NYPD 1947 M&P

[RM Vivas]

Mr. Vivas,

In your digging around did you find a start and stop serial number for that shipment on the off chance they were sequential?

(Thanks again for your help).

I did not. However in the period 12OCT46 through 19OCT46 (one week) the department sold more than 700 guns!!!

In looking at the book I see that all guns sold up to and including 11OCT46 are in one type of handwriting and those sold on and after 12OCT46 are in a different handwriting.

The way the records were kept, when the guns came in they were written one gun per line in the ledger book. When the cop bought his gun, they wrote his particulars on the same line next to the serial number.

What I see here is that on 12OCT46, someone sat down and logged in a sh!tload of new guns. I'd wager a pretty fair accounting of serial numbers from the group of 500 could be postulated by just checking the handwriting (and no, I'm not doing that!).

 

[RM Vivas]

Mr. Vivas,

In your digging around did you find a start and stop serial number for that shipment on the off chance they were sequential?

(Thanks again for your help).

Looks like mainly 842xxx thru 848xxx.

 

[kbm6893]

I see a few references to a large single shipment of guns to NYCPD in October of 1946.

I have one of the guns from this shipment and have dug through my notes and correspondence and thought I'd chime in.

On 11 October 1946 the New York City Police Department acquired 500 Military & Police revolvers from S&W. All the revolvers were in .38 Special, had 4-inch barrels, were blued and had square Magna stocks. They will letter as NYCPD, Equipment Bureau, 400 Broome Street (you serious dinosaurs from pre-1972 will remember that address), NY, NY. The guns were ---picked up--- by the department, NOT shipped.

Worth noting how the original letter says 'shipped' but follow-up letter says 'picked-up'. I've seen this a few times; I suspect that when Mr. Jinks goes into the records he gets the basic info and stops there, digging only deeper of the customer specifically asks for more info.

I don't believe this is the largest single purchase by NYCPD but it is definitely near the top of the list.

Immediate post-war classes were huge and frequent. I can't recall the exact number, but 1,200 new officers in one year would not be far off. Might even be low.

In addition to needing to outfit the new guys, every guy who came on during the war and got a poorly finished Commando or Victory also wanted to upgrade.

I've been in the gun room at the Equipment Bureau and I can tell you that 500 of any gun in one place outside the factory or the military is a rare and beautiful thing. Steel shelves all the way around the room with stacks and stacks of boxed guns. Different makes and flavors. Tucked into the corners, old guns that never sold. Want a 3 inch 1968 vintage M36 NIB never shot outside the factory? They had them until late 90's; still sold them at the 1968 price too!

I never knew you could buy old guns from the equipment section. Must have kept that a secret from regular rank and file guys, cause I would have swooped in there on a regular basis!

 

[JSR III]

On Blue Bloods the other night, Danny Reagans wife bought a gun for protection. Her brother-in-law walked in a short time later. It appeared to be represented as a regular gun shop. Is that the way its done today?

 

[wheelgun28]

I don't watch the show but if you're a sworn officer with a badge and ID in New York. You can go to any gun shop and buy what you want and walk out with it. They dont have any of the other paperwork that the state requires.

This does makes some difficulties when retiring...

 

[kbm6893]

I don't watch the show but if you're a sworn officer with a badge and ID in New York. You can go to any gun shop and buy what you want and walk out with it. They dont have any of the other paperwork that the state requires.

This does makes some difficulties when retiring...

Only a couple of gunshops still in NYC. One was right near headquarters. But it is true a cop walks into a shop and walks out with the gun. He has to bring the gun to his command and add it to his 10 Card, which was a list of all the commands and guns he owned.

When you retire it depends on the county you live in as each has their own method of adding guns to your permit. Orange County NY is the most annoying. You buy the gun but it stays at the store. You take the receipt to the county headquarters and show you bought the gun. Then you wait until a judge signs off on the addition and they mail you a purchase document. When you get it you take it to the store and pick up the gun.

 

[RM Vivas]

Back when 10 Cads were actual cards (I suspect now its computerized) I knew guys who had so many guns that their 10 Card were stapled together accordion-style. One fellow had one that could easily span the width of a desk!

I was wondering who would b first to bring up 10 Cards.

Only a couple of gunshops still in NYC. One was right near headquarters. But it is true a cop walks into a shop and walks out with the gun. He has to bring the gun to his command and add it to his 10 Card, which was a list of all the commands and guns he owned.

When you retire it depends on the county you live in as each has their own method of adding guns to your permit. Orange County NY is the most annoying. You buy the gun but it stays at the store. You take the receipt to the county headquarters and show you bought the gun. Then you wait until a judge signs off on the addition and they mail you a purchase document. When you get it you take it to the store and pick up the gun.

 

[kbm6893]

Back when 10 Cads were actual cards (I suspect now its computerized) I knew guys who had so many guns that their 10 Card were stapled together accordion-style. One fellow had one that could easily span the width of a desk!

I was wondering who would b first to bring up 10 Cards.

Yeah. I had 2 cards. And they were just stapled together and jammed into a card box behind the desk. I wouldn't be shocked if the job still used the actual cards. They're slow to change and a 10 card isn't very high on the list of things that need changing.