Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns S&W Model 35 - Coincidence And Questions

In the world of "gun looniness" I just had an amazing coincidence.
After posting on a thread somewhere on this site just a few days ago (I could not find it just now to reference it) that I had been enduring a long time quest to find a Smith & Wesson Model 35 revolver well wouldn't you know it I found one just yesterday after MANY years of searching!
The VarmintWife and I were up Bozeman, Montana way and had dropped off some relatives at the airport when I decided to divert a bit and check out a distant gunshop.
I am so glad I did!
There on the shelf was a MINT perfect condition Smith & Wesson Model 35-1 in 22 L.R. AND, it was factory nickel plated.
The 6" barreled Model 35-1 also had what appeared to me to be a factory installed "Target Trigger" - the trigger was difficult to measure for width, just now, but it appeared to me to be right at .400" wide according to my Browne & Sharp dial caliper.
The side plate screws were inspected under magnification and they certainly appeared to me to NEVER have been "turned".
The hammer appeared to be normal non-target width to me.
The pistol was just flawless and I surprised myself by asking the proprietor if I could remove the grips and inspect the "J' frame for the "N" stamp, which designates factory nickel plating. He let me remove the grips and in addition to a big'ole "N" stamped in the frame there was also a similar size "R" stamped near the "N".
I then became aware that indeed the pistol grip frame was a "R"ound butt.
I happily dished out the several hundred dollar bills to acquire this mint pistol and was so pleased to finally add a Model 35 to my collection - what a coincidence after just publicly exclaiming my long time difficulty in finding a 35 just days earlier!
Got home last night with the pistol and spent the evening trying to find ANY reference to a Model 35-1 being nickel plated - with NO luck online nor in my Smith & Wesson reference books!
Anyone have any insights or suggestions where to look to for information on Model 35's being factory nickel plated or having target triggers?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions or insights.
This pistol just stuns me as to its perfect condition and its age at 51 years - which I was able to ascertain from one of my Smith & Wesson reference books.
Half a century old and flawless - my kind of pistol!
I did get an inkling as to how rare these pistols are from numerous observations posted by other Smith & Wesson enthusiasts who commented how rare they were/are.
I even stooped so low as to visit "gunbreaker.com" and they showed 67 (sixty seven) items listed when "Smith & Wesson Model 35" was searched - out of 67 (sixty seven!) entries under Model 35 Smith & Wessons only 1 (one!) was actually a Model 35!
These pistols were manufactured from 1953 to 1973 - but I could NOT find any information on total production numbers.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Maybe I will buy a lotto ticket - I am feeling lucky?
Long live Smith & Wesson pre-lock revolvers!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: I even went to the Smith & Wesson "Forum" but found no information there - I was signing up to be able to ask questions on that site but among many other overbearing and intrusive questions "they" wanted my exact birthday, I declined that and was rejected - he-he.

Good for you, first the Swift and now this.. Excellent!!

WyoCoyoteHunter: Yes I had a tough time hiding the pistol purchase from the VarmintWife.
The Swift was a no-brainer though "wait til shes in the shower and bring it in" situation.
So many guns - so little time!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

The R stamp and the N indicates a factory refinish.

M-35s are rare. It took me years to find a beater. Nickeled M-35s are unheard of.
Keep working the problem on the S&W forums. Look for input from a guy named Mike Priwer.

It may take a while.


Okie John

JB in SC: Thank you for that insight.
You learn something everyday (if you are paying attention, anyways).
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I had an M-35 blue w/square butt that I bought new in Wisconsin in 1973 and turned into a house payment in Idaho in the mid-1980s. Wish I still had it, but sometimes you gotta do stuff you don't like much.

I didn't even know that they made this model in a round butt, nor have I ever seen one in nickel. But then I've lived all over the US and only seen a few.

Great little wheel gun!

I bought a new 35-1 in 1973. I think was about $100 or so. I was a neat handgun and just wasn't common even then since it was at the end of it's production life. I suspect the RB was what they had on hand and built some as a RB rather than the standard SB. It would be interesting to get a S&W letter to see the actual configuration as shipped from the factory. S&W threw nothing away...

JB in SC: Thank you again for the additional information and the suggestion.
Pardon my slow reply as we are entertaining a new set of out of town guests (for the 5 week in a row!).
Seems all the relatives and friends want to come to Montana - sadly the splendor of the scenery is greatly obscured (3 - 5 miles visibility this week) by the smoke coming from Idaho, Oregon, kalifornicationkopia and from some fires here in Montana.
I just may get off a letter to the folks at Smith & Wesson inquiring as to the butt and the target trigger and finish.
Thanks again.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

There's the www.smithandwessonforums.com and the smith-wessonforum.com. The first one seems nicer than the second, friendlier.

5thShock: Thank you for that I will check it out.
Much appreciated.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy