Project Magnum Opus (MAGOPUS) is my attempt to catalog the records available on the Smith & Wesson (S&W) Registered Magnum (RM) and organize them into a searchable database.
The information is gathered primarily from the Shipping Records, Shipping Invoices and Order Forms. Some other documents, such as Memo Account, Advertising Account and correspondence are used to supplement the Shipping Invoices or Order Forms.
Ultimately, the database will be searchable by the following fields:
- Record – Identifier of Shipping Record
- RM# – Registration number (unless NRM)
- Ser. #
- Case # – S&W internal ID number of shipment
- Book Ship Date – Date of shipment as recorded in Shipping Record
- Book Destination – Destination of shipment as recorded in Shipping Record
- Name
- City
- State
- Ordered By/Through (per invoice/order form) – Who ordered the gun vs. who it was shipped to
- Name
- Address
- City
- State
- Ordered For/Ship to (per invoice/order form) – Who received the gun vs. who it was ordered through
- Name
- Address
- City
- State
- Order # (dealer/S&W)
- Date on S&W Sheet (Cust Date/Date/Stamped Date Charged)
- Revolver Data
- Barrel
- Front Sight
- Rear Sight
- Finish
- Hammer Type
- Sight in at
- Ammo
- Hold
- Grips
- Purchaser – This is whoever signed the Order Form
- Notes -My comments
- Invoice Ledger – The name and location of the record that contains the Shipping Invoice.
- Addendum – Names and locations of additional files that reference this revolver (Repair orders, correspondence, etc.)
- Noteworthy – A searchable field for things that make a gun noteworthy: VIP, FBI, Show Gun, Famous Incident, etc.
A very important fact to keep in mind is that all of the data reflects the guns build as it was when it left the factory. Quite a number of RM’s were returned to the factory for changes in barrel length or sights. A much smaller amount went back for changes to the finish (including at least one “pinto”).
The ultimate goal in doing this is to create a searchable database that can answer questions such as:
- “How many RM’s went to the Kansas City Police and what were the Registration Numbers?”
- “How many RM’s were shipped with nickel finish in 1937?”
- “When was the first nickel plated 3.5-inch gun shipped?”
- “What was the most common barrel length?”
- “What was the most common front and rear sight?”
- “How many guns went to Wolf & Klar?”
When I make updates to the database, I will try to make a post that will describe what I have added (RM#/serial number) as well as any particularly interesting guns or documents that turned up while searching for those particular guns. I will also try to keep a running tally in the update post of how many completed entries there are thus far.
Search for MAGOPUS-UPDATE to find the updates to this project.
Best,
RM Vivas
