To Truckman: Odd boxes

[MarkHayden]

Here are some photos of my pre-15 in a 6” gold box containing a 4” revolver and a block of wood. According to the SCSW 4th Ed., “Some early guns shipped in 6” gold boxes with a 2” wood block to take up the extra space”.

 

[spin132]

That's a first for me! Thanks for sharing!

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[Truckman]

Thanks for posting this, Mark...Since my summer project is photographing all my guns, I moved this one to the top of today's glamour models...This is one of my 3 1/2" .357 Magnums...The best news here is that enough of the grease penciled S/N on the bottom of the box remains to verify this is indeed the one and only ORIGINAL box...All numbers match (yes, stocks also), and Don is feverishly working his way through my latest letter requests, but until the mail lady gets here with this one, Roy tells me it shipped in January 1954 (if it turns out to be the 20th, it would have been my 7th birthday)......Ben

 

[Truckman]

A few more of the gun without its outer garment......Ben

 

[Truckman]

Some further oddities I noticed before tucking this one back into bed...As seen in my photos, the wooden block is made of two pieces of wood, sandwiched together, why is this I wondered...My thinking is if the gun to be shipped was a four inch, they would have used a piece cut from the thicker board, but the 3 1/2" gun compelled them to glue two thicknesses together...Further thinking got me to wondering how the boxes were labeled, before the boxes were folded and bradded, or after?...It would have to be after because otherwise the boxes would have been folded to match the barrel size...So what kind of stamping/inking press would have been used to print the blue lettering over the gold cardboard?...I have other original boxes for other guns which were shipped with added lettering over previous labeling before shipment, but this box is specifically labeled as 3 1/2" .357 Magnum...

Another observation, this box was not originally intended for a 6 1/2" N frame, my newly acquired 6 1/2" .38/44 OD doesn't even come close to fitting inside this box, even a 6" K frame with Magnas won't fit...So why was this box, with its 5 hole corner reinforcements even in the shipping department, and what would this size box (without the wood block) have originally been intended for?...Maybe a 5" gun?...

The mystery deepens......Ben

 

[glowe]

I have yet to see a pre-model 4" 38 Combat Masterpiece shipped in a 4" gold box. I have one with a compartment for the cleaning brush. Other than the compartment, it is a 6" Masterpiece box and serial number K102233. Do not know if the factory did it or a previous owner??

Forgot to add that the revolver should point to the left in these and every other S&W box.

 

[boykinlp]

Never in my life would I have thought that the factory did that! I learn something new everyday!
Larry

 

[Truckman]

Never in my life would I have thought that the factory did that! I learn something new everyday!
Larry

Never say never...I only wish I had a few answers for the questions I posted above in post #5, they might have to remain in the mystery file......Ben

 

[MarkHayden]

Pointed to the left, glowe. Turning it around right now! I’ve found, Truckman, that Smith & Wesson never threw anything away.

Thanks for your comments.

Mark

 

[Truckman]

Pointed to the left, glowe.

Duly noted here also......Ben