Symbols under grips of MODEL 57

[Claymore33]

I recently purchased a Model 57-1 Blue 4" .
After taking grips off to verify serial number I noticed 3 different other # s and symbols: a circle with number 1 in center . A heart with number 5 in center. and then digits 4761.
Does anyone understand these ?

 

[22hipower]

Probably just inspector/fitters marks. Nothing to worry about, great gun, enjoy it. Pictures?

Jeff
SWCA #1457


Edit: I recently acquired a 6 inch ANIB so dug it out of the safe and here are the stamps on mine. Just inspector/fitter stamps as far as I know and I don't think there is anything to be learned from any of them.

 

[Claymore33]

Yours has 4761 stamp also. You have Triangle D , mine has Heart 5. It has got to mean "sumptin"

Now I am going to have to pull grips off 27s, 29s and 19s .
Inquiring minds want to know !!!

 

[H Richard]

All these marks are fitter and inspector marks. As it shows the gun went through several pair of hands in it's creation.

 

[rct269]

This is a quasi-scientific wild guess: These marks, typically as letters and numbers appeared on all the guns in my collection (targets as I define them, from beginning to end------the several NM #3's to the Model 52-2------the real beginning, what I deem to be the end). I decided the folks who had a hand in making these guns were paid by the piece---also that they were essentially employees of the several foremen (they in turn essentially independent contractors to S&W). Needless to say, any and all of this very likely changed over time as the government became more and more involved in the employer/employee relationship. I supposed payment for the services flowed from S&W to the several foremen to the workers, and these various markings served to determine daily production logs kept by the foremen which determined who got what.

Is that really the way it worked? I don't know----I don't even pretend to know. I believe it makes some sense----sort of.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[Doc44]

The symbols and numbers being discussed are common to revolvers made in the late 1960s through the 1980s. As stated above, they were stamped by the technicians who fitted, assembled, and inspected the revolvers during manufacture.

Bill

 

[Summersteel]

It would be interesting to find out "who" these people were and how these kind of stamps were developed. Just who was "Heart-Five", and "Circle-One"? What was their background? How long did they work at the factory? How were these symbols chosen?

 

[Jim Watson]

Reminds me of my Dad's ticket punch. He was a city bus driver and had a punch that left a distinct personal mark in a transfer. Hard to imagine a supervisor sorting through the fare box looking to see who issued a transfer, but the punch was there.

If you look at charts of Belgian proof marks, there are the names of proof house inspectors by their stamps.

It is inconsiderate of manufacturers to not keep records of their employees and their marks for the delectation of collectors a century later.

 

[Claymore33]

IS THIS A ROY JINKS QUESTION ?

Bill, Do you think Roy could track down names or tasks associated with these marks ?

 

[Doc44]

Markham...I don't believe Roy could track anything about the fitters and inspectors marks, but you can always ask.

Bill