Mark1Mod0Squid
Member
I recently inherited a collection of firearms and all the related things you would find from someone who was never married and had no children. You know the old cliche? "What happened to the guy who asked a woman to marry him and she said no. He road motorcycles, raced cars, hunted, fished, drank all the beer he liked and lived happily ever after!" That was my uncle Fred* minus the beer . He was in the US Navy from '63-'66 as a Gunners Mate. After that he worked for more than two decades at his hometown gun shop while also doing custom woodwork and cabinetry. After the gun shop closed its doors in the late 90s he continued as a master cabinet maker until his retirement.
I did 20yrs in the canoe club, retired from that, and opened a small business with a friend doing rapid prototyping and one off machine services. We managed to land a couple small government contracts and one that necessitated getting our 07/02 FFL. After that, since we now had the FFL, we expanded a bit and started doing retail and related activities with the FFL. Since I was already a gun nut, it was enjoyable to have an FFL. Eventually my business partner and I went our separate ways and rather than either of us taking the business with us, we sold it off to someone who seems to be doing well with it.
I was floored when Fred's brother, uncle Jim** told me the night before the funeral that ,as the executor of the estate, he was passing all of the guns and related things to me. Uncle Jim is an avid outdoorsman and gun nut, but he explained that age and health would prevent him from being able to take responsibility for his brothers collection. Uncle Jim did take a couple sentimental pieces for himself, but the rest came to me.
It's a pretty amazing collection. Fred had very specific tastes. Revolvers of the S&W and Ruger flavor with a single Colt. Ruger long guns for varmint hunting. Remington shotguns for every conceivable hunt in North America. Browning O/Us for skeet, trap, & field with some Ithaca's and an L. C. Smith just because.
I am on two other gun forums where I have decades of interaction. However; I thought it would be fitting to share my uncles collection of Smith & Wesson revolvers with a forum dedicated to just that.
*/** Not real names.
So......on to the youngest S&W in his collection.
Model 640-1. Purchased by uncle Fred November 1995. S/N BUF29XX
The date of purchase is a bit confusing as the Standard catalog says the 640-1 .357 Magnum was introduced in 1996. In the box for this gun is the pistol purchase permit from the state police dated 11/1/95 with the matching serial number for the gun. The instruction for the form indicates that the section containing the serial number must be completed on the date the application is submitted.
My guess is the catalog lists 1996 as the introduction date, but in November '95 there were already some in the wild.
From the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 3rd edition.
Model 640-1 .357 Magnum Centennial Stainless
Caliber: .357 Magnum/.38 Special. Double-action-only revolver built on
the stainless round butt J Magnum frame with three screws. Introduced in
1995; the first 5-shot .357 Magnum handgun on the smaller J frame. This is
a slightly larger frame than a standard J with a reinforced cylinder stop
machined as part of the frame, 5-shot fluted cylinder with a longer length of
1.59”, and a larger frame opening. 2-1/8” barrel, round butt frame, flat faced
concealed hammer, pinned black ramp front sight, smooth trigger, Uncle
Mike’s Boot grip. Shipped in a blue plastic case, 25 oz.
As a post script.......I'm not here to preload or pimp guns that may eventually be for sale. I have no idea yet what I'm keeping or what I will do with some of these guns. Please don't ask and neither will I.
I did 20yrs in the canoe club, retired from that, and opened a small business with a friend doing rapid prototyping and one off machine services. We managed to land a couple small government contracts and one that necessitated getting our 07/02 FFL. After that, since we now had the FFL, we expanded a bit and started doing retail and related activities with the FFL. Since I was already a gun nut, it was enjoyable to have an FFL. Eventually my business partner and I went our separate ways and rather than either of us taking the business with us, we sold it off to someone who seems to be doing well with it.
I was floored when Fred's brother, uncle Jim** told me the night before the funeral that ,as the executor of the estate, he was passing all of the guns and related things to me. Uncle Jim is an avid outdoorsman and gun nut, but he explained that age and health would prevent him from being able to take responsibility for his brothers collection. Uncle Jim did take a couple sentimental pieces for himself, but the rest came to me.
It's a pretty amazing collection. Fred had very specific tastes. Revolvers of the S&W and Ruger flavor with a single Colt. Ruger long guns for varmint hunting. Remington shotguns for every conceivable hunt in North America. Browning O/Us for skeet, trap, & field with some Ithaca's and an L. C. Smith just because.
I am on two other gun forums where I have decades of interaction. However; I thought it would be fitting to share my uncles collection of Smith & Wesson revolvers with a forum dedicated to just that.
*/** Not real names.
So......on to the youngest S&W in his collection.
Model 640-1. Purchased by uncle Fred November 1995. S/N BUF29XX
The date of purchase is a bit confusing as the Standard catalog says the 640-1 .357 Magnum was introduced in 1996. In the box for this gun is the pistol purchase permit from the state police dated 11/1/95 with the matching serial number for the gun. The instruction for the form indicates that the section containing the serial number must be completed on the date the application is submitted.
My guess is the catalog lists 1996 as the introduction date, but in November '95 there were already some in the wild.
From the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 3rd edition.
Model 640-1 .357 Magnum Centennial Stainless
Caliber: .357 Magnum/.38 Special. Double-action-only revolver built on
the stainless round butt J Magnum frame with three screws. Introduced in
1995; the first 5-shot .357 Magnum handgun on the smaller J frame. This is
a slightly larger frame than a standard J with a reinforced cylinder stop
machined as part of the frame, 5-shot fluted cylinder with a longer length of
1.59”, and a larger frame opening. 2-1/8” barrel, round butt frame, flat faced
concealed hammer, pinned black ramp front sight, smooth trigger, Uncle
Mike’s Boot grip. Shipped in a blue plastic case, 25 oz.
As a post script.......I'm not here to preload or pimp guns that may eventually be for sale. I have no idea yet what I'm keeping or what I will do with some of these guns. Please don't ask and neither will I.
Last edited:
