Top 10 Registered Magnums

[RM Vivas]

By the by, here's that oblique reference to the .22LR RM.

The writer was asking S&W about an RM in .22 Hornet.

This little tidbit is from the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation. Without them, this stuff would never see the light of day. Are you a member?

Membership – Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation

Best,
RM Vivas

 

[rct269]

Well when you get a bunch of pre-war N frame targets like I had (1 of each, and 2 TLT's,) you're going to find out there ain't a dime's worth of difference between them---except for the size of the holes in some of them----oh, and one of them had a ribbed barrel.

(It was at least interesting that the early TLT's were WAY better finished--------------inside-----under the sideplate than any of the rest of them. Either that or whomever did mine had an obsessive, compulsive disorder of some sort.)

Ralph Tremaine

 

[lestert357]

The elusive .22 LR is REG 1591, serial# 49736 which was shipped with REG 1590, serial# 49710 on 11/21/36 to American Potash, Trona, CA.

They both were blue, had an 8-3/8” barrel, King Ramp Reflector Red Post front sight, King W/O Square Notch rear sight, and Magna grips.

 

[DARE]

Found an article about the RM by Roy Jinks. "The Revolver that Changed the Direction of Handgunning."

Says a pair of revolvers was built on September 16, 1935 to allow for a comparison evaluation of the new prototype stock and the standard stocks with grip adaptors.
These revolvers were serial #0372 (grip adaptor) and #0373 (magna stocks) of the new factory's special serial number series.

Roy goes on to say, the set of custom revolvers which I personally would like to own were built in November 1936 for the American Potash & Chemical Corp., Trona, California. The revolvers bear the registration number 1590, serial #49710, and registration number 1591, serial #49736. The revolvers have
8-3/8 inch barrels with blue finish. The front sights are King Ramp reflectors with red post and a King 112 rear sight. Fitted with Magna stocks these guns were perfectly a perfectly matched set except that registration number 1591 was built in .22 long rifle rather than .357 Magnum. The set was ordered on October 9, 1936 and shipped from S&W on November 21, 1936. The Magnum revolver price was the standard $60.00 retail and its mate in .22 long rifle cost $150.00.

 

[lestert357]

Why didn't Ranger Leo Bishop get a gun or two??????

The guns pictured are in the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. Perhaps Ranger Bishop was presented with some revolvers but they were never obtained by or displayed at the Texas Ranger Museum.

 

[mocha001]

what about general George s Patton ,don't know
number but it is a 3 1)2 inch

 

[lestert357]

what about general George s Patton ,don't know
number but it is a 3 1)2 inch

That is #2 on the original list in post #1, REG 506…..

 

[Ray]

And about Sterling Hayden? I read somewhere he owned a S&W .357 don´t know if was registered or not.
Regards, Ray

 

[Thinnes]

Did anyone save a picture of RM #1?? I swear I saw a picture of it somewhere. Also heard the rumor that someone in the SWCA knows its whereabouts or has it !

 

[lestert357]

Did anyone save a picture of RM #1?? I swear I saw a picture of it somewhere. Also heard the rumor that someone in the SWCA knows its whereabouts or has it !

REG# 1 is serial# 45768…..

 

[Thinnes]

I was hoping for your knowledgeable imput on this thread Terry. Thanks. The pic I saw was of the lug, showing RM 1. Do you have that as well?

 

[shawn mccarver]

I was hoping for your knowledgeable imput on this thread Terry. Thanks. The pic I saw was of the lug, showing RM 1. Do you have that as well?

That picture (of the crane) is in the book by T. J. Mullin.

 

[29-1]

Retired FBI SA Larry Wack was a personal friend and many in the FBI will always consider him the true historian for the Bureau. Larry lost a long battle with cancer several years ago but his Faded Glory: Dusty Roads of an FBI Era lives on.
Here is the story behind the above picture of RM #1 s butt serial number.

Searching For Hoover's #1 Registered .357 Magnum

Just some crumbs of tips on the whereabouts of #1 today for those of you who may be interested. The fun is in the hunt not so much the acquisition a famous member here once said. I found that to be true several times over the years.

 

[RKmesa]

Maybe not top 10, but one of my favorite RMs is REG 319, an Alvin White engraved beauty. [Edited to clarify that this one unfortunately is not mine... When it came for auction I was not ready to pay what someone else paid for it...]

[photo source - RIA Auctions]

 

[22hipower]

Maybe not top 10, but one of my favorite RMs is REG 319, an Alvin White engraved beauty.

Maybe not top ten from a historical provenance perspective but it surely is in the top ten of engraved RMs!


Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[Inkgardener]

Maybe not top 10, but one of my favorite RMs is REG 319, an Alvin White engraved beauty. [Edited to clarify that this one unfortunately is not mine... When it came for auction I was not ready to pay what someone else paid for it...]

It is very nice! Any idea what it sold for, and what year?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RKmesa]

It is very nice! Any idea what it sold for, and what year?

Spetember 9 2017 for $34.5K...

 

[Doc44]

The engraved RM above was in the collection of Gary Garbrecht, Ray Cheely and whomever acquired it at auction. I have handled it many times at Gary's.

Bill

 

[Walstib]

Well, maybe not generic Top 10, but certainly this RM is in my personal collection Top 10, along with my John Dubiel 300 H&H Magnum, built on a Mouser Magnum action. My dad bought this RM (RN 1396) from a sailor in Guam in 1946, after it (and he) survived WWII. It occupies a special niche from my childhood as one of the first pistols I ever fired. Along with his 38/44 Outdoorsman, with King Ventilated Rib sight plane, his competition pistol on a really bad day at Pearl Harbor. He was the R&P Team coach on the USS Pennsylvania, flagship of the Pacific Fleet. He was a really good coach to have as a father… And those were really good pistols to introduce me to the world of shooting, reloading, and casting bullets. Now, at 75, I ask a sad question: where did my eyesight go??? But I can still open my gun safe and hold these treasures!

 

[boykinlp]

Well, maybe not generic Top 10, but certainly this RM is in my personal collection Top 10, along with my John Dubiel 300 H&H Magnum, built on a Mouser Magnum action. My dad bought this RM (RN 1396) from a sailor in Guam in 1946, after it (and he) survived WWII. It occupies a special niche from my childhood as one of the first pistols I ever fired. Along with his 38/44 Outdoorsman, with King Ventilated Rib sight plane, his competition pistol on a really bad day at Pearl Harbor. He was the R&P Team coach on the USS Pennsylvania, flagship of the Pacific Fleet. He was a really good coach to have as a father… And those were really good pistols to introduce me to the world of shooting, reloading, and casting bullets. Now, at 75, I ask a sad question: where did my eyesight go??? But I can still open my gun safe and hold these treasures!

Cool Ivory grip adapter! Thanks for sharing.
Larry