Images Courtesy of The Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation http://www.swhistoricalfoundation.com
I’ve been rather busy with some other projects lately, so my postings have been a bit lean. Contrary to what some folks may mistakenly think, I am NOT a very organized person. The result is I periodically find folders of documents on my computer that I saved for future use and then mislocated or forgot about.
In Charles W. Pate’s essential reference book, U.S. Handguns of World War II – The Secondary Pistols and Revolvers – First Edition (Andrew Mowbray Publishing, Inc., 1998, ISBN 0-917218-75-2) there are pictures on page 95 and 96 that purport to show Magnums being evaluated by the US Army. On page 96, he states:
”…The author has confirmed that the Army did purchase 15 .357 Magnums for the Post Office….”.
I’m rather curious why Post Office guns went through the US Army, but I am sure there was some period regulation about such things. The images show longer barrel guns while the Post Office guns seem to have been 5.000” barrelled guns.
Looking through the files I saved I came across a Smith & Wesson memo form that detailed 15 five-inch Magnums being sent to the Commanding Officer at Springfield Armory on August 2, 1937.
These guns bore the following Registration Numbers:
2795 – 2796 – 2797 – 2798 – 2800 – 2901 – 2802 – 2803 – 2804 – 2805 – 2806 – 2807 – 2808 – 2809 – 2929
If you look closely, you will notice what I believe are three discrepancies in this document. The first is that the invoice for 15 revolvers lists 16 Registration Numbers; the second is that RM2804 is listed twice and RM2803 is listed twice.
I cross-checked the Registration Numbers with serial numbers in my database and the dual listing of 2804 appears to have been a mistake. Likely the entry was just typed twice. The double entry for RM2803 is the result of the second entry being a mis-type of RM2808. By comparing Registration Numbers against serial numbers, it becomes pretty clear that these are basically just typos.
A little over a week after the guns shipped to Springfield Armory, a letter was received at S&W stating the guns were being returned because:
“…they are not serially numbered in accordance with the purchase order….”.
It seems that the guns were supposed to have unique identifiers. At this point, there is still no mention in the paperwork I’ve found of who these guns were actually for.
This was cleared up in the next document, a letter from S&W to Springfield Armory a few days later explaining:
“…We have received confirmation from the Post Office nDeapartment for the markings on these revolvers and shall proceed according to these directions, and will deliver the revolvers back to the Armory in a few days….”
Note that the letter further references an order for 500 guns for the Railway Mail Service; presumably NOT Magnums!
So, it appears these guns were shipped to Springfield Armory to then be distributed to the Post Office Department.
I am curious how they were to be marked, as the grooved backstrap and forestrap of the Magnum frame would seem to prevent such an act. Perhaps they were to be marked on the sideplate or the barrel?
Anybody have one of these postal pistols?
Interesting stuff like this would never see the light of day without the herculean efforts of the obsessive/compulsive history nerds at the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation – Are you a member yet?
Best,
RM Vivas
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