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dogngun · October 5, 2010, 10:00 AM

About 3 years ago, stumbled on a pretty nice .DA .45 Brazillian Contract S&W revolver and bought it for $450. I have some information - I got my letter back from Roy Jinks - but there are some interesing questions that I think may never really be answered on these revolvers. First, the SN is 1429xx, indicating manufacture in 1919, IIRC. The gun is a WWI 1917 type, with the round top frqame and rear sight and half nickle front sight. It has NO military markings or inspection marks, just assembly numbers and a very small stamp inside the frame near the sn, next to the cylinder cutout - It is an eagle standing on a branch or riband or some such device, with "S2" stamped underneath it... It requires a glass to even make it out. The inport stamp is under the barrel flat - IA CO SAC CA - and the matching SN. It has the crest and '37 on the right, along with Made In USA under the cylinder, and the small S&W logo on the left frame. It has the SN stamped on the butt and a swivel, and unfortunately, an older pair of MOP grips instead of the factory grips.

Mr, Jinks states this gun shipped to the freight forwarder - John Block Co, NYC, on May 1, 1946 for shipment to Brazil. He also states that SN's for this late batch vary - running from 0 to 210,000. He states that the new styl hammer block was added in October 1947, long after these revolvers were gone to Brazil.

I 'm still very curious how a 1919 WWI style revolver in what looks like commercial blue finish and with no military stamps got shipped from the factory in 1946.
I think ALL of these old guns are a puzzle and interesting just as such.

They are also superb revolvers - NOBODY makes anything even nearly as smooth and well fitted as these old guns, and I can't imagine what a new-made example with the same craftsmanship would cost today...probably be impossible to make one now.
I don't shoot mine much, but that will change this fall.
FWIW.

mark

October 5, 2010, 10:00 AM	#30
dogngun Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2002 Location: South east PA Posts: 570	Bringing this thread back - My Brazillian contract Smith. About 3 years ago, stumbled on a pretty nice .DA .45 Brazillian Contract S&W revolver and bought it for $450. I have some information - I got my letter back from Roy Jinks - but there are some interesing questions that I think may never really be answered on these revolvers. First, the SN is 1429xx, indicating manufacture in 1919, IIRC. The gun is a WWI 1917 type, with the round top frqame and rear sight and half nickle front sight. It has NO military markings or inspection marks, just assembly numbers and a very small stamp inside the frame near the sn, next to the cylinder cutout - It is an eagle standing on a branch or riband or some such device, with "S2" stamped underneath it... It requires a glass to even make it out. The inport stamp is under the barrel flat - IA CO SAC CA - and the matching SN. It has the crest and '37 on the right, along with Made In USA under the cylinder, and the small S&W logo on the left frame. It has the SN stamped on the butt and a swivel, and unfortunately, an older pair of MOP grips instead of the factory grips. Mr, Jinks states this gun shipped to the freight forwarder - John Block Co, NYC, on May 1, 1946 for shipment to Brazil. He also states that SN's for this late batch vary - running from 0 to 210,000. He states that the new styl hammer block was added in October 1947, long after these revolvers were gone to Brazil. I 'm still very curious how a 1919 WWI style revolver in what looks like commercial blue finish and with no military stamps got shipped from the factory in 1946. I think ALL of these old guns are a puzzle and interesting just as such. They are also superb revolvers - NOBODY makes anything even nearly as smooth and well fitted as these old guns, and I can't imagine what a new-made example with the same craftsmanship would cost today...probably be impossible to make one now. I don't shoot mine much, but that will change this fall. FWIW. mark