Early S&W .22/32 HFT

[ethan56]

Good Afternoon,
I recently contacted JSR III, regarding an early S&W .22/32 HFT revolver I own. Serial Number 138968. James replied and said that this was a Good News/Bad News situation. Good News: SN 138968 shipped to Phil Bekeart in the 8/31/1911 shipment. Bad News is that while the stocks are period correct for the revolver, the left panel is not stamped on the bottom with an assembly number. Further, the right stock panel does not have a serial number penciled in, so the stocks are a replacement. Matching serial number can be found on the frame, barrel, cylinder, yoke and extractor star. Barrel and cylinder have turned plum color, however, the cylinder flutes still retain the blued finish, like the rest of the frame. There are not return to Factory marking, star, diamond, date code, etc on the frame. This revolver was used and probably carried a bit. I have no history or story to share.
Please forgive my sub-par quality photographs. All on me, not the camera. I have submitted a Letter request and once I receive more information, I'll post an update.
Kind Regards,
Bill Farris

 

[treysl78]

Be happy with that one. They are hard to find that early. I have one in the 364000 range. Been looking for an earlier one, no luck. Great Find!

 

[Hondo44]

Welcome to the forum!

That's a class 1 Bekeart model (out of 4 classes) as Jim likely told you, the most collectible/highest value of the 4. That's more good news than bad news!

Congrats!

 

[ethan56]

Early S&W .22/32 Bekeart - Update, Archive Letter added

Thanks to the efforts of Don Mundell, I am posting the SWCA Archive Letter for my S&W .22/32 Bekeart Model. The revolver shipped to the Philip Bekeart Company on August 31, 1911 as part of a 50 piece shipment. One of the 292 units initially received by Bekeart in 1911. All matching numbers. The extended stocks with gold S&W medallions are a replacement pair, even though they are period correct. Bottom of left stock panel does not bare Assembly number stamp. Based on condition, it is evident that this revolver was shot and enjoyed by previous owners. Unfortunately, the elderly gentleman, who formally owned the Bekeart, passed away in 2022 and didn't leave any information on it's past ownership or history.

Regards,

ethan56

 

[DCWilson]

A much-sought collectible supported by an informative letter. Nice! And welcome to the forum. That is a great way to introduce yourself.

 

[Club Gun Fan]

Bill is a loooong time friend of mine. It coulndn't have gone to a nicer guy.

 

[JSR III]

One of the 292 units initially received by Bekeart in 1911

Just to let you know, that number was revised to 294 through the efforts of Dr. Jinks and a couple of members of the SWCA a few years ago.

There were 6 shipments to Bekeart out of the first run of 1,050.
6-7-1922 30
6-22-1911 60
6-28-1911 60
6-30-1911 60
8-31-1911 50
10-13-1911 34

As I have stated several times before, this begs the question about Bekeart being credited for developing this model and having to order 1,000 guns in order to convince S&W to do the re-tooling necessary to build this new model. Based on the shipping records, within 9 days of the first Bekeart shipment on 6-7-1911, other dealers began receiving shipments so early on either Bekeart or S&W realized that he would not be able to market all 1,000 or actually the 1,050 produced in the first run.

All of those 1,050 received a stock imprint on the left stock bottom but these numbers have no correlation to the serial number. I surmise that the next run of 1,050 also received the stock imprint number which would place them with numbers between 1,051 and 2,100. The next set of guns that I see are the 490 that were shipped to M.W. Robinson that were in consecutive serial number sequence. This brings the total produced with this stock imprint to around 2,590 and is somewhat verified by the fact that in my 2,000 plus gun database, I have never recorded an imprint number higher than 2582. The Robinson guns were shipped out in 5 shipments at the beginning of 1914. The gun was cataloged by S&W in 1915 and I have never seen another gun after that with a stock imprint except for a couple of fliers that I believe are wearing the wrong stocks from an earlier gun.

 

[Hondo44]

James, that's the $64,000 question. Unfortunately, most details are lost to history.

But I think you have proposed the most likely answer: other dealers saw the potential of an I frame .22 target gun and jumped on the bandwagon. Maybe Bekeart promoted them among dealers outside is normal sales area to help move them and meet the minimum. S&W must have advertised as well. Word likely spread like wildfire. I don't think meeting the minimum was ever seen as problem. And it turned out to be true.

 

[mrcvs]

Just to let you know, that number was revised to 294 through the efforts of Dr. Jinks and a couple of members of the SWCA a few years ago.

There were 6 shipments to Bekeart out of the first run of 1,050.
6-7-1922 30
6-22-1911 60
6-28-1911 60
6-30-1911 60
8-31-1911 50
10-13-1911 34

As I have stated several times before, this begs the question about Bekeart being credited for developing this model and having to order 1,000 guns in order to convince S&W to do the re-tooling necessary to build this new model. Based on the shipping records, within 9 days of the first Bekeart shipment on 6-7-1911, other dealers began receiving shipments so early on either Bekeart or S&W realized that he would not be able to market all 1,000 or actually the 1,050 produced in the first run.

All of those 1,050 received a stock imprint on the left stock bottom but these numbers have no correlation to the serial number. I surmise that the next run of 1,050 also received the stock imprint number which would place them with numbers between 1,051 and 2,100. The next set of guns that I see are the 490 that were shipped to M.W. Robinson that were in consecutive serial number sequence. This brings the total produced with this stock imprint to around 2,590 and is somewhat verified by the fact that in my 2,000 plus gun database, I have never recorded an imprint number higher than 2582. The Robinson guns were shipped out in 5 shipments at the beginning of 1914. The gun was cataloged by S&W in 1915 and I have never seen another gun after that with a stock imprint except for a couple of fliers that I believe are wearing the wrong stocks from an earlier gun.

Like, Like, Like! Rather than hijacking this thread, I created a new one:

.22/32 HFT and the Bekeart craze phenomenon

 

[JSR III]

James, that's the $64,000 question. Unfortunately, most details are lost to history.

But I think you have proposed the most likely answer: other dealers saw the potential of an I frame .22 target gun and jumped on the bandwagon. Maybe Bekeart promoted them among dealers outside is normal sales area to help move them and meet the minimum. S&W must have advertised as well. Word likely spread like wildfire. I don't think meeting the minimum was ever seen as problem. And it turned out to be true.

Jim very possible however there is an ad slick out there and if I find my copy I will post it wherein Bekeart brags about receiving a second delivery of 1,000 pieces again exclusively for sale by he and his firm. Again this could merely be salesman's puffery however still interesting under these unknown circumstances.

One of my forever goals would be to locate the correspondence between Bekeart and the factory detailing this situation. May be lost to time but still hoping.

 

[Hondo44]

Is the adv slick dated? I'm speculating that it was advanced advertising before the guns were even produced or shipped.

 

[JSR III]

Jim, the ad appeared in "The Sporting Goods Dealer" and is dated April 1912.

(BEFORE) the 490 Robinson guns in 1914, (and after the first run of 1,050 in 1911) the next serial group that I find is in the 161,XXX range. The first Bekeart shipped gun showing up is 163,101 shipped 5-18-1912. The next month after the ad slick date.

To me the interesting comment is on the left middle portion of the page where Bekeart states that he has arranged with S&W to manufacture EXCLUSIVELY another 1,000 22 Target Revolvers.

It is also interesting to note that at the top the gun is referred to as the Model 1911.

***Please note that I have corrected the above with the words in (). I originally stated that the group in the 160XXX range was AFTER the Robinson guns but that was not correct. At my age it pays not to be in a hurry when posting.

 

[Hondo44]

You've done a great service documenting the history of the HFT birth and evolution success story!