Non-Registered Magnum.

[blackdeuce]

My son and I got up early to go to the local gun show. Absolutely not expecting to find a deal.
I spied a gun labeled as pre 27. After negotiating a price, I figured I'd buy it.
My son looked at it and said "dude, buy it!". I gave the guy cash and we were on our way.
From what we can tell, it's an non-registered magnum from 1941 to 1942. I need to the letter it.

 

[mojave30cal]

Wow, nice snag! Gun shows today usually don't have much to offer. Let us know what the letter says.

 

[blackdeuce]

Wow, nice snag! Gun shows today usually don't have much to offer. Let us know what the letter says.

Thank you.

All numbers match. Frame, cylinder, barrel, and grips.

 

[lestert357]

Yes, that is a beautiful Non-Registered Magnum with a Hump Back Hammer, 6-1/2" barrel, McGivern Bead front sight, and probably a U-notch rear sight. If you paid a typical Pre-27 price then you made a great buy! It probably shipped in about February 1940. Congratulations!! I will add it to the S&WCA Database…..serial number is 60809, correct?

If you obtain a letter of authenticity for this NRM from the Historical Foundation please post a copy of it in this thread.

 

[blackdeuce]

Yes, that is a beautiful Non-Registered Magnum with a Hump Back Hammer, 6-1/2" barrel, McGivern Bead front sight, and probably a U-notch rear sight. If you paid a typical Pre-27 price then you made a great buy! It probably shipped in about February 1940. Congratulations!! I will add it to the S&WCA Database…..serial number is 60809, correct?

If you obtain a letter of authenticity for this NRM from the Historical Foundation please post a copy of it in this thread.

Yes, 60809.

When I get a letter, I will post it.

Thank you for the information.

 

[sceva]

Nice number; you don't need to make sure you're orienting it correctly.

Nice revolver too

 

[blackdeuce]

Nice number; you don't need to make sure you're orienting it correctly.

Nice revolver too

Good catch! That is cool.

 

[YouveHadYour6]

Beautiful find, you guys did well!

 

[glshuck]

Beautiful find, you guys did well!

I thought I did good snagging some grips and a 16ga ithaca 37, but it would have been hard to top @blackdeuce today. I came home with hours on hours of grips to refinish, and he came home with an unregistered mag. An unforgettable father's day.

 

[Frailer]

That is a very good day at the gun show indeed. Congratulations!

 

[moosedog]

This goes down as "Deal of the year" Congratulations.

 

[blackdeuce]

This goes down as "Deal of the year" Congratulations.

I honestly didn't know what it was. I planned to buy it because I liked it and the price was decent for a nice pre 27. I needed a 6 1/2" model 27 to have one of each barrel length.

My son figured out that it wasn't a pre 27, but it took some research to figure out exactly what it was. Pretty exciting when we figured it out.

 

[ladder13]

smart son.

 

[Tijeras_Slim]

Love it when a classic Smith finds a good home.

 

[steelslaver]

Ditto, and especially when its new home is a member here.

 

[oldcorps76]

Back about 1998, was in a Co Springs gun show. Was fairly new to the taxonomy and genealogy of Smith and Wesson...but I sure recognized something special in the pristine pre-27 3.5' Smith sitting on a table near the door. It was labelled "Model 19." I asked "do you think that's a model19?" Owner said "yep, $250." Who am I to argue? I wrote him a check. Later sold it to a friend for $850 and now wish I hadn't.

 

[blackdeuce]

Back about 1998, was in a Co Springs gun show. Was fairly new to the taxonomy and genealogy of Smith and Wesson...but I sure recognized something special in the pristine pre-27 3.5' Smith sitting on a table near the door. It was labelled "Model 19." I asked "do you think that's a model19?" Owner said "yep, $250." Who am I to argue? I wrote him a check. Later sold it to a friend for $850 and now wish I hadn't.

I don't feel too bad because I honestly thought I was negotiating the price of a pre 27. I was questioning the grips because they didn't look right for a pre 27.

My son figured out that it was probably something much less common. I had no idea what. Lol.

 

[diecidecimi]

Congrats! Nice shot! I would like to highlight two gems: the Mcgivern gold bead frontsight and the serrated humpback hammer!

 

[DARE]

You done good. I paid $750 for these grips a few years ago.

 

[Gun Relics]

My son and I got up early to go to the local gun show. Absolutely not expecting to find a deal.
I spied a gun labeled as pre 27. After negotiating a price, I figured I'd buy it.
My son looked at it and said "dude, buy it!". I gave the guy cash and we were on our way.
From what we can tell, it's an non-registered magnum from 1941 to 1942. I need to the letter it.

Perfect!

 

[weatherby]

Yup those pre war magnas are a huge giveaway to something special.

 

[blackdeuce]

Yup those pre war magnas are a huge giveaway to something special.

I've learned a number of things as a result of this purchase. I hadn't really researched registered magnums because they were pricier than the guns that I usually buy.

I just ordered the Vintage American Treasures Series, Smith and Wesson Magnum Edition by Bill Cross.

 

[blackdeuce]

Congrats! Nice shot! I would like to highlight two gems: the Mcgivern gold bead frontsight and the serrated humpback hammer!

Do those features add value or just make it more interesting?

 

[Muley Gil]

Do those features add value or just make it more interesting?

A humpbacked hammer definitely adds value. The front sight was one of the options available at the time.

 

[45NUTT]

Dude!! Did you buy lottery tickets on the way home too?? My 2nd model HE 44 special had pre war magnas on it. I don't think I would have recognized that specifically as a non registered magnum, but the hammer and grips would ring the "Buy it then research it" bell really hard.

Glad it went to a good home.

 

[1blindref]

Excellent find!
The only thing I found at the local gun show was some reasonably priced beef jerky.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Nice enough to be proud of, but enough wear so you don't need to hesitate taking it to the range!!!!!

Congrats!!

 

[blackdeuce]

Dude!! Did you buy lottery tickets on the way home too?? My 2nd model HE 44 special had pre war magnas on it. I don't think I would have recognized that specifically as a non registered magnum, but the hammer and grips would ring the "Buy it then research it" bell really hard.

Glad it went to a good home.

The thing that got my son excited was the one line address. He knew from that that it was old.

I was hung up on the notion that the grips were wrong for a pre 27. It never occurred to me that it wasn't a pre 27. Lol.

 

[blackdeuce]

Yes, that is a beautiful Non-Registered Magnum with a Hump Back Hammer, 6-1/2" barrel, McGivern Bead front sight, and probably a U-notch rear sight. If you paid a typical Pre-27 price then you made a great buy! It probably shipped in about February 1940. Congratulations!! I will add it to the S&WCA Database…..serial number is 60809, correct?

If you obtain a letter of authenticity for this NRM from the Historical Foundation please post a copy of it in this thread.

Don't have the letter, but Michael Helms sent the attached invoice. My gun is the first one listed on the invoice.

 

[blackdeuce]

Wow, nice snag! Gun shows today usually don't have much to offer. Let us know what the letter says.

I posted the invoice above. Pretty interesting. It was ordered by a Major in the U.S. Army.