Early Magnas...

[Truckman]

Another recent thread posed the question of exactly when S&W began shipping guns with Magna stocks...I can't remember which one, so we can begin anew with this thread...Common knowledge suggests circa 1935...My SWHF letter from historian Don Mundell received today puts the date a bit earlier...My .38/44 Outdoorsman shipped July 2, 1934 with Magnas...There were ten OD's configured alike in the shipment...

Since I bought the gun with incorrect stocks, I now have to begin the search for the era correct ones...Other than knowing they would have had silver medallions, is there anything else that would distinguish them?......Ben

EDIT: To avoid confusion in the future, it is now known this gun could not have been shipped with Magnas, and a corrected letter has been requested...

 

[Vtgw938]

Early Magnas / Early Magna Stocks / Pre-War Magna Stocks

Here they are, the 0.5 inch medallions really stand out and to a lesser degree the checkering border. The stock circle insert is the dished style. They are pricey, in the $600-$900 range. I was lucky to find this set as well as early sets of N service style and K service style stocks with the large medallions. I got them for a really good price. I just made a screw for them and they will go on my only pre-war...a 38/44 HD.

The N service style stocks have a serial # of 41557.

 

[rct269]

The one thing that makes them stand out is the price!!

I once had a drop dead gorgeous 5" nickel Registered Magnum---factory refinished, but drop dead gorgeous nonetheless!! It came with some truly nasty, seemingly home-made target grips, and it took me the better part of FIVE years to come up with a suitable pair of Magnas-----five years and $1000!!

And then I sold it.

I sure wish I hadn't have done that---yet another one of those deals about "Too soon we get old, and too late we get smart!"

Ralph Tremaine

As an aside, the earliest ones have the patent date business on the back of the stock circles---or maybe it's the later ones. Either way, they're both for real.

 

[Truckman]

And now I know...The search begins......Ben

 

[.455_Hunter]

It would be outstanding if somebody made a reasonable replica of these grips that fit modern N-frames at shooting grade prices. Altamont are you listening? Your "Classic Panel" variants are too skinny.

 

[MHF]

Not to change the subject or maybe to suggest another thread, but the “Super Police Revolver” interests me. Is it a Outdoorsman in 5” or 4”? A “Combat”?

 

[Muley Gil]

Not to change the subject or maybe to suggest another thread, but the “Super Police Revolver” interests me. Is it a Outdoorsman in 5” or 4”? A “Combat”?

These would have been the standard .38/44 Heavy Duty with fixed sights.

 

[handejector]

Another recent thread posed the question of exactly when S&W began shipping guns with Magna stocks...I can't remember which one, so we can begin anew with this thread...Common knowledge suggests circa 1935...My SWHF letter from historian Don Mundell received today puts the date a bit earlier...My .38/44 Outdoorsman shipped July 2, 1934 with Magnas...

I do not believe that letter is correct. I think Don used a template or a prior letter and forgot to change the grip type. Ask him.

 

[rct269]

Actually, it dawns on me I can tell you pretty much perzactly when they came to be. I had a first year RM ordered in September (the 12th) ----with the only option available---"grip adapter attached".

Time passed for no reason applicable here, and the purchaser heard about the (new) Magnas, and changed his order to have them. The letter ordering the change is dated November 30, so sometime between September 12 and November 30, and a WHOLE LOT closer to November 30, Magnas came on the menu.

And having said all that, it occurs to me Jinks treats with this in his 1989 treatise on the RM's, and I can very likely tell you exactly when the Magnas became available----let me know.

Ralph Tremaine

What the Hell, I have all this stuff available at my finger tips (almost)------and it wasn't a WHOLE LOT closer to November 30, it was September 17 when "The first production revolver fitted with the Magna stock was serial number 46978 and bears the registration #466. This revolver was finished on September 17, 1935, and sent to the Argentine Government for testing."

So now you know, for all the good it does you, but you might want to check with the Argentines to see if they still have that gun, and would sell the handles to you--------sound like a plan? You're absolutely right! There's no chance in hell they still have the gun, and even if they do they're keeping the handles!!

 

[Truckman]

Not to change the subject or maybe to suggest another thread, but the “Super Police Revolver” interests me. Is it a Outdoorsman in 5” or 4”? A “Combat”?

That was part of a separate invoice shown on the same record page...My guess is it referred to a .38/44 Heavy Duty...Your guess is as good as mine......Ben

EDIT: My mistake, you're right it was on the same invoice...Your guess is still as good as mine...

 

[Truckman]

I do not believe that letter is correct. I think Don used a template or a prior letter and forgot to change the grip type. Ask him.

I'll ask him to verify...Thanks Lee......Ben

 

[rct269]

The "super police" revolver sounds a lot like any fixed sight model fitted with King's "super police" sights ------and I just checked to make sure that's what they called them---and can't find the damn catalog.

Put it down to a best guess!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[DARE]

Reading Roy Jinks article on Registered Magnums from the S&WCA Summer 2010 Journal.
Roy says first Magna stocks installed on revolver serial number 46978 Reg. No. 466 and sold to the Argentine Government on September 17, 1935.
Have been told that the first magnas did not have the patent date, but have not seen that in print.

 

[Club Gun Fan]

Not to change the subject or maybe to suggest another thread, but the “Super Police Revolver” interests me. Is it a Outdoorsman in 5” or 4”? A “Combat”?

I may be wrong, if I am someone will correct me, the 1930 catalog introduced the .38/44 Heavy Duty as the Super Police.

 

[Vtgw938]

Looks like it was the Super Police early on and than later called the Heavy Duty. Maybe when the Registered Magnum came out the name changed.

 

[RKmesa]

I do not believe that letter is correct. I think Don used a template or a prior letter and forgot to change the grip type. Ask him.

Agreed. I believe the first magnas shipped in the fall of 1935. I have never read or seen anything that magnas shipped on guns from 1934 or earlier...

 

[Retired W4]

From what I'm seeing, a really nice set of pre-war magnas are harder to find than a set of cokes.

 

[Truckman]

Thanks, folks...I emailed Don and will await his reply......Ben

 

[RKmesa]

Hopefully the following can be helpful to the Magna discussion.

Here's a copy of the magna insert:



Note the language: "These stocks, first designed for the tremendously powerful S. & W. ".357" Magnum revolver..." - another indication that the magnas were introduced in 1935.

Early 357 Magnum "Brochure/Order Form" - note that magnas were not pictured or listed as an option:

Front:



Back:


Later (post magna introduction) "Brochure/Order Form" - note that magnas are now pictured and an option:

Front:



Back (note that magnas are now an option):



My December 1935 Magnum letters and invoices as shipping with magnas (and they number to the gun), so by late 1935, Magnums were shipping with magnas.

All evidence that the magna grips were introduced in 1935.

 

[handejector]

Looks like it was the Super Police early on and than later called the Heavy Duty. Maybe when the Registered Magnum came out the name changed.

The 38-44 HD was originally called the "Super Police" by S&W. The problem was that Western Cartridge already had that name tied up for use with their 38 Special and 38 S&W loads that had a 200 gr bullet. I do not know what was said between the companies, but I doubt that S&W really wanted to piss Western off, so the name was changed.

Pics of their 38 S&W load----