Postwar .357 Magnum Transitional Production

[lestert357]

The below chart is sort of a spin-off of the chart that Dr. Jinks previously published on Pre-war .357 Magnum Registered and Non-Registered Production.

During July 2022 Dr. Bill Cross completed a review of early Postwar .357 Magnum invoices available in the S&W Historical Foundation digitized and indexed records. His review discovered invoices for 123 .357 Magnum Transitionals produced during the 1946 - 1949 period. The below chart depicts his findings:

Note: The last Postwar long action .357 Magnum Transitional was shipped from the Stockbridge Street factory on 3/8/49 (S71850, 3-1/2”, blue, shipped to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Jackson, MS.) The first short action .357 Magnums were shipped from the Roosevelt Avenue factory on 11/18/49 (S75514, S75515, S75516, S75517, S75519, & S75520, all 3-1/2”, blue, shipped to Evaluators LTD, Quantico, VA, for various police departments.)

To summarize several key points from the above chart:

- only one (1) known .357 Magnum Transitional was completed during 1946 (serial# S71642 with HBH completed on 12/5/46 - pictured below).

- over 91% of all .357 Magnum Transitionals were completed during 1948.

- 3-1/2” & 5” barrel lengths were by far the most common (these were mostly police issues to the Kansas Highway Patrol - examples of both barrel lengths pictured below).

- although barrel lengths had been standardized at 3-1/2”, 5”, 6”, 6-1/2”, and 8-3/8” towards the end of the Pre-war era, several special order .357 Magnum Transitional barrel lengths were produced; one (1) each at 5-1/2”, 8-1/2”, and 8-3/4” (the 8-1/2” & 8-3/4” are known extant revolvers, and are both most likely the only Postwar .357 Magnums with that barrel length - both pictured below).

- although the most common barrel length during the Pre-war era, only one (1) each .357 Magnum Transitional was produced with a 6-1/2” barrel.

- 8-3/8” barrel length was the most common long tube of choice, if you can categorize 13 guns as common (several of these were presentations and/or inscribed such as S71893 presented to President Harry Truman, & S71972 inscribed to Major General Julian S. Hatcher - both pictured below)


S71642, a 6” with “Hump Back” Hammer, the first .357 Magnum Transitional…..

Photo credits - sw357nm

S71245, a 3-1/2” Kansas Highway Patrol .357 Magnum Transitional…..

Photo credits - handejector

S71485, a 5” Kansas Highway Patrol .357 Magnum Transitional…..

Photo credits - bmg60

S71486, the only known Postwar .357 Magnum Transitional with 8-3/4” barrel…..

S71964, the only known Postwar .357 Magnum Transitional with 8-1/2” barrel…..

Photo credits - RKmesa

S71893, an 8-3/8” .357 Magnum Transitional, presented to President Truman and inscribed “Colonel Harry S. Truman”…..

Photo credits - opoefc

S71972, an 8-3/8” .357 Magnum Transitional, inscribed “Julian S. Hatcher”…..

Photo credits - Rock Island Auction

 

[Retired W4]

Saved that chart. Not that I will ever find one, but I can dream.

 

[quinn]

Most excellent thread, Terry. Thanks to you and Dr. Cross!

 

[fleabus101]

Thanks Terry , Most excellent info to have..
Randy.

 

[RKmesa]

Fantastic thread with great info for us 357 Magnum lovers!!! Thank you Terry for pulling it all together and Bill for combing the records.

 

[handejector]

NICE work on the chart, Terry.
I have been privileged to own three of these.

S71116 - I lettered this one in 2010. The grips are obviously not the original Transition style.

The pics of S71245 are mine. I used to own it. I don't remember positively, but I think the grips are the originals.

S71721 It also wears Non-original grips.

 

[TheTinMan]

Fabulous OP and thread. Likes are not enough!

 

[Flygas]

What’s the highest (last) known serial number?

 

[lestert357]

What’s the highest (last) known serial number?

Highest known serial number currently documented is S72019. It was one of the twenty-five (25) 3-1/2” Magnums shipped on 12/15/48 to Blish, Mize & Silliman Co., Atchison, KS, for the Kansas Hwy Patrol.

 

[long colt frazier]

This is my contribution to the thread. I am still searching for the correct rear sight.

 

[lestert357]

This is my contribution to the thread. I am still searching for the correct rear sight.

That is a beautiful addition to this thread and deserves better than a thumbnail. Seems strange that a gun in that condition would have an incorrect rear sight assembly.[emoji848]

 

[long colt frazier]

My thought is someone needed the sight and borrowed it while it was at the showroom. Really though no clue?

 

[KSK]

8-3/8” Transitional .357 Magnum, S71655 shipped to Remington Arms 6/30/48.

 

[turnerriver]

This is a copy of a page from an Evaluators Ltd. stock book showing who purchased those 6 short action revolvers. Excellent thread, thanks for taking the time to post it.

Regards,

 

[lestert357]

Thanks for that update in post #14 John; I will add that information to the database.

 

[lestert357]

A clarification to my post #14 for those that may be wondering why I am adding .357 Magnum short action data to the Transitional database.

The S&WCA database I am referring to is entitled “Postwar Transitional & Early Short Action .357 Magnums (1946 - 1949)”. In addition to the .357 Magnum Transitionals it also includes the very early short action .357 Magnums that were shipped or ordered during 1949. I was able to include 27 of these very early short action .357 Magnums in the database when Dr. Cross sent me the factory invoices. The serial numbers begin with S755XX, S756XX, S758XX, S759XX, and S760XX. I’m not positive about this, but to my knowledge none of them have yet surfaced in our collecting community.

The .357 Magnums on the Evaluators list provided by turnerriver were already in the database from the factory invoice data as being shipped to Evaluators for various police agencies. Now, as a result of the information provided by turnerriver, if any of these guns ever surface the collector will know exactly who the first owner was by name and police organization - if he/she is a member of the S&WCA and can access the database.

Also, a final comment…..I do not plan on including later production (after 1949) Pre-Model 27’s in this or a separate database. That curating task will require someone else to step up to the plate.

 

[RKmesa]

Bumping this great thread for another run at the top. Perhaps a few more of these great guns surfaced and photos can be posted...

 

[lestert357]

Please note that the name of the SWCA database that contains the listings of Post War Transitional .357 Magnums has been changed to “Post War .357 Magnum (1946 - 1950)”.

Besides the Transitional .357 Magnums this database has now grown to include early short action .357 Magnums that were shipped in late 1949 and 1950.

Currently the highest listed short action serial number in the database is S76793 and it shipped on 6/29/50.

If you have one of these early short action .357 Magnums that was shipped in 1949 or 1950, and want it listed in the database, please send me the shipping information via PM.

 

[Hair Trigger]

Outstanding thread going here. I've always been fascinated by the early post war period.

Where is Truman's revolver now? In a museum, or in family or private ownership?

Truman served as an Army artillery Captain during WWI and later rose to a Colonel in the Reserve officer Corps in 1932. He enlisted in the Missouri National Guard in 1911 and made corporal, then received an Army commission during WWI.

 

[lestert357]

Where is Truman's revolver now? In a museum, or in family or private ownership?

It is in The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, MO. The late Ed Cornett (screen name - opoefc) wrote a terrific article about it entitled “A Presidential .357 Magnum” in the S&WCA Journal, Volume 42, Summer 2008.