Here is some information that may help as well as some pictures of seven of them I used to own, but only have three of them now, and should not have sold the ones I did. I posted them a few years ago and so I’ll post them again in response to your question
The letters from Roy Jinks indicate these guns were designed & manufactured at the request of the United States Post Office Department. They are sometimes referred to as the “Post Office” gun.
The letter also states that although these guns were made for government orders, & when there were overruns, they were sold to distributors for general sale. The approximate total quantity made as stated in the RJ letter is said to be 1500 guns.
Shipping locations and dates are by each of the guns in the pictures.
The earliest of these are two four screw versions, and called a .22 M&P, which can also be referred to as a pre 45. They are not Model marked. The two pre 45’s are exactly 100 numbers apart.
Two of these guns are Model marked 45-2’s and are only 170 numbers apart. The two letters from Roy Jinks indicate they both shipped on April 26, 1963 to H.H. Harris in Chicago.
The last three guns here are particularly interesting, in that they are not Model marked. The Standard Catalog of Smith Wesson book states that 135 of these Model 45 guns made in 1978 were not model marked. The letters from Roy Jinks refer to these guns as a Model 45 (no dash) and the end label on the box indicates that too (45-). Roy’s letter also indicates that this last batch of guns was built from remaining parts in inventory, and since these were not cataloged items, it was not necessary for production to mark them with model numbers.
The very last revolver I have shown is the last Model 45 serial number known in the S&WCA Survivor Files.
Here are All Seven in different poses for the camera!
This .22 M&P (pre Model 45) revolver was shipped to Sutcliffe Hardware Co. in Louisville, KY on July 25th, 1958.
This .22 M&P (pre Model 45) revolver was shipped to H.H. Harris in Chicago, also on July 25th, 1958.
This revolver (marked 45-2) was shipped to H.H. Harris in Chicago on April 26, 1963.
This revolver (marked 45-2) was also shipped to H.H. Harris in Chicago in that same shipment on April 26, 1963.
This next one is one that is not model marked. Notice the lack of any model designation on the frame. It shipped to Gil Hebard in Knoxville, IL on June 12, 1978
This next one is one also not model marked. It shipped to Lathrop Shooters Supply in Tucson, AZ on June 12, 1978
This next one is also not model marked. It is the latest known serial number in the S&WCA survivor files. It shipped to Cake-Davis Co. in Sacramento, CA also on June 12, 1978
