Well, Xfuzz, I was on your original thread, and admired that 40 then. You are right. In the entire run of the centennial, from 1952 until the final original style with the grip safety was made, there were very few, relatively speaking, of either the 40 (steel) or the 42 (alloy) made. I'm not positive, but let's say 30,000 + all told. And of those, probably less than 10% were nickle. (I know that there are folks here who know this better than I). Oh yeah, the pin that you can lock the grip safety with is original, and if yours still has it, that is another factor in rarIty: they are usually missing.
On the other hand, there are lots of 66 no dashes around. I have both a pre 40, and a couple of 66 no dashes. I wouldn't trade or sell the 66s, but only because I was issued them when on the job. But in my opinion, I'd hang onto the 40.
Plus: you can put 5 rounds of your favorite 38 spl ammunition in it, slip it in your pocket, and you are good to go! I have half a dozen of the Cenntenniel style revolvers from 1953 until this year, and they constitute my main carry sidearms.
There is a story that Colonel Rex Applegate, who was close to Smith and Wesson management was given one of the early Chief specials, a three digit serial number that one of our forum members now owns. He then supposedly suggested to Smith Management that they bring back the old "Safety Hammerless" style grip safety and Hammerless design and mate it to the chief special frame and powerful 38 special cartridge, and thus the centennial was born. Or something like that. He had supposedly been armed down in Mexico with a safety Hammerless 38 S&W caliber break top, and was attacked by a machete wielding man, and was lucky to stop the attack with 5 rounds of the less powerful ammo. But he liked the design, liked its sleekness, and liked the safety features.
Or at least that's how I remember the story.
I love them, and if I was you, would hang on to it, and if you want the 66, just buy it outright.
EDIT: just went to refresh my memory. Here is the story straight from Applegate's pen:
Col. Rex Applegate’s Shoot-Out Leads To A Revolver’s Redesign
“In 1947, after retiring from the regular army and moving to Mexico City, I formed a Mexican sales company for representation of American firearms and allied lines. During this period I carried a Fourth Model .38 S&W Hammerless with a 2” barrel, either in my pocket, or when in southern Mexico, in the hotter tropical climate, in a Myers special belt-attached, upside-down holster that was a very practical system, particularly when wearing an open bottom shirt as was customarily worn.
Just prior to one of my regular trips to the states around 1950, I had been in southern Mexico, near the Guatemalan border, in the area of Salina Cruz in the company of a Mexican Army officer. On this particular evening the officer and I encountered a very drunk, machete-wielding Indian who seemed bent upon decapitating us both. The officer carried his .45 Automatic in a US Army holster. While he was frantically trying to get it into action, I was successful in drawing my Safety Hammerless from the Myers holster, from under my sport shirt and dropped the machete wielding Indian after putting five slugs into his torso. He finally fell to the ground about five feet from me, just as I was getting ready to throw the empty gun at him. Due to the Mexican army connection, there were no repercussions.
I mentioned this incident to W.H.B. Smith when I next met him in New York, prior to our trip to the S&W plant, and complained about the lack of stopping power. We both began wondering why it was not possible, and advisable, for S&W to consider the production of a model similar to the Safety Hammerless, using the Chief Special frame in the more potent .38 Special caliber. We discussed this at some length with Carl Hellstrom [then president of Smith and Wesson].
On my next trip to the plant in the fall of 1951, Carl Helstrom presented to me a prototype model of one of the first Centennials. This is one of my most prized firearms and one which I will always treasure. I cannot help but think that, especially due to the urging of W.H.B. Smith and perhaps myself, that we were at least partially responsible for convincing Hellstrom to produce the Centennial Model.”
– Col. Rex Applegate, June 1990"
Best Regards, Les
