My DA .44-40 Frontier Model...Help on serial #

[Captain John Jarrett]

All,

New to the boards, but have just purchased a S&W DA Frontier model and wondered if anyone might give me a ball park estimate on when it was made/shipped??

I know that all are considered antique and that I can letter it as well, but thought I might see what the members can tell me off the top of their heads....Serial # is 8896

It has been refinished but is in great mechanical order-very good bore as well! I plan on using it, as well as my Webley WG and Webley No.5 New Nodel Army Express (both .476/.455/.45 Colt), as my main match revolvers at the NCOWS shoots.

Have attached some pics. for perusal.

Regards, John.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Can't answer your questions but that is a way-cool gun. Congrats and thanks for sharing it here.

 

[deadin]

Nice gun!!
Closest I can come is my #11,808 letters to 12/31/1900. Monkey Wards, Chicago.

 

[opoefc]

# 9362 shipped in Feb 1894. .44DAs are one of the worst models to try to estimate ship dates from dates of known shipments, as they were slow sellers and stayed in the vaults for years sometimes after they were completed. All frames were made before 1898, so the guns are all antiques under BATF rules, however some guns shipped as late as WW1 era. The only way to know for sure the ship date of any given serial number is to order a factory historical letter from Roy Jinks. Ed.

 

[Captain John Jarrett]

Gents,

Thanks very much for the replies, will send in the form & payment next week to get the letter! Could someone give me an approximate time period it will be from the time I send the form till I receive the letter?

Thanks, John.

 

[delta-419]

44-40

Those 44-40 Smiths are great shooters. I have an early one with serial number 222 and it shipped on 8 October 1887 to New York City. I picked it up in Anchorage Alaska, if only it could talk. It had been used in SASS shoots. Both Bell Starr and John Wesley Hardin carried these S&W Frontier 44-40s as well as other guns. Its a piece of history.

 

[seinen]

Have SN 7607. Factory letter indicates it was shipped to Meacham Arms Co., St. Louis, MO on November 12, 1891. Has Japanese police registry markings at the pivot joint.

C/

 

[seinen]

Gents,

Thanks very much for the replies, will send in the form & payment next week to get the letter! Could someone give me an approximate time period it will be from the time I send the form till I receive the letter?

Thanks, John.

By my recent experience, from 4-6 weeks.

C/

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

My 44DA chambered for 44 Russian, SN 24XX was shipped in October of 1881.

Regarding how long it takes to get a letter, it all depends on how busy Roy is at the time.

I know I will get my head handed to me for saying this, but if you are going to use it as a Main Match revolver for NCOWS, I strongly suggest you shoot it with Black Powder. I only shoot Black Powder in all my old Top Breaks. They were not designed for the concussion of Smokeless recoil. If you are going to shoot it a lot, even with Cowboy 44-40 loads, the pounding of recoil may stretch the frame a bit and make the latch loose. Mine was a bit loose when I bought it, but a very knowledgeable smith was able to tighten up the lockup.

Even though I shoot SASS, there are a couple of clubs that allow me to use my 44DA at matches, as long as I only shoot it single action.

P.S. Very nice gun you have there. I'm jealous.

 

[twaits]

Heck of a nice gun. I have one serial number 6512 that shipped to MW Robinson on February 18, 1896.
This old guy:

 

[Captain John Jarrett]

Gents,

Many thanks for all the replies, and I'm gonna try and get my form sent in this week....4-6 weeks won't be so bad!

Wanted to ask if using .44-40 loaded with Trail Boss (6 grains) would be to much for the old girl? I have 100 rounds loaded with TB, but should I just not take a chance? I am using the TB in my .45 Schofield loading that I have for my Webley WG and Webley No.5 New Model Army Express and have not noticed any problems yet, but the Webley WG is quite a bit larger and seems somehow more robust.....

John.

 

[22 rifle]

trail boss powder

i've been reloading and casting bullets for 35 years now.trail boss is a great powder for modern reproductions,they are made of much stronger steel than the old guns.many of the old guns had iron frames or what they call mild steel which is much weaker.also some of the black powder era frames were not even heat treated.trail boss is made to bulk up and prevent double charges in older revolver cases but is still a fast burning smokless powder similar to bullseye.don't risk it black powder only in the old guns!

 

[Captain John Jarrett]

22,

I have a gent loading some .44-40 black rounds as we speak. Will save the Trail Boss loads for my Pedersoli Lightning Rifle!

John.