Let's see your Centennials/Models 40/42!

[PALADIN85020]

These little follow-ons to the New Departure "Lemon Squeezers" first came about in 1952, S&W's centennial year. Like the old top-break New Departures, they featured a hammerless design with a grip safety. In later years, they morphed into similar guns without the grip safety.

Let's see some grip safety Centennials! Either the originals or the models 40 and 42. Although I don't have one of the early ones, I do have one example of the recently introduced model 40-1, which does have the grip safety, but is strengthened for +P ammo. This one is nickel plated:

Here's a couple of shots of an original Centennial instruction sheet:

Let's see whatcha got!

John

 

[H Richard]

# L137X shipped June 1972.

 

[BlackSky]

 

[jcelect]

Centennials!

This is what started the madness!

And this is it what it turned into!

And still looking for more varations!
jcelect SWCA#LM723

 

[NCBeagle]

Here is a 1974 M42:

 

[ar15ed]

some of my favorites! here is a 40 from 1964:

and here is a 42 from 1974:

i am on the hunt for a nice pre-42 with the bug screw!

 

[Leonard]

My pre 40

 

[Al56]

My 40-1 with the plastic stag grips

 

[DHENRY]

Handy indeed.
Don

 

[DC7]

An early-70's Model 42

I sold this one to another forum member a couple years ago:

 

[girvin02]

My every-day carry piece.

 

[feralmerril]

This is serial # L 2137. I figure it was built in 1971/1972. I also have the original high horn grips. Back around then I bought a NIB and let it get away. Replaced it with this one. OT, but I notice when I carry this one loose in my right front pocket, it tends to get turned upside down. I never had that problem carrying a snubbed hammer model 60 the same way years ago. Maybe I wear looser pants now.

 

[kwill1911]

 

[Gatorbaiter]

PRE MDL 40; SN 147 MADE IN 1953:

 

[coiler666]

^^^That right there is the cats ***

 

[rebelray84]

^^^That right there is the cats ***

It dam sure is!I am drooling.................aah so many guns so little money.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Gone but not forgotten. I never could bring myself to shoot it so eventually sold it to a forum member...numbered stocks, box and all.

40-no dash

 

[PALADIN85020]

Just got this one - it's a Model 40 (no dash) which was manufactured in 1966. The optional smooth high-horn grips are numbered to the gun.

John

 

[tops]

I bought this used in the middle 60s and these are the grips that were on it and they are not numbered to the gun. I carry in in my front pocket. Four digit ser. #5xxx. Larry

 

[Hondo44]

I've been wondering for some time; do the 'dash one' and later versions have the pin under the grip that can be moved to pin the grip safety down to de-activate it like the original 40 and 42s did?

 

[PALADIN85020]

I've been wondering for some time; do the 'dash one' and later versions have the pin under the grip that can be moved to pin the grip safety down to de-activate it like the original 40 and 42s did?

The "dash ones" made recently do not have a hole for the grip safety lock-down pin. My 40 no-dash made in 1966 does have the hole, but as usual on these, the pin is missing. I cobbled up a substitute pin from a small nail for it; works as intended.

John

 

[Hondo44]

The "dash ones" made recently do not have a hole for the grip safety lock-down pin. My 40 no-dash made (estimated) in 1967 does have the hole, but as usual on these, the pin is missing. I cobbled up a substitute pin from a small nail for it; works as intended.

John

Thank you. I guess a guy could drill his own holes to lock-down the grip safety. A drill bit shank of the right size and length with polished ends would be indistinguishable from the original pin. They weren't blued.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Thank you. I guess a guy could drill his own holes to lock-down the grip safety. A drill bit shank of the right size and length with polished ends would be indistinguishable from the original pin. They weren't blued.

The original guns also had a hole drilled in the frame and a matching hole in an extended part of the grip safety to accept the lock-down pin. I think modifying a "dash one" to match the old-timers would be an exercise in frustration. No sweat on making a replacement pin for the older ones, though.

John

 

[whitecoyote]

 

[Hondo44]

The original guns also had a hole drilled in the frame and a matching hole in an extended part of the grip safety to accept the lock-down pin. I think modifying a "dash one" to match the old-timers would be an exercise in frustration. No sweat on making a replacement pin for the older ones, though.

John

Hi John,
I would do it just for grins if and when I got a new model, but not without an early gun to measure and get the exact hole locations and pin size to make it look exactly like factory. No frustration.

 

[MAG-NUM]

Nice snubbies guys! Since John started off this thread with a 40-1 I figured I would add mine to the mix. Great little guns and a blast to shoot. Bob

 

[Engine49guy]

I have posted this one before but Its one of my favorites ,

Has a 4 digit serial number and upper sideplate screw which was deleted in 1955.
I believe these came in a red box with an end label that read:
"Chiefs Special Hammerless"

On a side not I removed the grips today for the first time, It does have the set pin but what was really interesting
was that the grips have differrent washers inside that are much smaller than any other S&W I have seen.
That in addition to the very high reach makes them specific to only this model.

Shown with a baby Chief also from about 1955, Both grips are shown with modern J grips in center.

 

[dthughes]

My centennial with stocks numbered to the frame. I was just looking for a "shooter" j-frame until I took a peak at the serial number. Guess this one is going to stay in the safe for a while as the FIRST piece in what may some day become a decent centennial collection!

 

[PALADIN85020]

Hi John,
I would do it just for grins if and when I got a new model, but not without an early gun to measure and get the exact hole locations and pin size to make it look exactly like factory. No frustration.

I'm not completely sure on this, but I think the original grip safeties were configured a bit differently. They have an extended section (having a hole for the lockdown pin), which protrudes farther into the frame to accept the lockdown pin at it's hole's location. That means that a new grip safety would have to be built up with welding, or an original grip safety obtained. Then the holes could be drilled. That's why I suspect it would be much more trouble than it would be worth. The new grip safeties also don't have a dimple with a white dot in the top. That was done so you could see if the safety was locked in or not. Dot showing: functional. Dot not showing: locked out.

John

 

[Hondo44]

I have posted this one before but Its one of my favorites ,

I believe these came in a red box with an end label that read:
"Chiefs Special Hammerless"
On a side note I removed the grips today for the first time, It does have the set pin but what was really interesting
was that the grips have differrent washers inside that are much smaller than any other S&W I have seen.
That in addition to the very high reach makes them specific to only this model.

Shown with a baby Chief also from about 1955, Both grips are shown with modern J grips in center.

That's an excellent illustration of the difference. It also clearly shows the difference in the I frame size grips on the Baby Chiefs; the back side view of the Standard J grip and the baby Chief I grip shows the extra 1/8" grip panel length under the locating pin hole of the J.