S&W Red Boxes of 1950's Vintage Corner Reinforcements

[JH1951]

I have seen several 1950's vintage red boxes lately, for instance for the Chiefs Special, that look quite a bit alike, but show a difference with respect to the corner reinforcements. Some red box corner reinforcements have three attaching holes, and some have four. I'm wondering which ones were used when. I looked in the SCSW 4th edition, and although the information is informative, this aspect is not addressed.
Can anyone lend insight about which corner reinforcements were used when?

 

[Walter Rego]

I have a Baby Chiefs Special that came in its original red box. The box has 4 hole corner staples and it shipped in October 1952

 

[opoefc]

Trying to pin point when S&W used certain styles of boxes will not work. Their boxes, whether made by S&W or by a vendor, went into inventory and were used up as guns were shipped. There are many examples of guns shipped after WW2 in the old "patent" boxes of pre-war vintage because they were still in the box inventory, as well as Registered Magnum style two piece blue picture boxes used for post was shipments. Ed.