My Very First Old S&W - Some Questions about What I Have!!

[Col Defender]

Hi Everyone

Just got this "new" old S&W. It came from a local dealer and was advertised as "WW II Army Issue". Maybe. What I think I know though is that it is an M&P 4th change, SN 9246XX, which according to my S&W catalog makes it maybe late '30s to '42. This SN appears on the but, the cylinder and the under side of the barrel. But there is another number, 62524 which appears two places: when I open the cylinder it is visible there on the frame and also on the arm which holds the cylinder. What is this number??

Other stuff I think I know is K Frame, blue finsh (not much blue left), 5 " barrel and marked 38 S&W Ctg. Square butt with plain wood grips. AND it is stamped "Ridgefield, NJ" under the barrel and the marking "Patented Feb6 06, Sep 14 09, Dec 29 14" on the barrel. Finally the top of the frame bears the marking "United States Property" but nowhere can I find US Army on it.

It came with a genuine looking canvas holster and lanyard. Holster is in perfect condition and while I'm willing to believe the revolver went through WWII the holster surely did not.

And it shoots as well as any gun I own!

Can anyone help me with what its real history might be? Obviously US government but what part of the government and what does the Ridgefield NJ mean?

Thanks so much. I tried to put a pic on here but don't know if it is really there or not.

Steve

 

[Col Defender]

Hi Everyone

Just got this "new" old S&W. It came from a local dealer and was advertised as "WW II Army Issue". Maybe. What I think I know though is that it is an M&P 4th change, SN 9246XX, which according to my S&W catalog makes it maybe late '30s to '42. This SN appears on the but, the cylinder and the under side of the barrel. But there is another number, 62524 which appears two places: when I open the cylinder it is visible there on the frame and also on the arm which holds the cylinder. What is this number??

Other stuff I think I know is K Frame, blue finsh (not much blue left), 5 " barrel and marked 38 S&W Ctg. Square butt with plain wood grips. AND it is stamped "Ridgefield, NJ" under the barrel and the marking "Patented Feb6 06, Sep 14 09, Dec 29 14" on the barrel. Finally the top of the frame bears the marking "United States Property" but nowhere can I find US Army on it.

It came with a genuine looking canvas holster and lanyard. Holster is in perfect condition and while I'm willing to believe the revolver went through WWII the holster surely did not.

And it shoots as well as any gun I own!

Can anyone help me with what its real history might be? Obviously US government but what part of the government and what does the Ridgefield NJ mean?

Thanks so much. I tried to put a pic on here but don't know if it is really there or not.

Steve

 

[mikepriwer]

Steve

It sounds like its one of the lend-lease guns, being in 38 S&W caliber. A factory letter
might explain where it was delivered , and/or some of the knowledgeable Victory members
will , perhaps, offer some comments.

Your picture(s) have to be uploaded to a hosting site (like www.photobucket.com ), and
then you place the image link in your posting here on this site.

Later, Mike Priwer

 

[Muley Gil]

"Ridgefield, NJ"

It was probably imported by Navy Arms, whose HQ is, or was, in Ridgefield.

 

[opoefc]

Steve, You have a "Lend Lease" pre-Victory model .38/200 cal. revolver that apparently went overseas to either Britain or one of the colonial countries, in about 1941. The web type holsters were standard issue for those countries in WW2. I think Muley is right in that the gun was imported back to the US by Navy Arms and the stamping under the barrel was their import stamp. as required by the Gun Control Act of 1968, I believe. The late Val Forgett was the owner of Navy Arms and a serious S&W collector and member of the S&WCA. He stamped his S&W imports in places where it was not seen in casual inspection, in order to keep the guns as collectable as possible in appearance. Ed.

 

[Col Defender]

Thanks guys - a wealth of info already!

Can anyone shed some light on the meaning of the number 62524???

Now that I have this oldie I think I've caught the bug - others may be in my future!!

Thanks again.

Steve

 

[H Richard]

That other number is an assembly number. Has no meaning other than keeping the parts together during assembly.