March 1-2, 2018 Firearms, Militaria & Sporting
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/1/2018
In 1980 Smith & Wesson produced one of their greatest, more recent collectibles, albeit unknowingly. In May of 1980, the New York State Police Department placed an order for a large butt fixed sight .357 Magnum. Smith & Wesson produced the order but the Police Department never took delivery so Smith & Wesson was stuck with 3000 already made guns and offered them to dealers. These guns featured square butt, N frame, three screw, six shot with fixed sights, pinned barrels, recessed cylinders and .357 caliber; making it the only .357 Magnum to that point on the N frame without target sights. The serial number range was N557750-N560860. These revolvers have consecutive serial numbers and include the original blue numbered boxes. Both have silver medallion grips with case colored hammer and trigger. Revolvers show slight cylinder drag line but remain in as new condition inside and out. Both right grip panels are stamped with serial numbers; No. 218 is stamped “559910” and No. 217 is stamped “560402”. It is a well-known fact that these grips were put on with no attempt to match numbers and we have never seen a single example where the numbers matched. This was a topic of discussion during last years Smith & Wesson Collectors Convention. Given the small run, this pair would make a fine investment for the future, as the popularity of N frame Smith & Wesson continues to grow.
Accessories
Boxes, cleaning tools and manuals
Barrel Length
(A) 4" (B) 4"
Caliber/Bore
(A) .357 Magnum (B) .357 Magnum
Manufacturer
Smith & Wesson
Serial Number
(A) N560217 (B) N560218