1st Year Smith &Wesson S&W 53 No Dash .22 Remington Jet Revolver, 1961 C&R
Sold For: $1,256
LSB#: 200626BB58
Make: Smith & Wesson
Model: 53, The .22 Centerfire Magnum: The “Jet”
Serial Number: K446578
Year of Manufacture: 1961 (1st Year Production)
Caliber: .22 Remington Jet
Action Type: Single and Double Action Revolver with Swing-Out Cylinder
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “SMITH & WESSON”. The sideplate has the large “S&W” logo. The right side of barrel is marked “22 MAGNUM”. The right side of the frame is marked with the four line Marcas Registradas address. The yoke cut is marked “K446578 / MOD. 53″. The butt is marked “K446578”. The underside of the ejector is marked “446578”. The yoke and sides of the grip frame have inspection marks.
Barrel Length: 6”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a ramped blade with a serrated ramped base pinned to the barrel’s rib. The rear sight is a square-notch which is micrometer click adjustable in a base screwed to the topstrap. The rear sight base and barrel rib are serrated for glare reduction.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece oversize checkered walnut target stocks with Smith & Wesson medallions at their tops and smooth diamonds around the grip screw escutcheons. The grips have a few scattered light compressions and scuffs. The checkering is generally sharp. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good-Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling sharp. There is no erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 92% of its metal finish. The barrel has light finish wear along the right side with a few other scattered light marks. The frame has thinning at some edges and a few minor marks. The cylinder has a faint turn-line with minor wear behind each flute. The hammer and trigger have light operational wear in otherwise strong case color. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in about Very Good-plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a switch in place of the standard firing pin, allowing the user to select whether it strikes the centerfire or rimfire frame-mounted firing pin. The cylinder lockup produces very little play side-to-side and none front-to-rear on each of the six chambers. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: This is a double-action revolver built on the square butt “K” medium frame with three screws, blue finish, 6” barrel, and oversize walnut target grips with S&W medallions. The Jet is manufactured with a “switch” on the hammer nose to select one of the dual frame mounted firing pins for either centerfire (.22 Jet) or rimfire. These guns were produced from 1961-1974 and have tremendous value for any serious Smith & Wesson collector. The S&W Model 53 introduced the .22 Remington Jet cartridge and is only one of two guns ever produced in the .22 Remington Jet caliber. This Jet has a great bore and strong mechanics. While it will accept chamber inserts to fire .22 Magnum, no inserts are included with this revolver. This example is in Very Good-plus condition with light wear and was made in the first year this model was produced. For the Smith collector, this could make a great addition but it would also be a fun revolver for velocity junkies who want a .22 Remington Jet handgun. Please see our photos and good luck!
CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable (THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO OUT-OF-STATE RESIDENTS): This C&R Pistol CAN be sold as a dealer sale in California and CAN be transferred as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) as our Simi Valley location. All C&R firearms must be transferred through your local dealer OR at our Simi Valley location; we cannot ship directly to a C&R holder in California. Out of state residents can disregard this section – your local laws apply.
