New member looking for help with an identification. I recently came into possession of a well worn S&W 357. Having a bit of trouble finding information on this one. The S/N is 568xx. No letter. As for the model, I find "REG 3799". Is this a registered 27? Anyone help with the year? It was a find by my father and a gift so the value really isn't important, but I would welcome that information as well.
Help identifying S&W 357 mag
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Welcome to the forum! You have, from the pictures, a Registered Magnum that appears to have been rebarreled at some point in it's history. These fine weapons were made prior to WW2, and one of the best ways to find out more information is to contact Smith & Wesson historian Roy Jinks for a letter. My guess is your revolver has an interesting past. More detailed pictures would certainly help, particularly of the barrel as well as the right side and pictures with the grips off as well. The grips appear to be after market, possibly staghorn. Congratulations on your revolver!
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It's a.......
Registered Magnum # 3799 looks like. '37, '38, probably. Send for a letter from Mr. Jinks/ Smith & Wesson. Nice one.
Ned
Registered Magnum # 3799 looks like. '37, '38, probably. Send for a letter from Mr. Jinks/ Smith & Wesson. Nice one.
Ned
No problem! And, there are a LOT more folks on here that know a LOT more than I do, so expect more and better information soon!
It's...shall we say...well worn. Still worth a good clean up and some time at the range to see how it handles.
sbeatty1983
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Range time....
It will shoot great, guarantee it.
Ned
It will shoot great, guarantee it.
Ned
thats character
Very true, but those grips gotta go. Have a feeling finding replacements might be an issue. Additional photos attached.
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According to
info I have here in the S&W Journal, volume 24, no's 3 & 4, RM 3799 was produced in 1938, and is known to have been made with a HUMPBACK HAMMER. Your gun still has it. I think your barrel is good too. Spend the money, get the letter. Take very good care of it.
Ned
One of mine, RM 4752, also a known HUMPBACK gun with real stags
info I have here in the S&W Journal, volume 24, no's 3 & 4, RM 3799 was produced in 1938, and is known to have been made with a HUMPBACK HAMMER. Your gun still has it. I think your barrel is good too. Spend the money, get the letter. Take very good care of it.
Ned
One of mine, RM 4752, also a known HUMPBACK gun with real stags
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info I have here in the S&W Journal, volume 24, no's 3 & 4, RM 3799 was produced in 1938, and is known to have been made with a HUMPBACK HAMMER. Your gun still has it. I think your barrel is good too. Spend the money, get the letter. Take very good care of it.
Ned
One of mine, RM 4752, also a known HUMPBACK gun with real stags
Thank you Ned! 1938. Now I'm curious. Again I appreciate this!
Welcome to the forum.
Great way to introduce yourself! The numbers on the bottom left side of the grip frame ( 8-50, 6-52 ?) indicate that it went back to S&W twice for rework.
Great way to introduce yourself! The numbers on the bottom left side of the grip frame ( 8-50, 6-52 ?) indicate that it went back to S&W twice for rework.
Very good eyes my friend. It's 562 and 8.50. Thank you. As for introductions, I suppose proper procedure would have been to handle that before jumping right in with a question. My apologies to the board. But I do appreciate the feedback.
The typical Registered Magnum barrel (of any length) protrudes beyond the barrel rib by approximately 1/8". The photos shown here seem to show the end of the barrel flush with the end of the rib. Are the barrels of these guns (serial) numbered to the guns?
Ralph Tremaine
Ralph Tremaine
Welcome. A good gift from your father. It looks like the rear sights have been replaced, they are larger than the orginal rear sight. It reminds me of a Kansas City PD gun that I have. Get the letter. Here is a pic of the KCPD with altered sights.
It is not unusual to find RMs with modifications.
It is not unusual to find RMs with modifications.
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
The RM is very valuable and very sought after. Unfortunately, yours has been extensively modified. The barrel is the later type and the rear sight is also a newer replacement. the stocks are cheap plastic jobs totally out of place on this revolver. I suspect it was made with a longer barrel and someone sent it back to S&W and had the sexier 3.5" barrel installed. Perhaps the rear sight was changed out at that time, as well.
Still a great heirloom and a good shooter, but what was once a $4,000 gun has been turned into a $600 shooter.
Still a great heirloom and a good shooter, but what was once a $4,000 gun has been turned into a $600 shooter.
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Two comments. In the first post there is a stamped number in the ejector rod housing; this will let you know the vintage of the replaced barrel. Also, here is how you request a factory letter:
Firearm History Request - Smith & Wesson
Be sure to say "thank you" to your dad! Any story as to how he found it?
Firearm History Request - Smith & Wesson
Be sure to say "thank you" to your dad! Any story as to how he found it?
Yes indeed. I noticed this as well when looking at some photos of other registered magnums online. The barrel's number is the same as the one on the butt. I suspect it was one of the modifications performed at the request of a previous owner.
Great information. Many thanks. As I suspected, I'm having some difficulty locating stocks for this one...and I agree...they have to go. I might have to grab something to make do with at the range until I can find a suitable replacement.
Yes. It's the same S/N as appears on the butt. As for how he found it, he's got some friends who are old time enthusiasts and for whatever reason, one was selling this revolver. He thought I might like it so....and yes, I did thank him!!
Lefkiguy
Member
S&W used to stamp the original serial number on the replacement barrel when the work was done by them, I have a revolver like that worked on in 1970. So the barrel was changed on one of the two dates stamped on the frame. Great gift from your dad.
keith44spl
Member
ltrtiger,
Nice ol family gun. You know, one can't put a dollar figger on something like that....And Welcome to the Forum.
*Don't take ol SP's (Sour Puss) appraisal to seriously, none of the rest of us do.
Su Amigo,
Dave
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I'm just being honest. I don't want him to hear that an RM sells for $3,000 - $5,000 and assume his is worth that much. I would want to know the truth, wouldn't you? Like I said, it's a great heirloom. My mother sold all of my dad's guns when he died and I'd give anything to have his WWII issue 1911 or the 1st Gen Colt SAA that I know he had from the family photo album... regardless of condition.
ltrtiger- Any set of N frame stocks should fit. The best choice would be a set of pre-war Magnas but at $500+ I would not spend it. The 1946-1967 "diamond Magnas" look great and can be had for $150 +/-. Post 1967 standard Magnas will go for around $75 and will work but won't have as much panache as the early ones. I personally don't care for target style stocks on the short barrel revolvers.
It is a very cool gun. It has no collector value, however due to the modifications.
ltrtiger- Any set of N frame stocks should fit. The best choice would be a set of pre-war Magnas but at $500+ I would not spend it. The 1946-1967 "diamond Magnas" look great and can be had for $150 +/-. Post 1967 standard Magnas will go for around $75 and will work but won't have as much panache as the early ones. I personally don't care for target style stocks on the short barrel revolvers.
It is a very cool gun. It has no collector value, however due to the modifications.
Deacon KC
Member
Great gift from your Dad, treasure it always.
Dave T
Member
I've asked this question about other "valuations". I'd like to see all (any of) the factory re-worked Registered Magnums you can buy for $600. I'll get in line to buy one. I'm too slow to beat the other folks on here who will buy one but I'll be in line for one of them!
Dave
Dave
handejector
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Welcome aboard.
That is a neat gun.
Question-
In the pic showing the frame dates, is that a swivel pin I see? Is the gun drilled for a butt swivel? If it IS, is the serial number offset?
I'll add a bit of data-
Forget the "27". That is what we have come to call a "Registered Magnum".
In its day, the factory simply cataloged it as the ".357 Magnum".
The barrel is likely either the original that was cut or a factory replacement since it is numbered to the gun.
It is not true that all collector value is gone. Reg Mags hold it better than most guns. If the gun has interesting history, it has collector value, altered or not. Ed McGivern had his 5 inch cut to 3-1/2" outside the factory and ground one side of the hammer spur away on the Hump Back Hammer. Let's just say I proved it was still QUITE valuable!
Even if the gun has no interesting original owner or history, it is still a Reg Mag. There are people on this board who would write you a check today for $500 or more for that hammer alone!
I can't appraise it from your pics, but even with an altered/replaced barrel and a factory reblue, that gun would probably bring $1000-2000 in the recovering market of today. I have sold factory rebarreled/reblued Mags for above 2000.
That is a neat gun.
Question-
In the pic showing the frame dates, is that a swivel pin I see? Is the gun drilled for a butt swivel? If it IS, is the serial number offset?
I'll add a bit of data-
Forget the "27". That is what we have come to call a "Registered Magnum".
In its day, the factory simply cataloged it as the ".357 Magnum".
The barrel is likely either the original that was cut or a factory replacement since it is numbered to the gun.
It is not true that all collector value is gone. Reg Mags hold it better than most guns. If the gun has interesting history, it has collector value, altered or not. Ed McGivern had his 5 inch cut to 3-1/2" outside the factory and ground one side of the hammer spur away on the Hump Back Hammer. Let's just say I proved it was still QUITE valuable!
Even if the gun has no interesting original owner or history, it is still a Reg Mag. There are people on this board who would write you a check today for $500 or more for that hammer alone!
I can't appraise it from your pics, but even with an altered/replaced barrel and a factory reblue, that gun would probably bring $1000-2000 in the recovering market of today. I have sold factory rebarreled/reblued Mags for above 2000.
29aholic
Member
Welcome to the Forum
You have a great gun as most of the others have posted. I too would go into debt to buy every $600 RM I could find. I too have an RM with a chopped barrel (4 1/2") and I love it. You really need to shoot that gun, I can just about guarantee it will outshoot anything in your safe.
A word on the grips. It may or may not have shipped with Magna's (the letter would tell). If it came with service grips while still pricey are a lot cheaper than Magna's. Post war frames are a tad narrower than pre war guns so if you put a set of post war grips on it you may have to do a little fitting or you will have gaps between the grip horns and the sideplates.
You also need to contact the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation for further information that may be available on your gun. They have digitized all the records and correspondence from the factory for the production period the RM was manufactured in. You may not turn up anything, or if your lucky you may find a wealth of info of which you will receive copies. See the subforum of this area (1896-1961) for more info.
You have a great gun as most of the others have posted. I too would go into debt to buy every $600 RM I could find. I too have an RM with a chopped barrel (4 1/2") and I love it. You really need to shoot that gun, I can just about guarantee it will outshoot anything in your safe.
A word on the grips. It may or may not have shipped with Magna's (the letter would tell). If it came with service grips while still pricey are a lot cheaper than Magna's. Post war frames are a tad narrower than pre war guns so if you put a set of post war grips on it you may have to do a little fitting or you will have gaps between the grip horns and the sideplates.
You also need to contact the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation for further information that may be available on your gun. They have digitized all the records and correspondence from the factory for the production period the RM was manufactured in. You may not turn up anything, or if your lucky you may find a wealth of info of which you will receive copies. See the subforum of this area (1896-1961) for more info.
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