Third Model Perfected question?

[forindooruseonly]

I recently acquired a Third Model Perfected with the serial number 4655. Would this be from the first year of production for the Third Models?

Looking at Paladin85020's excellent write up, it would appear that the Second Models ended in 4617, but I do not know how many of these they made a year.

Will I hurt anything if I shoot standard velocity CCI ammo through it? It's mechanically sound.

 

[ol777gunnerz]

info

Yours is an early one for sure, an expert says some Perfected single shot serial numbers were mixed in serial number range of the the last 2nd Models. As for a first years gun, it would appear to be one, but as for shipping, remember these were not shipped in any semblance of order. I have shot standard velocity in my Perfected single shots with no problems, but switched to CCI Quiet 22lr which is a safer load & quite accurate.

 

[forindooruseonly]

Yours is an early one for sure, an expert says some Perfected single shot serial numbers were mixed in serial number range of the the last 2nd Models. As for a first years gun, it would appear to be one, but as for shipping, remember these were not shipped in any semblance of order. I have shot standard velocity in my Perfected single shots with no problems, but switched to CCI Quiet 22lr which is a safer load & quite accurate.

Thank you for the info, I have plenty of CCI Quiet on hand so I will use that. I had one a few years ago, but never shot it before I had to sell it to fund other things. Time to take it out and see how it does for me.

 

[mrcvs]

Is CCI Quiet standard velocity or high velocity? If it’s high velocity, please don’t fire it in your pistol. Stick with standard velocity rounds.

To find out more about your pistol, I would request a factory letter.

Firearm History Request | Smith & Wesson

Be sure to post your letter to this thread when you receive it.

In the meantime, how about some photographs of your pistol?

 

[rct269]

I don't know how it'll do for you, but I can tell you how the gun can do---(in my two hands, seated, with a rest)----which is to say the best I could manage without a machine rest.

This was a test between an early Olympic model (the shortest throat), a later Olympic model (.025" longer throat), and a standard model---all 10", all in pretty much as new condition, indoors (no wind), 25 rounds of Aquila Super SE Extra, at 25 yards with each pistol.

The results: Both Olympics produced all X ring, the standard gun did all 10 ring----not too shabby for some 100+ year old pistols.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[forindooruseonly]

Good question, I was pretty sure it was just a powder puff but in the interest of knowing for sure, I looked it up. CCI Quiet is not even as powerful as CCI Standard, it's downloaded to about 700 fps with a regular 40gr. bullet. CCI standard is about 1050, so it is very mild stuff.

Buy Quiet-22 for USD 5.99 | CCI

 

[forindooruseonly]

In the meantime, how about some photographs of your pistol?

I took a couple of quick cell photos. I'll take some decent ones later.



And one with it's competition.. When I come up with an H&R USRA I'll have all the single shot .22s I want.

 

[mrcvs]

I took a couple of quick cell photos. I'll take some decent ones later.



And one with it's competition.. When I come up with an H&R USRA I'll have all the single shot .22s I want.

I’m impressed, a Colt Camp Perry Model. Here’s mine.

 

[mrcvs]

Good question, I was pretty sure it was just a powder puff but in the interest of knowing for sure, I looked it up. CCI Quiet is not even as powerful as CCI Standard, it's downloaded to about 700 fps with a regular 40gr. bullet. CCI standard is about 1050, so it is very mild stuff.

Buy Quiet-22 for USD 5.99 | CCI

I suppose that’s where the Quiet comes into play. Makes sense.

Are you going to order a factory letter?

 

[rct269]

I wish you well in your search for a USRA single shot-----I've never seen one---more's the pity.

And if I'd been in the right place at the right time, I'd have had a Camp Perry as nice as yours.

Yet another example of "If'a, could'a, should'a", would'a; damn it anyhow!!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[forindooruseonly]

I suppose that’s where the Quiet comes into play. Makes sense.

Are you going to order a factory letter?

I probably will, I don't have one for the Colt either. It would be interesting to know, but I doubt that it will prove anything special.

I looked into the Colt process to get a letter, and apparently they charge according to what they think it's worth? Like if it turns out a famous person owned it, they raise the price on it.

That kinda bothered me about the Colt letters. I should go ahead and get the S&W letter though.

 

[mrcvs]

The Colt letter—you would be lucky to have the opportunity to pay more for the letter, meaning it is more than just run of the mill. Your value would increase potentially exponentially. Odds are, it will be run of the mill and you won’t have that “opportunity”.

But, you cannot win if you don’t play!

 

[rct269]

I have exactly one Colt letter, for an Officer's Model ".38/c", shipped October 22, 1935--------to a distributor.

It's a shame it wasn't shipped to where it went from its first happy home----Walter Roper and his lads. They did their thing with it, grips, action job, Roper's rear sight, some cosmetics, and a WhiteX front sight----first and only one I've ever seen. The cosmetics consisted of polishing the bluing from the leads into the cylinder stop notches---those leads being where the cylinder stop snaps back up---so no turn ring----ever; not that it made any difference, because near as I could tell, it'd never been used---went straight into a sock drawer.

I took it to my gunsmith for show and tell. He's sitting there, on his three legged stool, with his leather apron on, puffing on his pipe, oohing and aweing in all the right places, when he finally said, "You know, I hate these f#!*@^g Colts, but whoever did that action job REALLY knew what they were doing!!"

I about wet my pants from laughing!!

Ralph Tremaine