There has been much written in publications and here on the Forum regarding the KCPD Pre-War S&W .357 Magnums. The consensus of opinion on them seems to be that most examples found today are re-blued (one or more times) and show substantial wear. This is not surprising considering they were used in police service from 1939/1940 up until approximately 1957 when the KCPD replaced them with the 4" Heavy Barrel K-38 Masterpiece.
I was most fortunate a few years ago to have acquired a nice example of a KCPD Pre-War Magnum which retains its original factory blue finish, original configuration, and original Magna grips with matching serial number. The gun, pictured below, which was in the 9/7/1939 shipment of 250 revolvers, rates approximately 95%. All of the Magnums in this shipment were in the same configuration with blue finishes, 4" barrels, Baughman Quick Draw front sights on King ramp bases, square notch rear sights, Hump Back hammers and Magna stocks. All of the 200 Magnums in the 1/30/1940 shipment were in the same configuration (except most were shipped with standard hammers), and all of the 26 Magnums in the 7/3/1940 shipment were in the same configuration (except with standard hammers), except two were shipped with 3.5" barrels and one was shipped with a 6.5" barrel.
All of the discussion regarding most of these guns being refinished, plus the fact that I was able to find one in original condition on a GB auction, got me to wondering just what the true statistics are regarding how many of these have been refinished. The table I have presented below represents all of the finish condition data of the KCPD Pre-War .357 Magnums (known extant revolvers) that I have been able to extract from searches of threads and the SWCA Database here on the Forum, or in other Internet searches. Note there are many additional KCPD Pre-War Magnum serial numbers listed in the S&WCA Pre-war .357 Magnum Database online at Smith & Wesson Collectors Association – The Collectors Resource for Historic Smith & Wesson Firearms, but it is not known if they are extant. I have also been able to add some serial numbers based on guns I have seen listed in various auctions. The table is in 3 sections in serial number order sorted by the three shipment dates to the KCPD in 1939/1940. Thus far I have been able to find references to 79* known extant examples, or approximately 16.6% of the total population of 476 KCPD Magnums.
For any of you that have first hand finish condition information or corrections on any of the guns listed below, or on any additional KCPD Magnums not listed, I encourage you to send me the information and I will add it to the survey. Pictures, as you know, are always welcome on this Forum!
Please PM me with your updates or just add your update in a post below in this thread. I will update the survey table accordingly. Thank you.
9/7/1939 Shipment (250 Magnums - all 4" blue)
SER#/REG# FINISH CONDITION
1. 58844/5000 - refinished (pictured in post #92 below)
2. 59056/4989 - refinished (nickel) (pictured in post #48 below)
3. 59062/4990 - refinished (pictured in post #35 below)
4. UNK/4993 - refinished
5. 59363/UNK - refinished
6. 59381/5009 - refinished
7. 59382/5004 - refinished (pictured in post #19 & #20 below)
8. 59383/5002 - refinished (barrel only extant) (pictured in post #86 below)
9. 59384/5008 - original finish @ 95% w/matching grips (pictured in post #1 above)
10. UNK/5101 - refinished
11. 59610/5044 - refinished
12. 59612/5045 - refinished (pictured in post #83 below)
13. 59615/5052 - modified/aftermarket punch dot engraved (pictured in post #95 below)
14. 59620/5051 - refinished
15. 59622/5046 - refinished (pictured in post #42 below)
16. 59624/5001 - refinished
17. 59630/UNK - refinished, barrel only, now installed on Kansas HP post war transitional S71751 (pictured in post #84 below)
18. 59638/5040 - refinished (barrel now 6") (pictured in post #81 below)
19. 59643/UNK - refinished/cannibalized
20. 59649/5072 - refinished
21. 59651/5058 - refinished (pictured in post #96 below)
22. 59654/5036 - refinished (nickel) (pictured in post #38 below)
23. 59655/UNK - refinished (barrel only extant)
24. 59656/5069 - refinished (pictured in post #93 below)
25. 59661/5102 - refinished (pictured in post #56 below)
26. 59676/5066 - refinished (previously nickel - now blue) (barrel now 3.5") (pictured in post #72 and pictured/discussed in post #76 below)
27. 59691/5086 - refinished
28. 59694/5088 - refinished
29. 59699/5075 - refinished (pictured in post #61 below)
30. 596XX/5112 - refinished
31. 59700/5115 - refinished (pictured in post #37 below)
32. 59702/5074 - refinished
33. 59707/5125 - refinished (pictured in post #71 below)
34. 59708/5105 - original finish @ 95% with King-like hammer
35. 59712/5124 - refinished
36. 59732/5131 - refinished
37. 59738/5143 - refinished (pictured on pages 88 & 89 in the book "Magnum" by Timothy J. Mullin)
38. 59740/5141 - refinished (pictured in post #34 below)
39. 59742/5137 - refinished (pictured in post #25 below)
40. 59749/5159 - original finish @ 95% w/non-matching KCPD grips serial# 59775(pictured in post #24, #27, and #28 below)
41. 59762/5169 - refinished
42. 59763/5171 - refinished (partially pictured in post #39 below)
43. 59765/5177 - refinished (pictured in post #45 below)
44. 59767/5170 - refinished (pictured in post #87 & 90 below)
45. 59797/5209 - refinished (pictured in post #40 below)
46. 59799/5208 - refinished
47. 59806/5223 - refinished
48. 59868/5220 - refinished
49. 59886/5202 - refinished
50. UNK/5225 - refinished
51. 598XX/5235 - refinished
1/30/1940 Shipment (200 Magnums - all 4" blue)
SER#/REG# FINISH CONDITION
52. 60780/NRM - refinished
53. 60817/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #41 below)
54. 60827/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #44 below)
55. 60839/NRM - refinished (nickel)
56. 60857/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #32 below)
57. 60858/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #47 below)
58. 60865/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #59 below)
59. 60880/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #70 below)
60. 60882/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #66 and post 82 below)
61. 60889/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #49 below)
62. 60896/NRM - refinished
63. 60899/NRM - original finish @ 80% w/replaced grips (pictured in post #36 below)
64. 60904/NRM - refinished
65. 60907/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #80 below)
66. 60910/NRM - original finish @ 90% w/matching grips (pictured in post #94 below)
67. 60918/NRM - refinished
68. 60927/NRM - refinished/restored (pictured in posts #30, #77, and #78 below)
69. 60930/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #33 & 89 below)
70. 60944/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #60 below)
71. 61052/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #31 below)
72. 61067/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #23 below)
73. 61096/NRM - refinished w/matching grips (pictured in post #85 below)
7/3/1940 Shipment (26 Magnums: 23 - 4", 2 - 3.5", 1 - 6.5", all blue)
SER#/REG# FINISH CONDITION
74. 61632/NRM - (3.5") original finish @ 99+% w/matching grips (pictured in post #21 below)
75. 61936/NRM - refinished
76. 61941/NRM - refinished w/matching grips (pictured in post #9, #29 and #88 below)
77. 61952/NRM - refinished (pictured in post #55 below)
78. 61954/NRM - refinished (barrel, cylinder, and crane only, now nickel
79. 61959/NRM - original finish @ 85% w/replaced grips, front sight, and rear sight blade (pictured in post #22 below)
*Summary Updated as of 4/11/2025: 79 total known extant examples (16.6% of the total population of 476)
7 original finish (8.9%)
72 refinished/modified/cannibalized (91.1%)
(Note: Although not part of this survey, the KCPD also placed an order for .357 Magnums that were shipped on December 17, 1936. It was for 6 Magnums, 5 were with 5 inch barrels and McGivern gold bead front sights; these units were serial# 49805 Reg# 1742; serial# 49810 Reg# 1743; serial# 49822 Reg# 1741; serial# 50053 Reg# 1739; serial# 50076 Reg# 1740, and 1 with a 6 inch barrel and McGivern gold bead front sight serial# 49806 Reg# 1744. This early order for 6 Magnums may have eventually led to the later larger orders listed above. Two of these revolvers have surfaced, one on GI and one on this Forum. The one previously listed and sold on GI is serial# 50053 Reg# 1739 and is pictured and described in post# 50 below. The one that surfaced on this Forum is serial# 50076 Reg# 1740 and is pictured and described in post# 51 below).
