Please date 1930s catalog

[Aussie Collector]

Here is a new addition to my catalog collection.
I found it on ebay in a lot of 30+ S&W catalogs and purchase the lot for this one alone.
Its early 1930s or maybe even late 1920s but Im not sure.
The prices are a little cheaper than the 1936 catalog, the straight line and .32 auto are listed so no later than 1936
This is the only catalog I have that has "war tax" included, this may hint to the date.
Can someone please tell me the year of this catalog, thanks.
If it cannot be dated then enjoy the pictures and prices of this old catalog.

 

[shawn mccarver]

It has to be somewhere between the introduction of the Heavy Duty, which appears in your catalog, and the ".357" Magnum, which does not. The Heavy Duty is in your catalog, but called the "Super Police." Thus, I vote for somewhere between roughly 1930 and 1935.

 

[DCWilson]

Along that same line of thinking, notice that the "K-22 Target Revolver" (which would be marketed as the K-22 Outdoorsman) is in the roster but the .38-44 Outdoorsman is not. This suggests layout and production of these pages sometime in late 1930 or early 1931.

 

[handejector]

We don't really consider those catalogs.
More like 'flyers' or brochures.

My guess is that is probably the last flyer printed before the vaults were emptied by WW II. It only shows what they had on hand. You have to remember that WW II not only helped manufacturers by providing huge Gov contracts, but also by making it possible to sell every turkey they had ever built. ALL the dead inventory that had previously been unsellable was gone by 41.
The 'war tax' notation means it had to be WW II era.

 

[Aussie Collector]

Thanks for the help and information.

I have actually call this one a circular right or wrong and have it with other Model Circulars, the layout and look is similar to most model circulars and that's where I have filed it.

I have been crosschecking prices on other catalogs and price lists and have this one dated, from prices, between 1925 (maybe earlier) & 1935. All prices are the same as in the price list dated 1931 that came in the 75th anniversary catalog and a price list dated "1 December 1925". This is much cheaper than the 1936 price list that came in the 80th anniversary catalog.
I have tried to find information on the meaning of war tax and came up with very little. I have no doubt that this is not war year's pamphlet (1939-1945). The little information I did find relating to a "war tax" is to do with Canada and there for presume this is a pamphlet for the Canadian market. To help recover from WW1 the Canadian government introduced a "war tax" in 1920 which put the government in surplus in 1926. I have not been able to determine if the "war tax" remained after surplus was reached. If this is correct then this pamphlet is around 1925 or as late as 1927.
I don't have any 1920-1924 or 1932-1935 price lists so if someone would like to post a few pictures I may be able to narrow down the date. Thanks.

 

[Dan M]

Smith and Wesson is an American/USA company and I don't believe that a Canadian War Tax would be included in the Retail Price. just my .02 cents worth

Dan

 

[Aussie Collector]

You may be right, I can only presume the "war tax" is from Canada as this is the only explanation I have at the moment.

The Canadian "War tax" was among other (types of taxes) was also a sales tax, starting at 1% in 1920 and was slowly increased to 6 ½% or 7% by 1926. Sales taxes are usually collected by the seller in this case S&W. I can only guess that this flier may have been printed for the Canadian market only. It was not uncommon for companies to produce catalogs and fliers for other countries, Colt for example issued many model circulars for the Australian market (pre 1966 with prices in pounds).

 

[Mike McLellan]

An interesting and valuable bit of history. Thanks for letting us take a look.