I just lucked into a NIB 40-1, and was curious if anyone knows the production span of these guns. They are the model with a grip safety, and came in polished blue (mine), nickel and case-hardened frames.

I have been an S&W armorer for over 35 years, and I will observe it has the tightest fitted side plate I have seen in a long while.

Thanks for any info.

According to the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, 4th Ed., it was
built on the J-Magnum frame from 1997-2012.

If you still have the factory sticker on the box it should say the year.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Good score. Major congrats.

Any photos? Would love to see this one!

Mine and its cousin are a bit older...

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Centennial and 42.jpg (105.2 KB, 99 views)

Congrats! A true classic.

I have three of the 40-1. A couple blued and one nickel. All with excellent fit, finish, and trigger pull. Super high quality. Smith & Wesson did such a good job with these.

Here's pic of mine.
Added the grip adapter for the old school look and feel.

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IMG_0262-2.jpg (85.9 KB, 73 views)

Here's a blued 40-1 with Pachmayr grips for carry.

The nickel 40-1 belongs to my daughter. Asked her if I could carry it. She said "no." Ha.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I like it.

It would really pop with a pair of high horn stocks.

Here's my January '55 shipped model and a flashback just for fun (thank you Dr. Jinks!).

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	Holy Grail Centennial (2).jpg (131.6 KB, 37 views)
	Memo -- official name of ''Centennial''.jpg (32.5 KB, 26 views)

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

As I study you feller's (and Olivia's) newfangled Centennials, the
one thing that strikes me is the thumbpiece.

At a time when Smith & Wesson had gone forward with MIM parts
and a new shaped, beveled, thumbpiece, the company chose to put
a prewar style thumbpiece on the new-old Centennial. No J-frame
revolver ever wore that thumbpiece. It did carry over after the
war, but by 1950 when the Chiefs Special came out on the J-frame
the thumbpiece had changed. The pinched, hourglass, between
the screw and "paddle" was gone.

Things that make you go, "Hmmm."

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

I believe the Classic series Model 40 was introduced in 2007. The new incarnation of grip safety didn't have the provision for an extra pin to disable the grip safety.
These also take different grips than normal J frames. The external shape of the grip tang is the same, but where the backside of the grip fits into the frame is different because of clearance needed for the grip safety.

Bob,

You certainly have an eagle eye for details. Interesting observation. So, I went upstairs and pulled out another 40-1, not previously pictured. It's the one with Eagle Secret Service grips. I think those are Eagle.

From top to bottom, we have a 1972 Model 42, a 40-1, and another 40-1.

The 1974 and middle 40-1 have the same thumbpiece. The bottom 40-1 has the pinched, hourglass shape. So, it's inconsistent in the 40-1 lineup.







Looked some other stuff. I have two of the Models 42-2. These are relatively modern production. One has the pinched, hourglass shape thumbpiece. I was too lazy to dig out the other 42–2.




Here is a 1973 Model 40. It has the same thumbpiece as the 1974 Model 42 (not pinched, hourglass).

The thumb piece used on the Classic Model 40 is a modified version of the MIM thumb piece used on the larger frame Classics at the time. S&W wanted an older looking thumb piece for the Model 40 reintroduction and went with that as a feasible option. Relatively low expected production wouldn’t justify a new MIM tool.

I have one of the nickel ones. I have secret service grips on it. It is my constant companion.
If I ever see another one, and/or a 42, I would buy it.

Post a picture of the nickel with Secret Service grips. I bet it looks sharp.

I was very impressed when the -1 engineering revision was released back in the 2000s and I'm sorry that I never bought one with the color case hardened in frame because I think it looked really sharp

There was a very tiny run of engraved 40-1s but with a couple of gold wedding bands and I grabbed one of those because I thought it looked very good

This is product code 150221

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"Acta non verba"

For those of you with some version of the 40-1, since the grip inletting is different that the standard J-frame, are you modifying the grips on your own ?

I have a Case Hardened Centennial.
My only issue is it appears there is a clear coat on it that is flaking off because I didn’t read the fine print on a gun care product I used.
I’ve heard that Turnbull did the CCH on these and they are marked on grip frame.
Mine has no marking so…..

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IMG_0829.jpg (100.0 KB, 21 views)

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Who are those guys?

Mark,

I am always glad to see that engraved 40-1 pop up in a thread. It is stunning. I'd snatch one up at the first opportunity.

Turnbull did all the color hardening on the Classic line and put a clear coat over them to protect the relatively fragile colors. Aggressive solvents will affect that clear coat.

I wasn't aware that Turnbull marked the frames he colored. What is the marking you believe signifies his work and where on the frame are you seeing it?

While the color case frames do look great, we all know it was never an original S&W finish. There had been some Heritage Series revolvers with that finish in the early 2000's and then S&W did more color case in the Classic Line in the later 2000's. There was a color case fad at the time with some companies doing color cased 1911's and other guns that were never historically cased. S&W wanted to get on the color case bandwagon and admittedly the guns looked fantastic.

I believe that you are mistaken.

Doug Turnbull did all of the color case hardening on the Heritage series. He stopped doing them towards the end of that run and I do not know who took over the work for Smith & Wesson

On the frames that Turnbull did the color case hardening on you will see his mark under the left grip panel as pictured below on this Model 25

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"Acta non verba"

So, Turnbull didn’t do ALL of the Heritage series guns! I am glad to now know this because I want a Heritage gun, and I believe his work is superior. Anyone know where the change took place according to serial number?
Larry
Larry

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Miss Buddies crsides & fat tom

I also heard the Turnbull did do all the guns however S&W had him stop marking them as such.
I don’t remember exactly where I read it and don’t know why it we stopped.
It was on the internet so it must be true.

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Who are those guys?

Folks that own Smith & Wessons that were not done by Turnbull have been passing the word that Turnbull did all because they want their firearms to have more value

Turnbull stopped doing the color case hardening to the Smith & Wessons back in the early 2000s. The reason was that with his process the Smith & Wesson frames were warping at a greater percentage than was acceptable

I do not recall the exact date that this occurred nor do I recall what company began doing the color case hardening for Smith & Wesson.

If Doug Turnbull did the color case hardening on your revolver his logo will be stamped on the grip frame. If there is no logo stamped on your grip frame it was done by the other company

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"Acta non verba"

Most of my S&W focus/lust has been for N frames recently but I still want very much a model 40 J frame. Congrats yours sure looks good!