About the last pre-war Reg. Police .38

[SDH]

Recent acquisition, it is closer to brand-new than any older S&W I've ever owned. I hate to say "unfired" but it just might be...
The numbers all match and I can find light pencil marking on the bottom of the box with the serial numbers. Serial number 53780 is about 60 from the end of the pre-war range.
Now the anomaly, the ejector rod and later style button are nickel plated, but in the same as-new condition as the rest of the revolver. Has anyone seen an all blued revolver with nickel extractor rod?
Grips are also like-new matching number without a pat. date on bottom.

 

[DCWilson]

That's spectacular! Congratulations. I bet it didn't ship until 1940 or '41.

I have never seen a nickeled ejector on a blued gun. I couldn't even begin to speculate about how that form of assembly might have happened. But however it came to pass, there is no question that you have a gun that could be called a Conservative Pinto.

 

[Mitch_D]

I like that. It actually makes sense - nickel plating would have much better wear characteristics than blued steel in an ejector rod.

Is it that way by design, or because that's what somebody had on hand?

Interesting gun.

 

[KEN L]

I think you should send it back to Smith so they can complete the nickel job!

Nice piece, that deserves a letter, Congrats!

 

[alaskavett]

That unusual beauty begs, no, requires a letter too see how she was shipped. Thanks for sharing with us. Kyle

 

[SDH]

Thanks guys, this one and my post-war, pre-numbered Terrier are next in line for letters.

 

[OIF2]

Very nice, Mr Hughes. I love looking at pristine revolvers like that...it makes you appreciate the quality of the past, which we'll probably never see again (at least from a factory). Excellent photography, too!
Bob

 

[handejector]

Steve,
Very interesting.
Don't expect a letter to confirm the nickel rod. I doubt they made a note of it in the shipping log, but it's possible.

My best guess-
A few years ago, someone posted a Reg Police here that was a fairly high number, but still had the older mushroom shaped ejector knob. I thought that surely meant it was shipped in the 20's. I was so curious that I got the ship date from Roy, and it was shipped in 1940 as I recall, during the frantic WW II production of 38/200's!
Roy speculated that they may have been out of the later rods and could not make any because of the military production, so they used what they had.
That thread may still be here, but I don't have time to hunt it.

 

[SDH]

Thanks Lee. I don't have but slim hope for a letter mentioning the rod, but this one's good enough to deserve a letter and will add to its obvious collectibility. All is sooo crisp, I want to believe the rod is original(?)
Thanks again for your comments.
Steve

 

[s&wchad]

What a lovely package, congratulations!
I believe this is the thread Lee was talking about:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/86049-nice-38-regulation-police-pics.html

 

[SDH]

Thanks chad!
You've got a dandy yourownself, and that was one of the threads that started me noticing RP's.

 

[Green Frog]

What a lovely package, congratulations!
I believe this is the thread Lee was talking about:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/86049-nice-38-regulation-police-pics.html

Somehow I missed that thread, but it is now in my saved files as well as being printed out for insertion into SCSW-3 to help finish out the info on the I-frames that really should be assembled somewhere! I hereby declare Hondo44 a National Treasure for all the great stuff he contributes to this forum!

Froggie

 

[SDH]

BTW: scanning GB I saw a Reg. Police .38 with the same late two-diameter ejector, also nickel plated. The revolvers is badly rusted, horribly described, but blued with two-stge nickel ejector...