I got a flier in today's mail about Amoskeag's November 22 auction. Among the many firearms stimulating my salivary glands is a Model 24-1 44 Special. The photo shows a 4-inch revolver with smooth, rosewood 'football' target stocks, red insert front ramp sight and box!

Anybody know anything about this revolver? I understand all model-marked .44 caliber 1950 Targets are scarce, the -1 variant probably the most scarce.

I got a flier in today's mail about Amoskeag's November 22 auction. Among the many firearms stimulating my salivary glands is a Model 24-1 44 Special. The photo shows a 4-inch revolver with smooth, rosewood 'football' target stocks, red insert front ramp sight and box!

Anybody know anything about this revolver? I understand all model-marked .44 caliber 1950 Targets are scarce, the -1 variant probably the most scarce.

That would go nice with your pre 24 four inch Jeff.
Probably set you back $500 or more eh?

Heck, I'd pay $501 for it!

Depending on condition I think you would be "Real Lucky" to get it for $500.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I would say that you would be very lucky to get it for ten times that.
It is probably worth around $10,000.
How many have you seen?
If I add up all that I have heard of it would be less than around ten.
John

So, does anyone really know how scarce this is?

Doc44? SmithNut? Lee? Beuhler?

In Suprica's last book it shows the 24-1 released in 1960 and the 24-2 released in 1961.
So they only produced the 24-1s for a year or less. We also know that the 1950 Targets didn't sell as well after the 44 Mag was developed.
The 29-1s are rare and i'm sure one of the regulars has a total, or at least a good estimate on the 29-1s that have surfaced.
The 24-1s would be but a fraction of those numbers.
I have seen 24-1s mentioned in books a few times over the years. The 24-2 may very well be like the 16-1, only on paper.

As someone who is interested in the "original" -1s, I've never seen one documented in a lot of reading on and off the internet. I wish I could afford it. I say it will sell for $5000-$7500 as a pure guess.

Where's Doc44?

Here it is at the bottom of the page:

http://www.amoskeag-auction.com/68/auction68.html

I don't think the "smoothies" would be be original for a 24-1 from 1960.

It doesn't have much of a description either, whereas, the nickel 29-1 in the September 20th auction has a very detailed description.

http://www.amoskeag-auction.com/67/auction67_7.html

With a serial number of N313103, "29-1" must have been a typo. It should have been "29-2".

Yup, I sort of breezed over that. They certainly would have made a big deal of the "very rare -1" if it actually was.

$8337.50!!!

http://www.amoskeag-auction.com/68/127.html

And if our buddy GWimer got ahold of it, you will see the first 1/4 million dollar S&W for sale!!

__________________
ken
SWCA #1959

Hi guys,
Did not see this in Sept.
Scarce is not the word- RARE is!!
It may well be one-of-a-kind. At any rate, you won't ever see TWO on a table at a gunshow.
Personally, I think it went rather cheap. Did that figure include the juice?

__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Lee,

You don't have to tell me how rare a 24-1 is. I wanted it BADLY. I don't like nickel S&Ws, although I have thing for Pintos, and I don't like engraved S&Ws. It was right down my alley except it sold for more than my vehicle is worth...haha. I guessed earlier in this thread that it would go for $5000-$7500 without seeing an estimate. It went for $7250 plus juice. Should I quit my day job to become the next "Purveyor of Fine Smith & Wesson Collectibles"? Of course, I'll have to work on my beard and "being cool" (as my father said)...haha.

Lee is correct...Very rare, if not one of a kind. The gun was shipped in 1966 and made for Dick Marble, the owner of American Firearms Warehouse. It also may very well be the last Model 24 shipped.

Bill

Bill, are we going to get to see pictures of it?

Thank you for sharing the Dick Marble connection. I don't know the full Dick Marble story, but I know he is responsible for a few very special S&Ws.

Jeremy...I did not bid on the 24-1 as I knew it would sell for much more than I was willing to pay for it.

Dick Marble apparently had "a connection" at S&W and had quite a few special guns built for him. However, they were invoiced as regular models and most will not letter. For example, my Model 29-2 with a 3 1/4-inch barrel and fixed sights letters as a Model 58. Guns with unusual serial numbers (like N3 that is a 29-2, but otherwise a regular gun does letter). I do believe the 24-1 will letter, but since S&W did not invoice by manufacturing variation (-1, -2, -3, etc.), you cannot verify the -1 (or -2 if you wanted to). This is true for all -1 guns, not just this one. If it is stamped MOD. 24-1 in the yoke cut and is properly configured, then it is a 24-1.

Once the "factory connection" was discovered at S&W, appropriate action was taken to stop it and no more "specials" were made. This is the story of Dick Marble that was told to me many years ago.

Bill

Interesting! In my internet research, I found this address for Dick Marble's American Arms Company:

172 Main St
Wareham, MA

I'm sure his proximity to S&W helped with the inside connection.

Also, Mr. Marble must have liked #3. You've mentioned N3 (29-2), but a member of this forum has posted pictures of D3 (10-5), H3 (30-1), M3 (34-1), and J3 (36 no dash). In a different post, he states that the 36 was shipped to American Arms Warehouse on 9/25/1969.

I was at this auction and handled the gun--as did a jillion other people--the guns were displayed so close to each other that bumps and dings were inevitable. On this same display table, I watched a guy pick up a pristine pre-war 1911, work the action about 10 times, and set it back down (not gently) directly on top of another .45.

Bada-bing!

Tim

Jeremy, N3, shipped 3/71 to Marble..
Chuck

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SWCA1517 SWHF256
Rangers LTW!

Congratulations, Jeremy! That is a gorgeous gun. If I could only keep one handgun, it might be my 4 inch pre-model marked 1950 Target. Mine has the same rosewood Target stocks, red insert front and white outline rear sights.

BUFF, I definitely didn't "win" the 24-1. I would love to have it, but my pockets aren't nearly that deep. Plus, it's about time for me to begin my new hobby, engagement ring hunting...haha.

With the buyer's premium, the 24-1 sold for approximately $8,500. If a dealer bought it and plans to resell it for a decent profit, I expect it may be seen at a few gun shows in the future. If a collector bought it, maybe we'll see it in a display of variations of the 1950 Target 44.

Bill

I would have been 2 years old in '66! Dick Marble is my father, and I find these post interesting because that was so long ago, long before the internet, and here is talk of American Arms and my father.