Help Identify this Box

[ldimm]

New member and first post. I've had this box over 20 some years now. It seems to be made of Bakelite or a resin of some sort. Does anyone have any idea when and for what model it was made for? I've been told it may have been a salesman sample box but I doubt that.
Thanks
Larry

 

[dacoontz]

This is a salesman's sample box. Not sure what it fits but search "salesman" or "sample" on the forum and you'll find some other thread about it. They are rare and this one looks to be in good shape.

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

 

[ldimm]

Thanks Daniel. So what I was told all these years was correct. A salesman sample box.

 

[Masterpiece]

Larry,

These Boxes were available in the Fifties for a very short period of time & were designed for Post-War K-Frame Masterpiece's with 6" Barrels & Magna Stocks only!! The body itself is composed of a fibre or sawdust type material & bonded together with resin!! They were formed in a Mold, painted on the Outside Surfaces & Blue Flocking applied to the Interior Surfaces only!! They had problems with the paint flaking as well as some separation problems with the body material itself & were discontinued shortly after they became available!! Yours looks to have survived in excellent condition & as far as I can see is "Completely" Original including the Exterior Paint!! As Daniel stated, they are somewhat Scarce to Rare, but sadly they rarely bring prices you'd expect to see from an item as scarce as these really are!! I own a couple of them myself!! They do make a fine display for Early K-Frame Masterpieces though!! Enjoy!!

 

[handejector]

Thanks Daniel. So what I was told all these years was correct. A salesman sample box.

Actually, not.
Roy has said over the years that the plan for the post-war Masterpieces was to ship them in those cases. However, the factory abandoned the plan almost immediately and we don't think any guns were actually shipped in them. Maybe they got them in and saw the scratching problem immediately just handling them at the factory. Maybe they caused the guns to rust.

They are made of a material that I'm almost sure is the densest version of Masonite. Maybe Masonite made some up trying to get a contract.......

All this is not to preclude the possibility that one or more salesmen grabbed a few at the factory and hit the road, but as I said, Roy does not give them that title. Unless someone says "Yep- I was sittin' in my gunshop in '48 when the S&W salesman blew into town...." I doubt we'll ever know if a salesman used one. It would not have been a good sales ploy to show what you WON'T be delivering. Also, in the late 40's and very early 50's, S&W was selling everything they could build, so I doubt they put many salesmen on the road!

From the number I've seen over the years, I would guess several hundred were made. I've owned 10 or 15. I've seen them vary from a rather light metalic blue to about black.

 

[dacoontz]

My bad, didn't want to give incomplete info. My Info was simply what I had heard from others on the forum calling these "salesman" sample boxes. I appreciate Lee clarifying the history of these.

 

[Masterpiece]

I've seen them vary from a rather light metalic blue to about black.

Lee,

The reason I didn't make mention to them in my previous post as definitively being referred to as a "Salesman Sample Box" was the fact that when I first approached Roy with the question years ago was he wasn't willing to give a definite answer as he's sometimes known to do on occasion!! I'm assuming he has now made it known that they weren't designed for that purpose after-all!!

I also have seen them in various colors as well & still own two, one with a Dark Blue Metallic Finish & one with a near Black Finish as you mentioned!!

Thanks for the update!!

 

[Dan M]

I was told by older collectors that S&W threw all these boxes out in the 60's and many were Salvaged out of the Trash bins and taken home by employee's at that time. I have owned several also and they seem to be valued in the $100 range for a clean one.

Dan

 

[mmande]

S&W box

I have one myself that I bought from someone here on the forum several years back. I am pretty sure I paid $100 for it. I have a nice K38 from 1953 that sits in it and it makes a very nice display unit. Yes, the gun is protected with a sheet of vapor paper. It is an interesting piece of S&W history.
Mike