Early Chiefs Special - est. yr. of mfg?

Malysh

Malysh

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I'm looking at an early Chiefs Special. It has a low 18,000 serial number, early hammer, small trigger guard, first pattern flat cylinder latch, serrated ramp front sight, and it's 5 screw.

Can you give me an estimated year of mfg? 1952???

No pictures to show you.

Thanks in advance for your replies.
 
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Nevermind.
It's gone. AR15Ed bought it.
I knew it was a great deal at the buy it now but I wanted to think about it for a few hours.
Money's tight.
 
it was killin' me! i haven't ever got my ffl to receive from an individual, and couldn't get up with him to make sure he would do it. i got panicked and went ahead and pulled the trigger! it couldn't have lasted long at that price.

it looks awfully nice! maybe it's a good one.

now, i just have to get it here!
 
I've heard of this before, but why would an FFL holder refuse to receive a firearm shipped by an individual? As long as it was shipped properly, what's the problem?
 
thanks for the help, guys. he was fine with it. i just hadn't ever actually had him do it, and didn't want to assume he would. i know a lot of them don't like to do it.

i had the same guy for 15 or 16 years that charged me 10 dollars, in or out. he had a small pawn shop/antique store, and was literally next door to the post office. him, his dad, and his brother all worked there, and they were all really good people. it was the perfect set-up!

BUT he closed down a couple of years ago, and i have used a couple of different ones since then. maybe i have found another good one!
 
hotrod150 said:
I've heard of this before, but why would an FFL holder refuse to receive a firearm shipped by an individual? As long as it was shipped properly, what's the problem?
Click to expand...

..........it's his license and he can do as he pleases.
Maybe it is "peace of mind" for him that the seller is having to record the firearm in the shipping FFL's logbook. (?)

just my 2 cents
 
I believe that if a gun is bought from an individual, and it is traced as a stolen gun the FFL is responsible to return the gun, without reimbursement. I know my FFL used to not have a problem, but now he will, but requires a "clear" photocopy of a drivers license if coming from an individual. so he has a route back to where it came from.
 
some FFL's may not want to accept a firearm from a private individual in another state because in the past they received a firearm without anyidentification such as a drivers license from the person that sent it. Then it becomes a headache to contact that person who already has the money and has shipped the gun and feels that he is finished on his end.
 
A question on early Chiefs... I am talking with the owner of a flat-latch Chief about buying it. He says it is a model 36, and the photo's show a flat latch. However, he says the s/n is 249xx which as near as I can tell from the SCSW puts it about 1953. So it should be a pre-36, not a 36. I haven't seen photo's of the s/n or of the frame behind the yoke, so don't know if it is actually stamped model 36 or if he got the s/n wrong or just what. I have seen pics of both sides & it is a three-screw frame. Are all post-baby Chiefs thre screw, or were they made in a 4-screw version? SCSW isn't clear on this.
 
hotrod150 said:
A question on early Chiefs... I am talking with the owner of a flat-latch Chief about buying it. He says it is a model 36, and the photo's show a flat latch. However, he says the s/n is 249xx which as near as I can tell from the SCSW puts it about 1953. So it should be a pre-36, not a 36. I haven't seen photo's of the s/n or of the frame behind the yoke, so don't know if it is actually stamped model 36 or if he got the s/n wrong or just what. I have seen pics of both sides & it is a three-screw frame. Are all post-baby Chiefs thre screw, or were they made in a 4-screw version? SCSW isn't clear on this.
Click to expand...

That SN should make it a Baby Chief. He may be calling it a Model 36 since some folks use Chief Special and Model 36 as interchangeable, but they really aren't, of course. If the price is right, I wouldn't argue with the man, I'd just buy his "Model 36" and then enjoy my Baby Chief Special. Remember, "you can't put Baby in the corner!" :D

Froggie

PS Which front sight does it have?
 
I've seen pics of the gun-- it's not a baby Chief. It has the oval triggerguard, definitely a full-sized j-frame. Pinned barrel, flat latch (can't tell exactly which version except that it's not the first), diamond grips. I think he must have missed a digit when he emailed me the s/n. I have three pinned 36's already but not a flat-latch in the bunch, so I'm probably gonna gonna buy it anyway & will post pics at that time.
 
hotrod150 said:
I've seen pics of the gun-- it's not a baby Chief. It has the oval triggerguard, definitely a full-sized j-frame. Pinned barrel, flat latch (can't tell exactly which version except that it's not the first), diamond grips. I think he must have missed a digit when he emailed me the s/n. I have three pinned 36's already but not a flat-latch in the bunch, so I'm probably gonna gonna buy it anyway & will post pics at that time.
Click to expand...

He most likely gave you the assembly # from the yoke, not the serial # from the butt. You pegged it as a full size J Pre mod 36 if it has the larger oval or egg shaped trigger gurad. Lowest # known to me is # 48452 and highest in the #129XXX range. However there is transition overlap and can be found stamped Mod 36 as low as the #125XXX range.
 
I think it's most likely that the seller dropped a digit on the s/n, and that it's 249xxx which should put it 1961 or 62?
 
hotrod150 said:
....Are all post-baby Chiefs three screw, or were they made in a 4-screw version? The SCSW isn't clear on this.
Click to expand...

No one's answered this question. Maybe a better way to ask this question is ... at what point did S&W discontinue the 4- and 5-screw configurations for the Chief's Special? Answer with regards to model & serial number please. Thanks.
 
I had assumed Hondo44 would chime in on this. He has covered this in a couple of previous threads, and I believe that the 5 to 4 o 3 screw sequence is different on the small frame than on the larger ones. The first screw to go on the small frame was when the trigger guard shape changed and the screw disappeared from in front of it. IIRC (and remember how notoriously poor amphibian memories are) there would be a 4 screw sideplate on the earliest of the full size J-frames, followed by the loss of that top, large headed sideplate screw to bring things to "modern" 3 screw configuration. How about it, Hondo, did I recommember right? :confused:

Froggie
 
Froggie,
You're exactly right! I meant to answer that but must have been distracted (easy these days!)

The changes to the Baby Chiefs that ended them and turned them into fullsize Js, The Models of 1953, also ended the 5 screw J frames. So there were 4 screw full size Js for a short while. Shortly after, c.1955-56, the top sideplate screw was dropped.

This sequence of events was also the same for I frames.

K and N frames became 4 scew guns when the top sideplate screw was dropped, also c.1955-56, about 6 years before the trigger guard screw.
 
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That's the info I was looking for: 4-screw sideplates on Chiefs for a year or two. Thanks.
Interesting that a 4-screw j has 4 sideplate screws but a 4-screw K has 3 plus the triggerguard screw. Not very consistant of S&W-- who'da thunk?
 
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