First Year Smith & Wesson S&W .44 Magnum Pre-Model 29 4″ Revolver, 1956 C&R

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Sold for $3674.07

Make: Smith & Wesson

Model: First Year Pre-Model 29, Five Screw

Serial Number: S153150

Year of Manufacture: 1956

Caliber: .44 Magnum

Action Type: Double and Single Action Six Shot Swing Out Cylinder Revolver

Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “SMITH & WESSON”. The rear face of the cylinder, butt of the grip frame, ejector rod cut out, front face of the cylinder (no letter prefix), and rear face of the yoke (no letter prefix) are marked with the serial number. The sideplate is marked with the S&W monogram logo and the right of the frame is marked with the four-line marcas registradas. The right of the barrel is marked “44 MAGNUM”. The yoke and yoke cut have assembly numbers. The sides of the grip frame have inspection marks

Barrel Length: 4”, Pinned

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a ramped blade with a red insert, it is set on a serrated ramped base integral to the serrated rib. The rear sight is an S&W micrometer click white outline square notch adjustable for windage and elevation. The corners of the sight leaf have been radiused.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered Goncalo Alves “Coke Bottle” target stocks with S&W medallions and a football cut. There is a thin hairline crack on the right panel at the corner where the backstrap widens into the frame. There are a few lirrle nicks and dings, most noticeable on the bottom edges. There is some wear on the edges that border the checkering. The checkering is sharp. There is no mounting hardware included. The grip rates in about Fine condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 93% of its metal finish. The rear sight corners have been radisued. There is some finish loss on the sides of the barrel at the muzzle. There is some finish loss on the front edges of the cylinder. There is thinning on the edges. There are some scattered spots of light surface frost, most noticeable on the sideplate and trigger guard. There are some scattered light handling marks. There are some draglines and a few scuffs. There are a few little nicks into the metal, most noticeable on the cylinder at the rear. There are a few hairline scratches, most notable in front of the cylinder release. There is a turn line through the finish on the cylinder. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this handgun rates in about Fine condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The single-action trigger is crisp and the double-action smooth. The cylinder lockup has very little side-to-side play and no front-to-rear play on all six chambers. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Included is a presentation case, mop, cleaning rod, knurled screwdriver, and brass bristle brush. The top lining of the presentation case and its cardboard backing fall off the lid, an easy fix.

Our Assessment: Developed in a collaboration between Smith & Wesson and Remington with the input of big-bore handgun shooters including Elmer Keith, The .44 Magnum revolver and cartridge took the revolver world by storm in the 1950s, later to be known worldwide, even outside the firearms community, as “the most powerful handgun in the world” due to its portrayal in the Dirty Harry movies. This is Smith & Wesson’s famous “The .44 Magnum” built on a 5-screw square butt N-Frame paired with a 4″ barrel. This revolver has a nice blued finish, with a wide serrated case-colored trigger and wide checkered hammer. To make it even better, it comes installed with a beautiful pair of Coke bottle grips! It doesn’t stop there though, it even comes with a black presentation case complete with its cleaning kit. This one is from the first year of production, and based on its 4″ barrel and the accompanying case with a clasp style latch was made in late 1956. Supica & Nahas estimate that only 25% of the first year guns were made with 4″ barrels. No collection is complete without a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum so you might as well make it this one, this ensemble is so hot you may as well be walking on the sun. Please see our pictures and good luck!