donadler
Member
Just bought a First Bekeart-Pattern production run, serial 1388XX. should get it next week early. Looks to be 90+%. Photos to follow!!
Bekeart
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opoefc
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
Congrats ! What's the production series number stamped on the bottom of the wooden grips ? Do you know if it was in the shipments to Bekeart ? ( There are only 3 guns that were shipped to him in the first shipment that have 138 as the 1st three digits of their serial numbers ). I once owned the first Bekeart made, 138226 and it went to a NY Dealer, not to Phil Bekeart ! Ed.
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donadler
Member
Not stamped on the grips.I don't have any info about who it shipped to, but I believe that while it was early, it is one of the 1,040 first pattern and not the Bekeart shipped ones. Will letter it, or course. What sort of condition was yours in? First one! Wow!
Is it 138,802 that was recently selling on GB?
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donadler
Member
Yes. But also listed on Gunsinternational, which is where I got it. I did not see it on GB. What did you think of it?
I thought that the gun was in excellent condition. The price was a little too much for me as a non Bekeart shipped gun without numbered stocks.
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donadler
Member
Probably, but I don't see them often. What did it get to on GB?
They were asking $1,000 with no bids. To me thats around $200-$300 high especially with possible non original stocks. But I own 8 now as well as the tool room mock up for the original design. I have 2 from the first 6 Bekeart shipments and typically can find them under $800. Condition is not a factor in my collecting as I am only looking for examples. 138,802 is really in beautiful condition if original and shows extremely well for its age.
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opoefc
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
Re: 138226. That was many years ago, but it was in a no-finish terrible condition, as I recall, with home made stocks. This was before we formed the S&WCA and I believe it was Bob Neal that mentioned to me that it was the lowest serial number .22/32 Target and later Jinks sent me a letter to that effect and that the gun went to a NYC dealer. I traded it off about that time. Collectors and shooters 60 yrs. ago were not all that excited about the .22/.32 HFTs - we all wanted Kit guns & K22s. The original production records for the 1903 .32 HEs lists the .22/32 HFTs models as the ".32/.22 Target", not the .22/.32 we call them today. Ed.
That's interesting. Also interesting that it's referred to as the Model 1911 HFT in early ads. And S&W 22 Long Rifle cartridge Heavy Frame
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donadler
Member
Well, looks like I bought way too soon on this one. I read the Bible to indicate that this was a "First Bekeart-Pattern Production Run" gun, where Smith made 1044 of these, and that the guns for the first Bekeart shipment came from this batch, in the range of 138226 to 139275. Then, looking at the price guide (I know, I know, your mileage may vary) an excellent .22/.32 goes for 700. and a "First Bekeart-Pattern Production Run" goes for 50 to 100% more. Using that as a guide, I figured 1000 was a good deal, as I considered this in excellent shape for the shape it is in!
Guess I got a lot still to learn. Thanks for the input, always enjoy learning on this forum.
Guess I got a lot still to learn. Thanks for the input, always enjoy learning on this forum.
opoefc
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
donadler, Please see PM. Ed.
bmg60
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Hi
Heres a picture of my Bekeart model with original box it won a 1 of 10 award at the NRA in 2007. It has all the original shipping material plus a extra sight blade. Grip number is 294.
Jim Fisher
Heres a picture of my Bekeart model with original box it won a 1 of 10 award at the NRA in 2007. It has all the original shipping material plus a extra sight blade. Grip number is 294.
Jim Fisher
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donadler
Member
I swear Jim, if someone here said that they had found an 2000 year old bible, you would have the original stone tablets with the 10 Commandments! Really admire your collection and your sharing it with us.
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donadler
Member
Got the gun today. Found the front sight marked W.F Sheard on one side, and Tacoma, Wash. on the other.
Digging up info on that now. Gotta love finding stuff about Smiths!
Digging up info on that now. Gotta love finding stuff about Smiths!
opoefc
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
Don, Actually Jim had two tablets for 20 commandments, 10 on each tablet., but when he was coming down off the mountain, he stumbled and dropped one tablet. It broke in to 100s of pieces, so we only got ten commandments. Ed.
Interesting to note that the stock sequence number on Jim's gun is 294, the new known number of guns shipped to Bekeart in the first 6 shipments in 1911. That is as neat as my gun bearing serial number 138,289 with stocks numbered 289.
These things are only significant if you are a number geek like me. But heck, I have several guns in my collection only because they have 555 in the serial number.
I almost once bought one of the S&W .223 rifles because the serial number was 497, (my SWCA number), but I passed. Still regret that.
These things are only significant if you are a number geek like me. But heck, I have several guns in my collection only because they have 555 in the serial number.
I almost once bought one of the S&W .223 rifles because the serial number was 497, (my SWCA number), but I passed. Still regret that.
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donadler
Member
11th Commandment: Honor thy Smith and thy Wesson
12th Commandment: Thou shalt not put any gun before them.
13th Commandment: Thou shall not covet they neighbors RM, nor his 29-1, nor any other Smith thou dost not have (yet.)
After that, I couldn't get the pieces to line up to make them out.....
14th Never use the word COLT in public
15th Never use terms like checkering, grips or crane
16th Bekeart is spelled B E K E A R T not B E A K E R T
15th Never use terms like checkering, grips or crane
16th Bekeart is spelled B E K E A R T not B E A K E R T
