2" 38 M&P Shows Up

[Retired W4]

Guy walks up with his father's revolver and after a short negotiation period he left it with me. C90591, which I believe came out of the factory around 1948.. I know Jack and others can narrow it down for me. It's got a few scuffs and freckles but mechanically it is great. Another testament to S&W's post war quality, without the high polish that came a little later. I personally like the satin post war blue for a self defense gun.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Late 1949, early 1950.

 

[JP@AK]

2" M&P, serial number C90449, shipped in September, 1949. Another 2" unit, serial number C91148, shipped in November, 1949. So, I would agree with Guy. Yours likely left Springfield in the third or fourth quarter of 1949.

 

[erikpolcrack]

Down memory lane. Looks exactly like the S&W I bought with my second paycheck when I was 16 years old back in the mid-60s. Think it cost me less than $50. My first weekly paycheck had gone to get me a nice sporterized '03 Springfield for about the same price. My weekly pay varied, but it was always around $75.

 

[larryofcc]

Maybe irrevelant, but I have a 2" # S963156, shipped 11-16-1947, to DEAC Company. It remains NIB, complete. Big Larry

 

[Retired W4]

2" M&P, serial number C90449, shipped in September, 1949. Another 2" unit, serial number C91148, shipped in November, 1949. So, I would agree with Guy. Yours likely left Springfield in the third or fourth quarter of 1949.

Late 1949, early 1950.

Thank you for the info. I also have 2" C188067 which is another gun that was delivered to a store right here in Atlanta back in July 6, 1951, per Roy's letter. It's interesting how some guns make it all over the country and some stay right in one city for over 70 years.

 

[2152hq]

2" M&P, serial number C90449, shipped in September, 1949. Another 2" unit, serial number C91148, shipped in November, 1949. So, I would agree with Guy. Yours likely left Springfield in the third or fourth quarter of 1949.

I have #C91117,,,sitting right here.
M&P 2" Sq Butt

I never lettered it but figured it was a '49 gun,,IF it was shipped in sequence.
IF is the big unanswered question w/o a letter though!

Very handy carry revolver..

 

[CA Escapee]

Thank you for the info. I also have 2" C188067 which is another gun that was delivered to a store right here in Atlanta back in July 6, 1951, per Roy's letter. It's interesting how some guns make it all over the country and some stay right in one city for over 70 years.

Just another data point. Years ago I asked about info on my 2" M&P and Jack said with a C159358 s/n it probably left the factory in April of '51.

 

[DWalt]

Your snubby would be called a “Pre-Model 10” by many. That is, it has the features of the Model 10 when S&W began using the Model Number nomenclature around 1957. The main change from the postwar M&Ps is a new lockwork design that resulted in a shorter and faster hammer throw that S&W called the “High Speed Hammer.” That appeared around 1947-48. The greatest visual distinction between the postwar and the pre-Model 10 M&Ps is the shape of the hammer (often referred to as the “fish hook” hammer), the use of which continued into the early 1950s. The postwar M&P snubbies have a little more collector appeal.

 

[Retired W4]

Your snubby would be called a “Pre-Model 10” by many. That is, it has the features of the Model 10 when S&W began using the Model Number nomenclature around 1957. The main change from the postwar M&Ps is a new lockwork design that resulted in a shorter and faster hammer throw that S&W called the “High Speed Hammer.” That appeared around 1947-48. The greatest visual distinction between the postwar and the pre-Model 10 M&Ps is the shape of the hammer (often referred to as the “fish hook” hammer), the use of which continued into the early 1950s. The postwar M&P snubbies have a little more collector appeal.

The hammer also has the "frame stop notch".

 

[kaaskop49]

Absolutely lovely little gun! K frame SB fits my hand close to perfectly. Wish it had a short bbl; not a fan of telephone-pole bbls.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[xsexcess]

I looked in the Supica book to try and understand 2" M&P production prior to WWII. I've seen a few early postwar ones. I understand there were even some 2" war production guns. How uncommon were 2" snubbies before the war with for example Law Enforcement?

 

[Frailer]

I looked in the Supica book to try and understand 2" M&P production prior to WWII. I've seen a few early postwar ones. I understand there were even some 2" war production guns. How uncommon were 2" snubbies before the war with for example Law Enforcement?

Short answer: they were uncommon.

But the question is, *how* uncommon?

Long answer: On 29 June 1933 S&W issued an engineering order for 250 2” M&P barrels. This led some to put the estimated number of pre-WWII guns at around 200, since some of the barrels were thought to have been used for 2” Victories and possibly very early post-War guns.

But this number assumes that S&W didn’t make additional barrels after the initial 250. This assumption is almost certainly false.

Based on information originally gathered by the late Mike Pacella that I was able to reconstruct with the generous help of several S&WCA members here we can account for at least 150 or so 2” pre-War M&Ps, 80 or so by serial number, and the rest extrapolated from shipping info from letters and invoices. This leads me to believe the 200 number is much too low.

Roy Jinks gave a rough estimate of the actual number to be around 1,500, but some knowledgeable folks believe this might be a bit high.

So…we really don’t know how uncommon. But they are much more rare than Registered Magnums. And they’re really cool. Here’s my own sole example, from early 1940:

 

[T112-4]

Looks just like my lettered one from 1936. In same condition as yours. My favorite. Bill

 

[Narragansett]

Very nice OP. A birth year, and 1 month off of being a birth month too for me