it was probably shipped as nickel but we'll never know for sure.

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Dick

Well, this is quite the quandry.

Question: what would be involved in the factory pulling a blued M53 out of inventory, refinishing it in nickel and shipping it?
I'm guessing the bluing had to be removed and how did they do that at the factory? Don't seem like it would be as bad as doing it the other way around.
I guess I'm thinking if I had a nickel M53 that I knew was done at the factory before ever being shipped it should letter as a nickel gun.
Of coarse that's just my opinion and we all know about opinions.

Here is one of the two that began life as a nickel gun. I have only seen/owned a couple with the R-N stamp which indicated a blue gun that was sent back to the factory for a refinish. I cannot comment on a 53 that might have been pulled from the shelf in the factory and refinished in nickel because I don'[t think that gun actually exists but again, never say never with S&W. I do know that Roy Jinks has letterd guns with the disclaimer that collectors cannot assume this is what happened sometimes because factory records will not support this assumption. Like Bill, I believe that if this gun actually exists, the factory records would indicate such. For the pureist collector, original finish is just that, a gun ordered in a specific finish and then supplied in that finish originating from a gun that began life in the white and then furnished in the finish ordered. JMTCW.
Chuck

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Thank you for the info.
Absolutely beautiful Jet you have there.

Chuck,
I searched the forum and referenced your pics on that one. It is a beauty and because of it's existence makes the ones with the R-N a little less desriable, I would think. But these guns are so uncommon that the ones that are out there even with the R-N's are still very scarce and I would imagine would still be of interest to some. But do they really demand a high price or does the value suffer from that of a jet in original blue not having been messed with by anyone?

I should mention that I thought it a bit unusual to have a model marked 53 in this serial range and not marked as a 53-2.

I did also find out that there are no inserts which is too bad.

Daniel, only a letter can determine the exact shipping date for a S&W revolver. I recently posted a pic of a nickel 4 screw 29 that didn't ship until 9/27/1963 which was well into the time when 29-2s were being shipped.
Chuck

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Chuck, thanks for the added info. I think maybe the gun needs to sit for awhile and get a more realistic price. If someone grabs it at $1000 then good for them and the seller. Thanks again.

I really do believe there are factory modifications made to stock guns that do not letter as such. I used to own a very early Model 41-1 that lettered as a regular 22 Long Rifle M41. The gun 41-1 was in an original box that reflected 22 Short on the end flap and came with original 41-1 Parts List. I believe the factory took a 41 out of stock and converted it to a 41-1 and shipped it. Since it didn't letter, I don't think one could consider it an original 41-1. If the factory did change the finish from blue to nickel before original shipping, I doubt they would stamp it with the R-N. But what do I know? It's just an opinion based on almost nothing.

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Dick