SOLD - Extremely Rare Smith & Wesson Registered Magnum - Factory Nickel

Description

10/8/25 - This is an excellent and original example of a very rare Smith & Wesson revolver - the pre-WWII Registered Magnum with factory nickel finish!  The Registered Magnum was the world's first .357 Magnum produced revolver, and initially designed to provide law enforcement agencies with a cartridge that had more punch.  They wanted to be able to penetrate automotive sheet metal and the body armor of that time period.   These received extensive hand assembly/fitting, and often saw production totals of fewer than 100 per month.  There were only 5,400 ever produced, and of that, only 144 were given a factory nickel finish!  This example is accompanied by a S&W archives letter that confirms it was shipped in 1938 to the Indianapolis Police Department in a shipment of 13 units.  These revolvers were also offered with several customizable features, including odd barrel lengths, 13 different types of sights, grip style, grip adapters and finish.  As a result, this particular revolver is likely one of only a handful with its exact specifications, including the factory sights and matching serialized checkered grips.  The factory nickel finish is in excellent condition, thought there are some surface scratches on the left side of the frame (above the trigger). 5 inch barrel with minty bore.  The grips show some handling wear with a slight chip on the right panel but sharp checkering.  Mechanically sound.