[Radagast]

Cool_Hand:
January to March 1999.

Mainsul:
1955 to 1956. Potentially you have one of the first .44 Magnum revolvers manufactured. The Standard Catalog of S&W notes that:
Gun number 1 S130927 was completed December 15 1955.
Gun number 2 S130806 was completed December 29 1955 and prsented to R.H. Coleman of Remington Arms Company.
Five additional .44 Magnums were completed in January of 1956.
S130942 was shipped to Julian Hatcher of the NRA.
S147220 was shipped to gun writer Elmer Keith on January 27 1956.


I suggest you contact Roy Jinks at S&W. He is the factory historian. For a fee of $50 he will look up the original shipping records and send you a letter telling you the date it was shipped, the configuration it left the factory in and where it was shipped to. If you intend to keep the gun it will add to it's history for further generations and if it was one of the earliest guns (especially if presented to someone by the factory) it will enhance the guns value if sold to a collector.

In 2006 the Standard Catalog of S@W gave a value of $2000 in excellent condition, with the the first 100 guns having double that value, with another doubleing in value for a factory nickel finish and a 25% premium for a four inch barrel.
The SCSW does note the the S130000 being the serial range for the first 100 guns, so don't count your cash yet. :P

The original grips are referred to as 'coke bottle' grips by collectors. They are similar to the later Goncalo Alves target grips but have a slight palm swell (hence the name) and lack the speedloader cut out in the left grip panel.
The grips themselves can be worth several hundred to a collector.

The early .44 Magnum's came in a black or dark blue pebble grain leatherette presentation case with a S&W insignia and ".44 magnum " on the top. The interior was blue satin and contained an aluminium or blue steel knurled screwdriver, cleaning rod with brass brush and swab.

In 1957 the .44 Magnum was designated the Model 29.