I Have This Item For Sale .....Am. Ex. Co. Smith and Wesson S&W DA .38 w/ Letter
This is an American Railway Express Company S&W Double Action 4th model in .38 S&W. It was shipped directly to the American Express Railway Company in 1903 as established by Roy Jinks with included letter. Am. Ex. Co is stamped on the back strap along with the company rack number. It was one of 25 shipped to Am. Ex. At that time. The action is excellent tight and crisp with a good bore. Lock up is very good. There is a star by the serial number indicating that it was at some point sent back to the S&W factory for repair or refinishing. It was likely factory refinished as indicated by the wear patterns compared to the remaining finish. Gun shows holster wear signs that it was carried a lot but the smooth tight action indicates it was rarely if ever fired. This was probably carried in a holster daily by an agent for many years. This is a very rare find as not many of these are out there. Must ship to FFL or C&R. Buyer must be legally able to purchase and own a firearm. For sale on Gunbroker here https://www.gunbroker.com/item/778119624
From The Letter Of Authenticity :
The revolver you inquired about is a .38 Double Action. This model was introduced in 1880 andmanufactured until 1911, with a total production of 554,077 revolvers. It was designed to fire the
.38 Smith & Wesson cartridge and was available in blue or nickel finish. During the first twenty-nine
years that this model was produced, four major design changes were made. These design
improvements are now classified by collectors as separate models to distinguish the different
variations from the original. The resulting five categories are simply labeled .38 Double Action
First Model through .38 Double Action Fifth Model.
The revolver described in your letter is classified as a .38 Double Action Fourth Model. This
model was introduced in 1889 and manufactured until 1909 with a total production of 216,300
revolvers. These were produced between serial numbers 322001 and 539000 of the .38 Double
Action series.
We have researched your Smith & Wesson .38 Double Action Fourth Model, caliber .38 Smith &
Wesson revolver in company records which indicate that your handgun, with serial number
45----, was shipped from our factory on November 2, 1903 and delivered to American Express
Co. no address listed. This revolver was shipped with a 4 inch barrel, nickel finish, and
checkered black hard rubber grips. This shipment was for 25 units and the back straps were
marked "Am. Ex. Co.". These revolvers were generally delivered to the local American Express
office in Springfield, MA. The star next to the serial number indicates the revolver had been
returned to the factory.