On the member side of the forum, Roy told me that I needed to letter this M37. After procrastinating for over two years, I finally sent off for it. The letter arrived in December.
Enjoy.

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	sw letter.jpg (89.8 KB, 753 views)
	37.jpg (221.9 KB, 345 views)

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Hank
SWCA 2945

Very cool, nice to get a letter like that.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Cool, but where did the serial number go?

Very interesting! It looks to be in the same configuration as the 1977 vintage USN contract Model 36's. But a shipment of one, 8 years earlier. I would love to know the back story on this one. The USN has always been pretty tight fisted with their small arms.

I have one of the USN overrun model 36's. Some former USN sailors from the 1980's/90's time frame told me they saw the USN Model 36's in use by NCIS agents at Great Lakes naval station in 1986, naval weapon station Earl in NJ, auxiliary security force in 1991/92, and USN security school at Lakehurst NJ in 1988. I have yet to find a picture of the 36 or 37 in use by the USN.

Not wanting to step on Hank's thread, but if marked like the later USN model 36's with lanyard swivel, the serial was marked on the frame under the cylinder crane.

3" model 36 in NP is an all time favorite of mine. Having had drinks w/Roy many times over the yrs it seems its one of his favs 2!!

Question does it have any US property markings?

The serial number is still on the butt of the revolver and all the usual places including the stocks.

There are no markings on the revolver whatsoever.

I thought it might have an interesting LEO history due to the lanyard so I was quite surprised to read the letter. One of the perks of being a SWCA member is the ship date hints Roy will pass along when you submit a ship date request on the member's side of the forum. If you aren't a member, I recommend you join.

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	37 2.jpg (75.3 KB, 160 views)
	37 3.jpg (54.7 KB, 126 views)

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Hank
SWCA 2945

Hank,

Given the Lanyard Ring on Your Revolver was Factory-Installed thru the Orig. Butt Serial Number...Is it safe to assume the Full Serial Number is stamped on the Inner Frt. Leg of the Left Grip Frame?? Reason I ask...I'm sure others are curious as well!!

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Masterpiece

Hate to nitpick a fine pairing of pistol and paperwork but I'd be leery of detonating rounds thru a "tinsel strength aluminum" cylinder unless I planned on hanging the remnants on my Christmas tree.
.
.
.
... Tensile, I know. Nice piece.

38 sw should be fine,, just not the buffalo bore stuff.

Masterpiece, the serial number is stamped on the crane and I posted a pic of it in an earlier reply. The frame's grip only has assembly numbers. Here are a couple of pics of the frame's grip.

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	37 5.jpg (121.8 KB, 97 views)
	37 7.jpg (137.3 KB, 85 views)

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Hank
SWCA 2945

So this example lettered as a single gun shipment, making it 1 of 1. In my opinion, that's a rare, collector item.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Hank,

Thanks...The main reason I asked is in years past it was S&W's Policy...Whenever they installed a Lanyard Ring thru the Butt's Serial Number...The Full Serial Number was also stamped on the Left Grip Frame under the Grips!!

I suppose in later years...Since the Full Serial Number is now also stamped in the Frame's Yoke Cut-Out...They cut out one of the steps when installing a Lanyard Ring thru the Butt's Serial Number!! Makes sense I suppose!!

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Masterpiece

Naval Surface Warfare Center, researching equipment for the Quiet Professionals, and others. What a cool gun!!!

The very early J and K frame .38 Airweights (early-mid 1950s) had aluminum cylinders, but none since then. Most were replaced by the factory so finding an original gun with one is uncommon.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

"High tinsel strength aircraft aluminum."

Huh? That doesn't give me much confidence in my M37.

I hope they meant "high tensile strength...."

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Only a cold warrior

Now SoFlanative did say something about hanging it on his Christmas tree.

Hank,

Thank you so very much for posting your letter and showing the
photos of your unusual Model 37.

I have one identical to it, except the serial number is a bit higher
-- 707084.

All this time I've thought Bubba put the lanyard through the s/n
on the butt and stamped it on the frame in the yoke cut. Now, I'll
have to letter mine because the s/n in the yoke cut is the same
font as yours. We'll see.

Dr. Jinks told me it shipped in March 1969, but he didn't suggest
there was anything special about it.

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MOD 37 707084.jpg (113.1 KB, 44 views)

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Interesting to see if both guns shipped to the same place! One slight difference in your gun and the OP's gun is the grips! The OP's gun has diamond center grips. Do both guns have numbered grips?
jcelect

Hank's Chiefs Special Airweight is still in the serial range where we'd expect to see diamond magnas. Mine is outside that range, and, yes, the right stock on mine numbers to the gun.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Very interesting letter and perhaps more particularly so as I worked at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane from 1966 thru 1972. Did not see any pistols but sure did make a lot of 500 lb bombs, 5" projectiles and completed exterior maintenance on those 1900 lb 16" bullets.............

This revolver has a steel cylinder.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Great thread! So no US property marking and the lanyard installed by S&W over the top of the butt serial. Probably wishful thinking on my part, but it makes me wonder if the USN was thinking about that configuration as a possible aircrew weapon, in line with the old USAF M13 Aircrewman? They must have liked the lanyard swivel since it appeared on the later model 36 USN contract production.

There were 100 Model 37 revolvers billed to Crane on June 6, 1967 but they were drop-shipped to the Navy supply center in San Diego for delivery to the USS Oriskany. They were for Navy pilots.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

More great info! This makes sense for a US issue non-standard shoulder holster I have that was intended for use by either the S&W model 39 or 37. I guess I can add the model 37 to my list of unobtanium US aircrew weapons. ;>)

Please tell us more about that holster. Pictures?

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Very cool. I’m like a kid at Xmas when those factory letters arrive. Which reminds me, I have an early pre-37 Airweight and a Model 60 I need to have lettered.

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Some Might Say.

Sure, it is a secondary holster adopted during the 1960's time period. It is listed in Edward Scott Meadows U.S. Holsters book, revised edition, pages 470-471. It had a FSN 1095-804-7725. Dr. Meadows states his example came in a box with the FSN, marked Holster for Model 39 and 37 S&W, dated November 1968. Here is a picture of my example. It would appear to fit a model 39 better than a 37, but Dr. Meadows says it will secure a model 37 as well. The 1968 date would put it in the timeframe of the USN Model 37's.

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m39m37holster.jpg (141.7 KB, 51 views)

OK, thanks. I have one of those brand new, still in wrap. I've argued with Scott about the application because there is no way you can get a Model 39 in that holster. Sorry, Hank, for the thread drift.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

After reading this, I tried my holster with a model 36 (no model 37 on hand). It fits it pretty well, so I have to agree with you on the 39 being problematic. I do not have a model 39 to try, but it just does not look like it would fit. Of course this does make this holster a possibility for USN model 37's. Who knows?

Hank, apologies also.

Line 2 of the letter states "The plans specified that the frame and cylinder be produced from high tinsel (sp.) aircraft aluminum".
I have no way of knowing if the build followed spec.
Forgive me if my tongue in cheek Christmas tree crack was misconstrued.

If you're not a follower of Chiefs Special Airweights, your
interpretation of Don's letter is perfectly logical.

The original production Airweights as Don says began at serial
number 24000 in October 1952, and they did have aluminum
cylinders. Problems with the cylinders rupturing caused the
company to switch to a carbon steel cylinder early in 1954.
According to Dr. Jinks, there were 3,777 Chiefs Special
Airweights with aluminum cylinders, and 923 had a square butt.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Thank you tbc.
Much I still can learn.

What Bob said.

Looking at the picture, you can see the barrel and cylinder are blued steel and different from the anodized aluminum frame.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Absolutely right.

Factory installed swivels after initial production or sent back to the factory for a swivel were drilled thru the centered pre war # which is re-stamped on left side of grip frame.

Beginning in WWII the butt serial # is stamped off center and the addition of a lanyard swivel no longer required drilling thru the serial # on K and N frames. In the 1958-1959 time period the serial number is stamped in the yoke cut of the frame. So if a lanyard swivel was ordered on the small I and J frame, it was drilled thru the serial # on the butt but no longer re-stamped on the side of the grip frame under the left side grip.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Great looking 37. They are hard to find in high condition. I have a Chief's Special Airweight (Pre 37). It is a very early one that shipped in 1953 with alloy cylinder and square butt. It is in great condition and I assume never shot much and never carried.

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	Pre37.jpg (212.4 KB, 8 views)
	pre37 letter.jpg (86.5 KB, 12 views)

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NoExcuses,Trey
HF#667 CA#3421

Well, here's a drawing of the M36. Taken from a 9/90 dated USN survival manual

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IMG_3083.jpg (83.1 KB, 71 views)