On June 6, 1935 a new .357 Registered Magnum, serial# 45888, Reg# 108, was shipped from the Smith and Wesson factory to Mr. C. Henry Goulette at 1232 N. Fremont Avenue in Tucson, Arizona. Like many of the very early Registered Magnums the revolver was shipped with an 8.75" barrel. It was equipped with a King Red Luminous Bead front sight (FS) on a King Ramp Reflector base, standard rear sight (RS) to match, blue finish, and checkered walnut grips with grip adaptor unattached (in the box.) There is a slight documentation anomaly between the factory letter and the Smith and Wesson Historical Foundation (SWHF) documentation in that the factory letter states red "post" FS and square notch RS, while the factory shipping invoice on file with the SWHF states red "bead 1/16" FS and standard RS - which for a bead FS would very likely be a U-notch. When Mr. (later Army Captain) Goulette ordered the Magnum in 1935 he stated "post or small bead" on the factory order form so that may have led to the conflicting documentation. Regardless, the Magnum today is wearing the King red bead 1/16" FS with U-notch RS, and also the extra . 38 Special U-notch RS slide is in the box. As requested the revolver was sighted in at 50 yards with .357 Magnum ammunition using a dead center hold. It would appear that the then 21 year old Mr. Goulette had hunting in mind when he paid $60 for his new Magnum in April of 1935.
Cheshawgan-Henry Goulette was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma on October 14, 1913. He was named for his great-great grandfather, a chief of the Menominee tribe of Indians in Wisconsin, and for his grandfather Goulette who came to America from France. He entered the reserve officers' training school at the Texas Military Institute, San Antonio, Texas, in September 1929 where he became known as "Chief". On April 20, 1935 (now living in Tucson, Arizona) he placed an order accompanied with his $60 payment for a new .357 Magnum with the Smith and Wesson factory. (Note this was only 3 days after the very first production .357 Magnum with Reg#1 was presented to Mr. J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI.) On April 23, 1935 the Smith and Wesson factory acknowledged receipt of the order, assigned it Reg# 108, and on June 6, 1935 the new Magnum was shipped to Mr. Goulette. Based on the condition of the gun today (described below) it appears he found time to do some hunting with it while continuing with his schooling. He subsequently attended the University of Arizona where he received his Bachelor of Science degree on May 12, 1942. He was in ROTC at the University of Arizona and was commissioned as an Army 2nd Lieutenant upon graduation. After graduation and commissioning he attended Armored Force School at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and later trained recruits at Camp Polk, Louisiana, and Camp Campbell, Kentucky. Lieutenant Goulette took his Division Officers' Training Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was subsequently assigned to Camp Campbell. Promoted to Captain in March 1943, he went overseas in January 1944 as an Anti-Tank Company Commander in the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Division. He served in Africa, participated in the Anzio, Italy landing, and was killed on October 1, 1944 by sniper fire while on a reconnaissance mission near Rupt-Sur-Moselle, France. "He had elected to make the reconnaissance by himself because of the inherent danger" is part of the inscription on his headstone. His remains were eventually returned from France to Tucson, Arizona for burial on June 11, 1948. He was posthumously awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one Bronze Service Star, the Purple Heart Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
I purchased Registered Magnum Serial# 45888, Reg# 108 from Jim Nedela (jamned) in 2014 at one of the OGCA shows. It was not my first Pre-War Magnum but it was my first Registered Magnum. I must credit Jim with nearly all of the research on Captain Goulette (which is even more exhaustive than I have included in this post. For example, it includes provenance on Captain Goulette's father, Jefferson Davis Goulette, an oil development construction engineer who knew Chief Sitting Bull and was actually at the location of the Custer battlefield at Little Bighorn 3 days after the battle with a party of prospectors.) I merely obtained a few better quality pictures available on Ancestry.com, and also obtained the documentation from the SWHF. Today the revolver remains in approximately 97% beautiful original finish condition and is all serial number matching including grips; it does appear that Captain Goulette was able to do some hunting with it prior to going overseas as there is slight thinning of the blue finish on the left side of the barrel and some light muzzle and high edge wear that appears to be from riding in a holster. The gun obviously did not go to war overseas. The gun came to me from Jim in what appears to be the original blue picture box (large first style with picture showing the Reg Mag with grip adaptor attached) and with the extra .38 Special RS blade that these guns were shipped with. Captain Goulette ordered the revolver with the grip adaptor unattached, and there was no grip adaptor with it when I got it from Jim. However, since the early Reg Mags with service style grips were shipped with a Wesson grip adaptor (either attached or in the box), I obtained an original Wesson adaptor from David Carroll (wordsmith) to put with this gun. I subsequently attached the adapter so that it matches the picture on the box; I like the look of the gun and feel of the grip when the adaptor is attached. I also have added an original Caution Sheet, Helpful Hints Brochure, and green material and workmanship guarantee sheet to the box contents. I have taken the gun to the range one time and as expected it shoots high over 20 meter plates using a 6 o'clock hold with .38 Special 158GR Plated Semi-Wadcutters; the gun appears to still be sighted in at 50 yards with .357 Magnum ammunition as it left the factory. It will stay that way (at least for as long as I own it) because I really don't want to fool around with those tiny screws. I know what you're thinking - I need to put some .357 Magnum ammunition through it on targets at 50 yards to verify the factory sighting. Maybe someday.
I consider myself fortunate to be the temporary caretaker of a revolver that was a prized possession of a man that willingly gave everything for his country, and I am honored to share part of his story as it relates to his magnificent Registered Magnum. Below are some pictures and documents supporting my story - it's a story I felt should be shared with the Forum. I hope you enjoy reviewing it as much as I have enjoyed preparing it.
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I'm also sure that another difference between you and Goulette is that you didn't order a first year RM when he did or we would all have heard about it by now.
