Early Magnas...

[Doc44]

The letter is incorrect, based on the following: (From Neal and Jinks) September 5, 1935-Order to adjust stocking fixtures to manufacture Magna stocks with metal stock circle insert for .357 Magnum revolvers per H. Wesson; February 5, 1936-Order to make all model 44 Hand Ejectors, 45 Hand Ejectors and .38/44 Hand Ejectors with Magna stocks; April 1, 1936-Order to make Magna style stocks for all Model K revolvers furnished on customers' orders per H. Wesson.

Your .38/44 Outdoorman's Revolver would have shipped with standard stocks which were standard on this model at the time it was made. In addition, the invoice does not specify the type of stocks, only a .38/44 Outdoorman's Revolver (Target) with a 6 1/2-inch barrel, and blue finish. Most invoices only specify the type of stocks if there is an extra charge for them.

Bill

 

[Doc44]

The .38/44 Super Police revolver was cataloged originally, and its name changed to the .38/44 Heavy Duty when the .357 Magnum revolver was introduced in 1935.

Bill

 

[boykinlp]

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

Ben, it might be a good idea to change your post here. That way, years from now when somebody sees it and doesn't happen to read the whole post, they won't think magnas started shipping in 1934. Just an idea.
Larry

 

[Truckman]

Ben, it might be a good idea to change your post here.

Good thought, Larry...It's done......Ben

 

[DARE]

Richard,
Do your magnas from December 1935 have the patent date stamp?
That might confirm whether grips without the stamp are earlier.

 

[handejector]

Richard,
Do your magnas from December 1935 have the patent date stamp?
That might confirm whether grips without the stamp are earlier.

We determined that years ago-
The grips with plain circles are earliest.

 

[RKmesa]

Richard,
Do your magnas from December 1935 have the patent date stamp?
That might confirm whether grips without the stamp are earlier.

As Lee noted, earlier stock circles did NOT have the patent date. There are some good threads somewhere on the forum where this topic was discussed at length and all involved determined the patent stamp on the circles came later... in late 1938 or 1939 if I recall correctly.

All this minutia is fun stuff... and the threads on this forum and its members are a treasure trove of information.

 

[glowe]

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.
. . .

Richard, thanks for posting those flyers. Do you have a date on this flyer? I see it mentions the K22, so would it date to 1940? Roy and Robert state that only the 2nd Model K22 had Magna stocks available?

There has been discussions on the large medallions as well and what I recall is that it was stated they were only available in the early 1930s?

 

[RKmesa]

Richard, thanks for posting those flyers. Do you have a date on this flyer? I see it mentions the K22, so would it date to 1940? Roy and Robert state that only the 2nd Model K22 had Magna stocks available?

Gary:

I'll have to look when I get home, but I don't believe there is a date on the flyer (but my guess would be late 1939 or 1940). [EDITED TO ADD: I just checked the manga insert and there is no date on it at all...]

There has been discussions on the large medallions as well and what I recall is that it was stated they were only available in the early 1930s?

Based on our discussions here on the forum (something that I tracked for a while), the K-Frame large medallion pre-war standard ("service") stocks are almost exclusively found in the 609XXX - 612XXX range. There may be outliers, but I think that is close.