Model 49, 3", nickel (Bodyguard) - with photos - how rare?

Terry T · Mar 9, 2009

Scored a 95%-98% model 49, with a 3 inch pinned barrel, in nickel, with a traditional latch, ser. no. 9J62XX for $600. If I can understand the ser. no. chart in the SCSW, it appears to be made about 1971. The only thing that seems out of spec. from the SCSW is the wide, grooved trigger and the smooth grips. No box or papers.

How'd I do?

I'd like to get a Letter on it. What is the current address / price / procedure for S&W letters? It's been a while since I needed one.

Does anyone have any idea of production numbers for such a creature? It's a stable mate for my 3" model 632.

Thanks,
Terry T

Terry T · Mar 9, 2009

Scored a 95%-98% model 49, with a 3 inch pinned barrel, in nickel, with a traditional latch, ser. no. 9J62XX for $600. If I can understand the ser. no. chart in the SCSW, it appears to be made about 1971. The only thing that seems out of spec. from the SCSW is the wide, grooved trigger and the smooth grips. No box or papers.

How'd I do?

I'd like to get a Letter on it. What is the current address / price / procedure for S&W letters? It's been a while since I needed one.

Does anyone have any idea of production numbers for such a creature? It's a stable mate for my 3" model 632.

Thanks,
Terry T

toroflow1 · Mar 9, 2009

At first blush, $600 sounds high, but I'm not sure of the rarity of a 3" 49. It would seem to me that a 3" barrel kinda defeats the purpose of a concealed "bodyguard" style weapon.

Terry T · Mar 9, 2009

"toroflow1",
The Standard Cataloge of S&W uses words like "scarce" and "rare" for the 3" Bodyguard for exactly the reason you are giving. It was offered but not desired, hence low sales, hence "rare".
I failed to mention that it is legally in Ca. If it had not been here when the 'safe gun act' was passed, it could not be currently imported into our state.
Terry T

MaineProbation · Mar 9, 2009

Some people ordered the wide trigger on J frames, even though most experienced shooters feel that a wide trigger is less than ideal for the double action shooting most of these J frame snubbies are used for. The only J frame I have with a wide target trigger is my Model 34-1 2" round butt Kit Gun .22 LR, and this is because most of my shooting with this piece is single action. The 3" barrel was a more frequent option on the Chiefs Specials than on Bodyguards or Centennials, but they were made and are still seen. I am sure your 49 will be a welcome companion. If anthing like my nickel 49, you will find it almost too pretty to shoot.

toroflow1 · Mar 9, 2009

I failed to mention that it is legally in Ca.

Ya done well then if its in CA!! Thank God I'm not in CA anymore!

northslope · Mar 9, 2009

I'da bought it in a heartbeat for $600. That's a neat little gun with the 3" barrel..

--Neill

Terry T · Mar 9, 2009

Photos added.
Terry T

Malysh · Mar 10, 2009

Terry,
As other members have said, this is not a common variation. You should be happy getting this gun for $600!

The only way to know if it came from the factory with smooth grips is to get a letter.

Congratulations, hope you enjoy it.

M29since14 · Mar 10, 2009

If it had not been here when the 'safe gun act' was passed, it could not be currently imported into our state.

"Imported," eh? So that is what the State of California calls that.

(

) If feel sorry for Californians...

That IS an odd one you have there. I don't know a thing about Bodyguards, so can't say about the wide trigger, but the serial number is not from 1971. It looks like the roving J began in 1982, which seems about right to me, based on guns I bought at that time. Chiefs of any pattern were hard to come by around here, thanks to the fear of proposed, so-called Saturday Night Special legislation. As a young fellow, the first one I bought new was J318xxx and that was in 1976. Two or three years later, I got lucky and found another one and bought it. I believe it is J858xxx. So the SCSW1 figures comport with my experience pretty well.

Chiefs with 3-inch barrels did not sell, and it was not unusual to see one sitting in a shop for a long time. I had actually considered buying a 3-inch Chief and sending it back to S&W for a 2-inch barrel, but all I could find were square-butt guns, so that never happened.

I do like your smooth stocks! Those, and a T-grip, if you need it, are the perfect set-up for a Chief, IMHO.

MaineProbation · Mar 10, 2009

The "roving J" actually began in 1968 after the Federal Gun Control Act required unique serial numbers for each manufacturer's firearm. This is when the Model 60's started with the "R" numbers and the other J frames (other than .22 Kit Guns which started with "M") started with the "roving J." After 999JXX, they started with J00000X and so on. I don't have my books here at the office but I am going to say that 9J62XX is around 1969 or 1970. I have a Model 49 Serial #391JXX which I bought around 1974.

M29since14 · Mar 10, 2009

Interesting. I didn't catch the absence of the sixth digit.

I learn new things all the time. Remembering them is the problem.

Jerry in SC · Mar 10, 2009

Can't say I've ever seen a 49 with the 3", but I did see a 642 with a 3" barrel some years ago. It sat on a local dealer's shelf for a long time. Both are unusual configurations.

MaineProbation · Mar 10, 2009

The reason some people like a 3" on the J frames is the ejector rod is long enough to fully eject the empties. Quite a bit smoother and faster reloading in a combat situation. I think this is why the 3" K frames are popular, also.

s&wchad · Mar 10, 2009

Originally posted by MaineProbation:
The "roving J" actually began in 1968 after the Federal Gun Control Act required unique serial numbers...

Maine,
The J serial number prefix was started in 1969 because of the reasons you mentioned (GCA 68). It reached J99,999 in 1970. "Floating J" or "Roving J" is a term collectors use for the serial number series used during 1971-72, where the "J" is in the middle somewhere - rather than being the prefix. The series goes from 1J1 to 999J99, with a maximum of 6 characters.

Starting in 1973, S&W made the serial number 7 characters long and the “J” became a prefix again. That series lasted until 1982 when they used up the numbers and started using 1JXXXXX. The change to the 3 letter prefix happened pretty soon afterwards and they didn’t reach 2J00001.

Terry,
Awesome gun. It should be easy to tell if the stocks are original. Magnas of that era had the serial number stamped in the back of the right panel. I would expect the washers on the back to be blued steel.

Terry T · Mar 11, 2009

Folks,
I pulled the grips off and they do not have the ser. no. on them. They have bright washers, not blued. Both grips have a simple indented 'J' (as opposed an inked) stamp.

I need to get a letter off to S&W and get the particulars for it.

S&WCHAD: I see that your fine, NIB, model 49 is just a few ser. no. away from mine!

I'd still like to know production numbers, if anyone has that data.

I do like to shoot my guns and this one has been shot but it may be too pretty to "carry" under 'normal' circumstances.

Thanks for all of the help so far.
Terry T

Terry T · Mar 24, 2009

I just got off the phone with Roy Jinks, S& W historian. (800-331-0852 ext 3223) Friendly conversation but says the records for that time period (late '60s through early '80s) are off site in storage and not retrievable at this time. He suggested calling back in a year. (He couldn’t even do a letter of Authenticity for this gun at this time).

He did indicate that the grooved trigger was standard. He repeated the suggestion that the original grips should be numbered to the gun. He does not know how many nickel model 49s were made up with 3” barrels. They were a "special order” item.

So – how often have you seen one? I’d like to know how rare ‘rare’ really is.

Thanks for everyone's help,
Terry T

photoman · Mar 26, 2009

I've been chasing Smith & Wesson revolvers for about 15 years now and I don't every remember seeing one for sale at the local shops or gun shows.

john4970 · Mar 28, 2009

3" 36's and 37's are findable, but I have never seen a 3" bodyguard nor centennial. Therefore, $600 for a gun that you like, may seem to be a bargain in the future. It sure looks different with the long barrel. Thanks for sharing. Neat gun.

MaineProbation · Mar 28, 2009

I would expect this is a "send back" to the factory to have a 3" Model 36 barrel, longer ejector rod, and old style J frame target trigger added by the Service Department to this Model 49. The 3" barrel for Centennials and Bodyguards did not become a catalogued item until the new style Centennial Model 640 came out the the late 80's and early 90's.

Model 49, 3", nickel (Bodyguard) - with photos - how rare?

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