Pre 29 Box question

[beagleye]

Does any one know a general serial and date range for the clam shell type mahogany boxes for the pre 29s, particularly for 4" guns?

I have a shot at a pre 29 5 screw 4" locally with a mahogany box and tools that all fit very well together but I didn't even know pre 29s came in such a box.

Thanks

 

[rck281]

5-screw Pre-M29 and early 4-screw guns came in a black box and not the mahogany. I'm sure DOC44 can tell you the time the mahogany clamshell box was introduced. However, most of the later 4-screw model marked guns came in clamshell boxes.

 

[jcelect]

Mahogany Case?

It is doughtful that a pre 29 came in a clam shell case! However, this could be a gun that sat in S&W storage longer than usual! The clam shell case liners were first used in approx. 1960. There was a "transistion" case liner used before the clam shell which was the blue satin liner of the black case in the Mahogany case. The early Mahogany clam shell cases used the same latch as the last latch used on the black cases(without the "button")!
jcelect SWCA#LM723

 

[Doc44]

The first model marked 29s appeared in early 58 at approximately serial number S184000. The case in use at the time had a dark blue to black, smooth exterior, clasp style latch, blue satin lining. The mahogany case with a satin lining appeared in late 58 for the guns with an 8 3/8-inch barrel. The clamshell case was in use by May 1960 and would not have been used for a pre-model 29 unless the stamping of the model number was skipped during the manufacturing process (which happened rarely).

All 5-screw 44 Magnums were shipped in dark blue to black cases with a blue satin lining. The case with the 5-screw you are looking at is incorrect for the gun.

Bill

 

[beagleye]

Thanks for the very helpful information.

 

[DCWilson]

I am a secondary beneficiary of this summary. I have never understood the early .44 Magnum boxes -- in fact I have never even seen one because I don't travel in the collecting circles where they appear -- and now I feel as though I have a basic grasp of what to look for if I ever develop an interest in four- and five-screw Pre-29s.

 

[CBA44]

I am a secondary beneficiary of this summary. I have never understood the early .44 Magnum boxes -- in fact I have never even seen one because I don't travel in the collecting circles where they appear -- and now I feel as though I have a basic grasp of what to look for if I ever develop an interest in four- and five-screw Pre-29s.

Don't overlook the fact that Bill mentioned SMOOTH cases...

don't forget there is the "pebble grain" also...