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LOT 1532
Historic Individual Shipped Smith & Wesson .44 Hand
Ejector Second Model Target Double Action Revolver
with Extremely Rare Documented 5 Inch barrel, Box,
and Factory Letter - Serial no. 26296, 44 S&W special cal.,
5 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Manufactured
in 1926, this is a solid example of the 2nd model of Smith
& Wesson’s .44 Hand Ejector revolver series with a scarce
5 inch barrel and in the Target model configuration.
The included factory letter lists the revolver with a 5
inch barrel, blue finish, adjustable rear target sight, and
checkered walnut grips when shipped to John McDowell
of Winding Only, West Virginia on 15 June 1926, as a single
gun shipment. The “Winding Only” in the factory letter is
likely referring to “Winding Gulf”, an area in the coal fields
of West Virginia. Period articles from “The Raleigh Register”
out of Beckley, West Virginia mention a John McDowell as
a “prohibition agent”, a deputy sheriff, and as running for
constable in the Slab Fork District. Little other information
is available about McDowell, but it can be assumed that
he led a busy life as a lawman in the hills of West Virginia during prohibition, where bootlegging was rife. The barrel has the Smith & Wesson marking on the left and the caliber marking on the right.
The frame has the trademark and “MADE IN U.S.A.” marking on the right. The matching serial number is on the butt, bottom of the barrel, and rear face of the cylinder. The matching assembly number is
on the frame and crane. It is fitted with a pinned beaded blade front sight, adjustable rear sight, and replacement checkered walnut grips with the right panel numbered to a different gun. Includes a correct
factory box numbered to a different gun.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 60% of the original finish with the balance having thinned to a smooth grey patina in the form of mild holster/handling wear, light handling marks, and a cylinder turn line, typical of
a sidearm carried by a West Virginia coal field lawman. The grips are fine with some light wear/handling marks and otherwise crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. The box is fine with mild wear.
Provenance: The Tom Selleck Collection.
Estimate: 5,000 - 9,000
LOT 1531
Desirable Documented
F.B.I. Agent Shipped
Smith & Wesson .357
Registered Magnum
Double Action Revolver
with Rare 3 1/2 Inch Barrel and
Factory Letter
- Serial no. 47699, 357 Magnum cal., 3
1/2 inch solid rib bbl., blue finish, walnut
grips. Manufactured in 1936, this is a very
solid example of the iconic “Registered
Magnum” from Smith & Wesson with the desirable
3 1/2 inch barrel. Built to customer specifications and
registered to the owner by Douglas Wesson himself,
the 5,500 Registered Magnums made between 1935
and 1939 are virtually custom made revolvers and remain
“state of the art” in handgun manufacture today. The 3 1/2 inch length was the shortest
offering for the Registered Magnum and was highly valued among law enforcement at
the time. The Registered Magnum was the first production arm chambered for the .357
Magnum cartridge and served as an influence on all later large caliber double actions. These powerful revolvers were highly
coveted by the members of the F.B.I., who were in the midst of dealing with rampant organized crime from the 1920s into
the 1930s and needed firearms that were capable of penetrating car doors. The included factory letter with this revolver, Reg.
No. 794, states that it was shipped from the factory on 6 February 1936, and delivered to H.L. Scott, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department
of Justice, at the Federal Reserve Bank building in Kansas City, Missouri. It is noted as having shipped with a 3 1/2 inch barrel, King red bead front
sight, “U” notch rear sight, blue finish, checkered Magna grips, that it was sighted for 25 yards using a dead center hold, and that the single action
trigger pull was adjusted to 3 lbs. Included correspondence from the consignor indicates that Special Agent H.L. “Harry” Scott was involved in some
large scale vice raids in Atlantic City in 1937. Newspapers in 1919 mention a Special Agent H.L. Scott operating in the Dayton and Toledo areas of
Ohio, including taking part in an anti-communist raid on a union headquarters in Toledo in June of that year. Further research on Special Agent Scott
is definitely in order. The revolver itself has the Smith & Wesson marking on the left of the barrel and the caliber marking on the right. The Smith
& Wesson trademark is on the left of the frame and the “MADE IN U.S.A.” marking is on the right. It is fitted with a pinned, red beaded blade King front sight, an
adjustable “U” notch rear sight, and a pair of checkered walnut “Magna” grips with “S&W” monogram medallions.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 95% plus of the original blue finish with some light handling/holster wear having thinned some edges to show a grey patina, as well and a cylinder turn line. The grips are also
very fine with a few scattered minor handling marks and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. A very fine Registered Magnum that is documented as shipped to F.B.I. Special Agent H. L. “Harry” Scott.
Provenance: FBI Special Agent H.L. “Harry” Scott; The Michael Priwer Collection.
Estimate: 9,000 - 14,000
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