Model of 91 Single Shots Over Serial Number 18873

[Boulder350]

The Model of 91 single shots were supposed to end at serial number 18873 based on the book Smith & Wesson 1867-1945. The book however does note that the list was incomplete.

I have been tracking serial numbers for these guns for some time and have found 71 guns with a serial number higher than 18873.

Only 17 of the 71 guns currently wear revolver barrels. Of those 17 guns, 11 have the serial number on the bottom of the frame, 1 has the serial number on the front of the frame (and shipped as a revolver per historical letter), and 5 the serial number location is unknown.

The remaining 54 guns currently wear single shot barrels. Of those 54 guns 7 have the serial number on the bottom of the gun,
for 13 the location is unknown, and 34 have the serial number on the front of the frame.

Guns with serial numbers on the bottom of the frames were usually shipped as a revolver. That is not always the case because I, and others here, have lettered guns that shipped as a single shot and the serial number located on the bottom.

It has been speculated that there were an extra 200 single shots shipped over the verified 1251 guns. I think there were a lot more than an extra 200 made.

This analysis does not include the extra single shots below serial number 18873, that have a serial number on the front of the frame and that are not on the listed in The Book. I did that analysis a while back when I had only a third of the serial numbers and found more than a few extra single shots.

 

[rct269]

You didn't ask, but I presume you're looking for higher numbered first models.

From my collection (now in a new home):

8" blue, #23001, with number on the front of the grip frame, shipped to Bekeart Co. March 9, 1905.

Ralph Tremaine

I was pretty sure I had more than one----------

6" blue, #19852, with number on the front of the grip frame, shipped to B.A. Manrose, address unknown, June 28, 1902.

 

[Boulder350]

Thanks Ralph. That moves one from the unknown column and adds another with the serial number on the front. Now there are 12 serial numbers with an unknown location and 36 with the serial number on the front of the frame over serial 18873.

 

[Model52guy]

Mine is 20731. Shipped to Birmingham England 9/0/02. 6" nickle.

 

[Model52guy]

9/30/02. And the SN is front grip strap.

 

[Boulder350]

Thanks Model52guy. Got it logged in

 

[Boulder350]

Was waiting for the wife to get home so I reviewed The Book, marking all the guns on my list if they were shipped as 22's, 32's, or 38's. All guns I found with the serial numbers on the front are listed in The Book up to serial number 15592. I found 14 guns from serial number 15656 to serial number 18864 that have the serial number on the front and not listed in The Book. That brings the total extra single shot guns to 50 so far.

 

[TLflag]

Single Shot

My #3 10" is stamped on the front grip frame #10633 shipped June 1924. The 8" barrel is stamped #23842 shipped March 1908

 

[TLflag]

Single Shot

My #3 10" is stamped on the front grip frame #10633 shipped June 1924. The 8" barrel is stamped #23842 shipped March 1908

 

[ol777gunnerz]

1891

I have 20021, 8 inch barrel single shot, serial number on front grip strap, shipped to Philip P Bekeart Jan. 31, 1902, one of five shipped to him that day.

 

[rct269]

A thought------------------------------

I have a copy of one page of the shipping records sent to me by Jinks, in an effort to help explain why my 8" .32 caliber 1st Model SS (#14272) lettered as a 10" .22. It treats with 100 pistols numbered from 14201 to 14300. All except for 14286 through 14300 are labeled as single shots, and the remainder are not labeled one way or the other.

My thought is there are other pages of shipping records treating with guns numbered above 18873----100 guns per page---all or most all labeled as to what they are (SS pistols or revolvers)----and if you ask the right person, and hold your mouth just right, they just might run off some copies, and send them to you-------maybe---as in it doesn't hurt to ask.

The bottom line is the answer to your questions is in those shipping records-----the complete (or almost complete) answer--------and it's the only game in town other than what you're doing here--and what you're doing here gets you mere snippets of the story.

It's my perhaps now obsolete recollection Jinks owns these shipping records. Does he still own them, or has he given them to the SWHF?

The next bottom line is it would take a matter of minutes to copy the pages you're after, and drop them in the mail.

Ralph Tremaine

And as an aside, my theory of why my .32 shows up as a .22 is because the nice little old lady who wraps the guns and puts them in a box grabbed the wrong box for my .32--------and nobody bothered to look inside the box after that----until it arrived at the distributor---and it was no big deal for them, because they figured they could sell it---and they did just that!

 

[Dosgatos]

I have #23694 shipped to Philip Bekeart & Co. on March 18, 1905. It is a 10" .22 with the number on the front of the grip strap.

 

[red9]

#22772 is a .22, 6" nickel with the s/n on the front strap. Shipped 7/04.

#26608 is a special order .38 5" revolver shipped to and engraved J.H. ROBERTS. It shipped with target stocks and the s/n is on the butt. Somewhere out there (unfortunately not in my possession) are a 10" .32 single shot barrel numbered 2660(?) and a 10" .22 single shot barrel numbered 3260(?), both engraved with the same name.

Bob

 

[1891SingleShot]

In my dad's collection, which my brother and myself now own, there are two 1st Model Single Shots which fall above the 18873 serial number:

#21728 is an 8" .32 S&W with serial number on the bottom of the butt.

#21814 is a 10" .22 LR with serial number on the front strap.

 

[Boulder350]

Thanks for posting info on your single shots gentlemen. I have added them to my database.