Raw Steel to Smith & Wesson (Pic HEAVY)

[mokuloa]

The 8.75 Reg Mag on the title page

Thanks for reminding us about this great article Lee. These days when you visit the S&W factory they do not allow cameras. What a contrast from then to the CNC machines of today. I thought readers of this board might like to see the gun used on the title page of this article better, especially the prewar .357 nuts like myself. It is a reg mag 8.75-inch and it came with another barrel, a 4-inch, engraved to match, WOW! It was on the cover of the 5th Edition of Gun Digest. Here it is.

 

[sw44spl]

very good info thanks for posting.

 

[bushmaster1313]

Great Photos.
Makes me appreciate my 1955 .357 Magnum even more.
We will never see the likes of these again>

 

[Oyeboteb]

Really enjoyed these images.

Image No. 54 got a kick out of - Service Dep't repairing or re-Finishing older Revolvers, and, one can see some ( even then ( very old ones indeed!

Wow...

I bet at that time, one could send in anything they ever made, and, they would repair it if you wanted them to.

What wonderful images...lot of the workers had Cigarettes dangling from their mouths as they worked.

I do that also, and, it is nice to see...and so scarce anymore in the larger workplace.

 

[jughed440]

thanks a lot for posting the pics!!! i could look at them for hours. it's real craftsmanship on display.
#29, the father & son team, is neat...52 years on the job. WOW

 

[FTG-05]

Cool pics!

I went through the S&W factory years ago, about a week before the notorious Clinton deal was announced, very interesting tour!

Note that there is only one employee wearing safety goggles/glasses. OSHA would have a fit today.

 

[Mule88]

Great Post! Thanx for sharing.

 

[gunnerbern]

I was fortunate to take a tour of the factory in the early '60s. It looked just like these pictures. The noise was incredible, especially the big drop forge press and the test-firing range, with no one wearing hearing protection.

 

[madmikeb]

I was able to tour the factory on my honeymoon in the late eighties. I found it absolutely fascinating, but my wife wasn't so enthused. As a matter of fact I still hear about it from time to time!

 

[CT Smith Fan]

Great post,those were the days. Thanks!

 

[trouthunterdj]

Thanks for posting.

I'm going to have to dig out my old gun digest.

ddj

 

[bushmaster1313]

Reminds me a bit about what someone said about weaponry in WWII, a marraige of man and machine (think of a ball turret gunner).

These men and women at S&W were the hearts and brains of the machines they used to do their jobs.

 

[Jim Kuykendall]

Well done Lee!

This thread was one of the best ever!!! I'm looking forward to more of these articles. That's what puts the thrill of acquiring some of the older models.

 

[oberon]

That article evokes memories of my earliest recollections of shooting culture. The guys down at the barbershop were exactly like the guys in the photos. The guys down the street at the gunshop were exactly like those guys. The rich history of what we have is reflected in such old time media.
For what it's worth, I have a fairly good collection of old Lyman reloading gear and literature dating back to the 1930& '40s. I have a complete parts list for the old style Tru-line dies, and can assemble die sets from parts boxes. When i see old timers at the funshop or at shows, I like to pick their brain for a little glimpse of what ot was like in their day. I am often amazed at some of the things those fellows were doing with their ballistics & firearms technonlogy...50, 60 years ago or longer.
That article ought to be required reading for anybody who is serious about firearms and shooting. Good post.

 

[rboineau]

I add my thanks for this very interesting post.

As 'gunnerbern' mentioned, no one is wearing hearing protection, unless plugs of some kind are being used.
Can you imagine how profoundly deaf you would be after test firing hundreds or thousands of guns under those conditions--even with plugs? I permanently damaged my hearing by just one afternoon of shooting a .22 handgun outside--I'd fired .22 rifles a lot and never really thought I needed ear protection; didn't realize until I got out with the handgun how much louder it would be with the shorter barrel, and was too stupid to quit shooting and go get some ear protection.

Homes in my neighborhood were almost all built by Army officer retirees of the WWII era. My father was one of them, and he and the others were all deaf to one degree or another from years of exposure to small arms fire, artillery, mortars, etc.. It apparently wasn't "manly" to complain about your ears hurting back then--if someone was particularly sensitive to the noise he was told to break off the filters from cigarettes and stick them in his ears. You know that didn't help much!

 

[oberon]

ps. Can this be added to the 'notable post' section, please?

 

[JSR III]

Ya but now the question is: Are those Roper stocks on that gun???

 

[handejector]

ps. Can this be added to the 'notable post' section, please?

It has been for awhile.
Near the top, in "General"

Ya but now the question is: Are those Roper stocks on that gun???

Yes.

 

[DGNY]

Wonderful post, especially for those who don't have access to old Gun Digests. The 1954 edition was my first, at age 15. What a thrill it was then to read the stories, among them this excellent account.

Thanks for posting.

Regards,

Dyson

 

[alenworn]

unreal, mechanical engineering at its finest

very labor intensive, I wonder how many abor hours have been reduced due to automation and MIM technology these days