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Roy tells us in The History of Smith & Wesson that the Regulation Police Models were first produced on March 5, 1917 in both 32 and 38 calibers.
The 32 RP was numbered in the 32 HE serial number series, but the 38 RP was assigned its own series beginning at 1. This is probably because S&W had never made an I frame 38 before.
I have encountered a very early 38 Regulation Police I thought you might want to see.
The gun shown below is Serial Number 92, and was shipped in April, 1917.
It is worth noting that the 38 Regulation Police is the first civilian model S&W to have the model name on the gun. It can actually be said that it is the first S&W of any kind to have the model name on it. The US Army contract first model 38 HE's do say "Model 1899", so I suppose we can argue forever whether that is a model name or number.
Not many of the early variants of the 32 and 38 RP's are seen.
Bear in mind production starts on March 5, 1917, and Congress declared war a month later on April 6, 1917. The US Gov't was soon pressuring S&W very hard for ever increasing production of the Model 1917. It is logical to assume that most if not all civilian production was terminated soon after our entry into the War to push hard on 1917 production. By early Sept, 1917's were ready for shipment.
The Gov't kept constant pressure on S&W, finally seizing the plant in Aug, 1918 and not returning control to S&W till Jan, 1919.
S&W seems to have been a bit slow returning to civilian production after this tumultuous period, and we don't find many guns shipped in 1919.
By 1920, production seems to have been fully resumed, but we see some notable changes:
> The polish on the early post-war guns does not equal that seen on pre-war guns.
> Grip medallions were deleted, and the grips are simply checkered American black walnut. The beautiful Circassian grips of pre-war times are gone, never to return. From observation, I believe Circassian was abandoned sometime during or immediately after the 455 contracts. Bear in mind the World War had raged more than 2 years and walnut of any kind had been in high demand by every arms producing nation. German U-boats also made shipping hazardous....
> For roughly a year or more after WW I, S&W's do not have a logo on the gun. Perhaps the roll die was misplaced.
Perhaps that machine had been altered for wartime production and had to be rebuilt.
Perhaps after making 170,000 Model 1917's without logos, they simply forgot to start doing it again!
Of course it has the rebated backstrap we are used to seeing which converts it from a round butt to the square butt:
The grips are numbered in pencil as was normal for the period:
We are all familiar with the patent date normally seen on the grips, like this later 32 RP has:
However, this early 38 RP LACKS that stamp, since it was built before the patent was issued:
An interesting sidenote-
Were you guys aware that early hand ejectors lack forcing cones? There is simply a very slight bevel on the ends of the lands.
The engineering order of August 22, 1922 mandates the forcing cone for HE's.
This gun does have the fouling cup in the topstrap.
Summary:
> Early RP's will have a logo on the sideplate.
> Early RP's will have gold medallion grips without the patent date.
> Early RP's will probably have a slightly brighter polish than early postwar guns.
> Early RP's will not have a forcing cone, but do have the fouling cup.
The 32 RP was numbered in the 32 HE serial number series, but the 38 RP was assigned its own series beginning at 1. This is probably because S&W had never made an I frame 38 before.
I have encountered a very early 38 Regulation Police I thought you might want to see.
The gun shown below is Serial Number 92, and was shipped in April, 1917.
It is worth noting that the 38 Regulation Police is the first civilian model S&W to have the model name on the gun. It can actually be said that it is the first S&W of any kind to have the model name on it. The US Army contract first model 38 HE's do say "Model 1899", so I suppose we can argue forever whether that is a model name or number.
Not many of the early variants of the 32 and 38 RP's are seen.
Bear in mind production starts on March 5, 1917, and Congress declared war a month later on April 6, 1917. The US Gov't was soon pressuring S&W very hard for ever increasing production of the Model 1917. It is logical to assume that most if not all civilian production was terminated soon after our entry into the War to push hard on 1917 production. By early Sept, 1917's were ready for shipment.
The Gov't kept constant pressure on S&W, finally seizing the plant in Aug, 1918 and not returning control to S&W till Jan, 1919.
S&W seems to have been a bit slow returning to civilian production after this tumultuous period, and we don't find many guns shipped in 1919.
By 1920, production seems to have been fully resumed, but we see some notable changes:
> The polish on the early post-war guns does not equal that seen on pre-war guns.
> Grip medallions were deleted, and the grips are simply checkered American black walnut. The beautiful Circassian grips of pre-war times are gone, never to return. From observation, I believe Circassian was abandoned sometime during or immediately after the 455 contracts. Bear in mind the World War had raged more than 2 years and walnut of any kind had been in high demand by every arms producing nation. German U-boats also made shipping hazardous....
> For roughly a year or more after WW I, S&W's do not have a logo on the gun. Perhaps the roll die was misplaced.
Perhaps that machine had been altered for wartime production and had to be rebuilt.
Perhaps after making 170,000 Model 1917's without logos, they simply forgot to start doing it again!
Of course it has the rebated backstrap we are used to seeing which converts it from a round butt to the square butt:
The grips are numbered in pencil as was normal for the period:
We are all familiar with the patent date normally seen on the grips, like this later 32 RP has:
However, this early 38 RP LACKS that stamp, since it was built before the patent was issued:
An interesting sidenote-
Were you guys aware that early hand ejectors lack forcing cones? There is simply a very slight bevel on the ends of the lands.
The engineering order of August 22, 1922 mandates the forcing cone for HE's.
This gun does have the fouling cup in the topstrap.
Summary:
> Early RP's will have a logo on the sideplate.
> Early RP's will have gold medallion grips without the patent date.
> Early RP's will probably have a slightly brighter polish than early postwar guns.
> Early RP's will not have a forcing cone, but do have the fouling cup.
