Model 59 Smith And Wesson Serial Numbers

The Model 59, introduced in 1971, is similar to theModel 39 but has a wide grip to hold a double-column magazine of 14rounds. The Model 39, which holds 8 rounds in the magazine, wasintroduced in 1957 as the first double-action semi-automatic pistolproduced in the United States.Massachusetts natives Horace Smithand Daniel Baird Wesson, famous for their revolver designs, arealso known for having developed the first practical American-madeself-contained metallic cartridge, the.22 rimfire short. Both menwere experienced in the design and manufacture of firearms, and in1852, they formed a partnership for the purpose of manufacturingmagazine-type arms. Their Norwich, Connecticut factory produced theiron-frame lever-action Volcanic pistol, patented in 1854 (see case42 gun #1), which was a direct predecessor to the Henry andWinchester lever-action rifles that became famous during the CivilWar and post-war periods.The Volcanic was a lever-actionpistol that featured a front-loading tubular magazine located underthe barrel. This gun used a unique type of ammunition thatconsisted of a hollow-base conical bullet containing propellant andbacked by a primer disc. In 1855, Smith & Wesson sold theirinterest to the newly-organized Volcanic Repeating Arms Company.The firm's manufacturing facilities moved to New Haven, with Smithserving as plant manager for the new company, and Wesson working asplant superintendent.

Soon, however, both men left Volcanic andreturned to Springfield, Massachusetts, Horace Smith's hometown. In1857, Volcanic went into receivership.The firms assets were purchased byOliver Winchester, a Volcanic stockholder, and was reorganized asthe New Haven Arms Company. Production was discontinued entirely in1860, but the company survived, and by 1866 it became known asWinchester Repeating Arms Co. In November 1856, Smith and Wessonformed a second partnership to develop and manufacture a revolverthat chambered metallic cartridges. Wesson had continued earlierexperiments intended to produce a self-contained metalliccartridge, and by August, 1856, he had completed a wooden model ofa pistol designed to chamber a rimfire cartridge.Wesson soon discovered that a keyfeature of his design, a revolving cylinder that was bored to aconstant diameter from end to end, had already been patented byRollin White, a former employee of Samuel Colt. Smith and Wessonentered into an exclusive license to use White's patent in themanufacture of their revolver.

White was to receive royalties of 25cents per gun produced until the expiration of his patent in 1872.During Smith & Wesson's first year of production, White saw ameager $1 in compensation, but this was soon to change.By 1858, Smith & Wesson'sproduction of both revolvers and ammunition was increasing, andwould soon outgrow their original manufacturing facilities. In1860, the partners completed a new building that would allowcontinued expansion. Eventually, Smith & Wesson would selltheir interests in ammunition manufacturing, but the production ofrevolvers would continue. Wesson's original design, the seven-shotSmith & Wesson Model No. 1 First Issue Revolver, wasmanufactured between 1857 and 1860. This model, with modifications,continued in production as the Model No. 1 Second Issue and ModelNo.

Feb 12, 2012  This is where to look for the model number (not used until around 1957). Sometimes the serial number is here, especially in later models. Earlier models have them here: S&W revolver names before World War II. Name Caliber Frame.22 Hand Ejector Ladysmith 22 Long M.22/32 Target 22 Long Rifle I.22 Outdoorsman 22 Long Rifle K.

1 Third Issue Revolvers, with nearly 260,000 of all threevariants produced before discontinuation in 1881.By this time, the firm's productline, payroll, and output had increased dramatically. Revolverschambered for.32,.38, and.44 caliber cartridges supplemented theoriginal.22s, and the firm employed about 500 workers and produced400 revolvers per day. Smith & Wesson had become dominant inthe manufacture of revolvers, and the company's products were soldaround the world. In July, 1873, Horace Smith retired after sellinghis interest in the company to D. By 1880, Daniel'sthree sons, Walter H., Frank L., and Joseph H.

Wesson, were workingalongside their father, but Daniel continued to make all majordecisions.Frank Wesson died in 1887, but Walterand Joseph continued as partners in the firm until D. Wesson'sdeath in 1904. Both Walter and Joseph were well-qualified to assumemanagement of the family business, but neither they nor theexecutors of their father's estate could agree on the futuredirection of the company. Without Daniel B. Wesson's strongguidance, the firm experienced a prolonged period of weakleadership. Between 1912 and 1915, the two brothers alternated aspresident, until Walter's failing health forced him to cease activeinvolvement with Smith & Wesson.

Joseph then became president,but his own health problems frequently kept him away from hisoffice.In 1917, the United States enteredthe First World War, and Smith & Wesson received largegovernment contracts to produce revolvers for military use. Thecompany expanded its operations into a new facility, and increasedits workforce as well, but Joseph's ill health, as well as labordisputes, created major problems for the gun manufacturer.Consequently, the government took over management of the firm untilthe war ended. With the return of peace, a surplus of military armsand the import of large numbers of inexpensive guns producedadditional challenges. Joseph Wesson died in 1920, and HaroldWesson, Joseph's nephew, assumed leadership of the company.Faced with dwindling sales andoperating losses, Harold Wesson sought to diversify the company'sproduct line. With the exception of two brief forays into themanufacture of shotguns and sewing machines, the firm had alwaysconcentrated its efforts on the production of handguns, butHarold's tenure as president saw Smith & Wesson's entry intothe manufacture of handcuffs, washing machines, and toilet flushvalves. None of these ventures stemmed the flow of red ink.By the outbreak of the Second WorldWar, Smith & Wesson was nearly bankrupt, and operationalcontrol of the company passed into the hands of Carl R.

Hellstrom,a consulting engineer who had been hired as plant superintendent.Hellstrom brought Smith & Wesson back from the brink, and hiswartime and post-war management of the firm saw a renewedconcentration on the manufacture of handguns, as well as anexpansion of both the company's production facilities and itsproduct line. Although still located in Springfield, Massachusetts,Smith & Wesson has been a corporate subsidiary since 1965, whenthe Wesson family sold their interest to the Bangor Punta Corp.During this period, the companyexpanded its product line to include a holsters and otherfirearms-related accessories, as well as riot control equipment andother items intended for use by law enforcement agencies. In 1984,Bangor Punta was purchased by Lear Siegler Corp., which in turn wasacquired by Forstmann Little & Co. The new owner wasprimarily interested in Lear Siegler's automotive and aerospaceoperations, and Smith & Wesson was sold to Tompkins P.L.C., aBritish holding corporation.

Under Tompkins ownership, Smith &Wesson continued as an innovative company.The firm expanded its line to includea new semi-auto pistol in the increasingly popular.40 S&Wchambering, as well as their polymer Sigma Series pistols, whichare available in a variety of calibers. The company established asecond manufacturing facility in Maine, and it invested heavily incomputerized machine tools, robotics, and other state-of-the-arttechnology. Smith & Wesson diversified into the manufacture ofcar parts, tools, and even golf clubs.

As an added source ofrevenue, the firm opened several retail stores, as well as catalogand Internet sales operations, which sold a number of non-firearmsproducts branded with the highly-recognizable interlocking'S&W' trademark.Unfortunately, these new productscould not offset losses incurred by a decline in handgun sales,coupled with increasing costs associated with anti-gun lawsuitsbrought against the industry by a number of U.S. Cities and bycrime victims. In March 2000, Smith & Wesson was the solefirearms manufacturer to sign on to a deal with the ClintonAdministration which required the firm to comply with a number ofdubious 'safety' and marketing requirements; in return, S&W wasdropped from government lawsuits. Far from having the desiredeffect, Smith & Wesson faced immediate backlash from thegun-owning public in response to what was seen as a sell-out toanti-gun hysteria.Sales plummeted as the shooting communityspontaneously boycotted Smith & Wesson products.As a result, the firm's managementbegan to distance itself from this agreement. At present, theagreement between S&W and the government has not gone intoeffect.

In May 2001, Tompkins sold Smith & Wesson toSaf-T-Hammer, an Arizona-based firearms safety and security firm.The company's product line is focused is on preventing unauthorizedgun use and unintentional firearms-related accidents, and itscustomers include firearms distributers, retailers, law enforcementagencies, and gunsmiths.

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