The Definitive Model 40/42 Thread

[Engine49guy]

I would love to refinish the gun to original if possible.

I would also suggest getting him the new version,
They are very nicely finished, have the lifetime warranty,
no internal lock and nice diamond grips.

If its mostly ceremonial and you wanna get all fancy buy him the nickel version..Its PURDY!

On the other hand if its main purpose is self defense CCW they made a SS version without the squeeze safety.

If your a masochist they also made one in .357 but its like having an M80 go off in your hand KA-POW!

 

[rburg]

Dick Burg has a Nickeled one with a lower number but never got the ship date etc from him, he brought it to a Gunshow one weekend to show me & David Carrol..

I don't know how I missed this thread (even though I posted to it later on). Yes, I've got an early nickel one #157. I bought it maybe in 1999 at a tiny out of the way gun show. I was on my way home from a convention (dull) and used my GPS to guide me cross country, through the National Forest. Yes, I was in my Jeep and needed it. At the show a vendor had it sitting there, wanting too much for it ($500). But I did end up buying it.

When I got to the town, I had no idea where they'd hold a gun show. So driving along the main street I saw a ratty old Blazer parked at a gas pump. It had "camo" paint, a bunch of leaves painted on the side with the main color primer grey. Knowing my hilbillies pretty well, I pulled in and asked the guy where the gun show was. He gave me a funny look and said "there's a gun show in town today?" Yep. So he yelled "follow me", and off we went to the arena.

So during a particularly weak period in my finances, I lettered it. What a terrible mistake. It even helped me come to the conclusion that postwar guns aren't worth the effort or money. It letters as "Open on Company records". Whatever that means. Probably a lunch box gun, or a salesman's sample lifted without paperwork.

Its clearly been carried some, but not worn down or worn out. It just fit my buying style long ago. Something I didn't need or really want, but it did have a low serial #. Since then someone here has and posted an even lower number. Lost to eternity. It did come from either Hazard or Harlan. Nice little towns where guns outnumber people and where you don't sell off your guns very often. Mountain towns where you mind your own business and leave others alone. They carry guns, too. Probably more folks carrying than not. They worried when the CCW law passed, afraid they'd get billed for prior years!

 

[dacoontz]

I'm glad I found this thread and hope I can get some ideas on how to return my grandfathers Model 42 to a respectable condition.

This gun was his daily carry and was in a house fire about 3 years ago. The damage was all water related and there was quite a bit of wear on the finish from his daily use. I would love to refinish the gun to original if possible.

Serial # L71XX

I did fire the gun yesterday and it functions fine. The safety is very tight but having never fired it, this may be normal.

Am I the only person that noticed that this might be an original Pinto finished gun??? This one might be worth lettering to find out. IT's too bad about the damage from the house fire. Based on what a factory letter says about it, it may be worth having professionally refinished. It might be eligible to be a factory job as it is 70's vintage and may still be young enough to be sent back to the factory. You'd have to call and ask them.

 

[0le]

3 digit SN

Here's my 3 digit SN Centennial. It's in 98% condition, with the original red box.

 

[Planer's Edge]

Where do you find grip attachments like this one?

Also, what is the term "lettering" I keep reading here?

John

 

[PALADIN85020]

Where do you find grip attachments like this one?

Also, what is the term "lettering" I keep reading here?

John

That's a Tyler grip adapter you see there. One of our members also makes this type; search on "grip adapter" and you'll find more data. You can order by computer from either. My little snubbies also have Barami Hip Grips, which allow concealed carry without a holster, either inside the pants at the belt line or in a pocket - the grip stays external while the body of the revolver stays hidden. You can find more information on both of them here:

Barami Hip-Grip «

Here's some more detailed pics that are self-explanatory:

"Lettering" refers to getting a factory letter from Smith & Wesson's historian, Roy Jinks, that describes the gun when it was originally shipped, its shipment date, and to whom it was shipped. These letters cost $50 to obtain. You can do a search on this on this forum for details. Roy will need detailed info on the gun and its serial number to do the necessary research for a letter.

Hope this helps.

John

 

[Planer's Edge]

Thank you for the information.

John

 

[userbronco]

new member here.

stumbled onto this old thread and wanted to post pics of my fathers 42 that he carried in an ankle holster 18 hrs a day for about 20 years as a DNR Ranger.

thanks for all the research and posting it up.
lots of good info in this thread.

 

[peter2772000]

I too am wandering into this thread late in the game.

I recently acquired a Mdl 42 with a serial 12234. Funny thing is that as per the list at the beginning of this thread, my revolver shouldn't have a 5-screw side panel, at least not with the serial # I have. But it does.
Any ideas?

As well, the grips drive me nuts on this revolver. I can't use a standard speedloader as the top left side of the grip bulges out too much. Any suggestions?

Thanks for reading.

 

[peter2772000]

Bump. Anyone????

 

[Senor Chisme]

I just picked up this Model 40 from GunBroker last week. Fairly low price because someone had DuraCoated it. I had always wanted one and finally here was one I could afford. Insides are in good shape, bore looks OK. The story is that it was an undercover cops gun. Well, I bought the gun not the story. It looks like it still has the grip safety pin in the storage location. The serial number is 23793. I am guessing that it puts it about 1964 based on the information in this thread. The grips are numbered but not to this gun. Interestingly enough the grips are numbered 23816, only 23 numbers off the gun. That might lend some credence to the cop story. Then again who really knows. The grips are really oil soaked and are out in the garage under a solution of whitening to get the oil out.

 

[mbliss57]

Here is my brood..The 3 S&W letters were to find the in between gun of 4457 and 4459. The 2 on the outside of the trio. I thought it might have been local but was not. Look at ship dates and location of the 2 pre 42s... 4457 & 4459. Not even close. Only the one was a local gun here in Cleveland area. The middle gun in the pic of 3 is a pre 40 S/N 8294 from June 1956 I believe.
I just bought the shooter Cleveland Police Gun.. it is lettered from the receipt... June 1956.
I included a 940 and a 640 Pro Series although it doesn't fit the subforum time frame either. But the stocks are cool.
I love finding these and buying and shooting... although I have become more partial to the Humpbacks 38 & 49s recently as a carry.


[URL=http://s62.photobucket.com/user/mikebliss/media/Pre%20-42/4457.jpg.html]

[/URL]

 

[peter2772000]

Beautiful guns and what a mind-blower, having three consecutive serial #'s.

By the way, my 42 is identical to the one of the three on the far left. I have that screw-in-a-screw deal as well, my serial number is 12234.

Where exactly did you go to get a letter from S&W?

 

[mbliss57]

I too am wandering into this thread late in the game.

I recently acquired a Mdl 42 with a serial 12234. Funny thing is that as per the list at the beginning of this thread, my revolver shouldn't have a 5-screw side panel, at least not with the serial # I have. But it does.
Any ideas?

As well, the grips drive me nuts on this revolver. I can't use a standard speedloader as the top left side of the grip bulges out too much. Any suggestions?

Thanks for reading.

Peter need some pics of the s/n on the butt and the side plate with screws to have a shot at an answer.

 

[mbliss57]

Here are a couple of 99+% pre-M40's. SN 76x shipped May 13, 1953 to Wolf & Klar, Ft. Worth. SN 467x shipped Dec. 29, 1954 to Arizona Hardware Co., Phoenix.

Note that there is no mention of "Centennial" on these early boxes. The next box derivation had "Centennial" in a rubber stamp diagonally over the label. The final variation had "Centennial" printed on the label.

I don't see that anything has been said of the Model 042. This is an interesting variation. It was the first reintroduction of the alloy frame and steel cylinder and barrel and marked MOD 042 on the frame. It was produced only one year...1992 and was never cataloged. It was the predecessor of the M442. I have NIB M042 sn BMB020x. Sorry but no picture of that one.

Bob

Bob,
Thanks for the pics..I have been looking for red boxes for my early centennials but did not know what the end label would look like. I have purchased several Red Boxes for these early 50s J frames in the past 6 months but all but 1 or for baby Chief Specials.(My #1 passion) One is for s 2" 32 Hand ejector which I don't even own
Great Thread.

 

[peter2772000]

Thanks for the interest, Mbliss. As requested

 

[mbliss57]

Bug Screw

The bug screw on the top of the side plate screw that helps hold down the top side plate is characteristic of the early pre 42s. That screw would not be counted in the screw count. It seems late to have it in a Model 42. It is possible it was added later by a gun smith or the factory to keep the side plate screw from coming loose. Or it could be an early gun that got stuck in a corner and brought out later to be stamped and sold. A SW letter with pics and S/N to Roy Jinks might solve this. Unless anyone knows of bug screws on a model 42 that late in production.

Mike

 

[peter2772000]

Thanks for your input. It is weird to have that bug screw on this model. I guess I'll be firing off a letter to Roy Jinks as suggested.

Does anyone have an address where I could contact Mr. Jenks?

Edit: Never mind, I found it. Vary anxious to find out the history of this revolver...

 

[mbliss57]

I recently acquired what I believe is a "vintage" model 40. It looks exactly like the pictures above.

How do I go about dating and valueing this handgun for insurance purposes?

I appears to be serial number #3199. This number is stamped into the gun in a couple of different locations...at the bottom of the butt of the grip...under side of the barrel when the cylinder is opened.

But, under the cylinder pivot is a different number stamped into the frame. This number is #3796 with a "W" above it and 1 "5" below it.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

John

John sorry so late to get you an answer. The S/N on the grip butt face is always going to be the S/N. With 1 or 2 exceptions all S&W have the s/n there. Many have them in other places, Barrel flat when cylinder is open, Cylinder face, and under the extractor star. That one is hard to see. Also inside the crane where the Model # would also be stamped after 1957. Later on they stopped stamping everything but the Butt face. I believe sometime in the 1970s
The only 2 guns I can remember not having the s/n on the butt face is a .32 reg police pre war model. And the Bekearts also a .32 from the 1920s.
So what ever other numbers are on the gun.. the butt face is the place to start. If the barrel flat, cylinder face and extractor star have different numbers then the gun has been parted together and the value is diminished. The grips also have the s/n on the right panel. If the stocks, also called grips are not original it is usually not a big deal as long as they are period correct. Unless you are a serious collector.
To your gun..I don't have an exact date but it was shipped probably in 1953 or 1st part of 1954. "Probably" because these were often shipped out of order. But that is a good bet. Certainly not earlier but easily it could be later.

Mike

 

[Richard in LA]

Earlier this week I picked up a NIB 42, its an L prefix gun, pretty late in production, just under 900 from the last known one produced (judging from the L9861 number earlier in this thread). On the box in the "special features" section, it has 1055/1510. can anyone shed some light on this, as I cant find any information on that on the web or in my book. I'll have to post an obligatory picture later this evening.

ETA: pictures