Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Let's Discuss The Registered Magnum

The Registered magnum was a custom order that was sighted in at the factory at 25 yards with either a center hold or a 6 o'clock hold.
Winchester produced a 158 at 1550 FPS. S&W wanted a 1450 FPS load, Winchester said they didn't think that would be possible. Winchester took a year to perfect a load that exceeded expectations by 100 FPS
James From Jersey has or had the original article about the Registered Magnum and the Winchester load.
Hope that James chimes in

I've got one of it's grandkids (M27-9) and I can promise it doesn't hold a candle to the real-deal originals. It's not bad with .38 Specials, but it hasn't shown any affinity for .357 loads, so far, anyway. It's still fun to shoot and look at, but all told, I'd rather have an old M28 6".

It was the first handgun to take the throne from the Colt Walker as the most powerful commercially manufactured revolver in terms of FPE at the muzzle.

They could be specified as being zeroed with any 38 or 357 load at ranges up to 500 yards.

Barrels were buyers choice of length between 3 1/2” and 8 3/4” in 1/8” increments. Of course some lengths, some of which became standard in later models, were more popular than others.

Sights could be had in an amazing array of combos by S&W, Lyman, and Kings.

Stocks were service style with or without the S&W grip adapter that is nothing like a Tyler T, or the then new Magna style.

Super cool guns with a super cool history of their development and the many notable people who had one.

A magical time in Smith history but a shame that few got to take advantage of it. Smack dab in the middle of the depression.

Winchester offering special order guns as well. Off the rack not nearly as common as now.

Cool thread.

It's really interesting to read stuff about the rich during the depression.
It was third world Schmidt. Most of the country broke, hungry. Many starving.

And a few living opulent luxurious lives. Money to burn.

Was the textured top to defuse sight glare standard or special order?

Te original 357 Registered Magnum 158 load was 1515 FPS not 1550 like I posted in the opening post

It was standard, still is on M27s though I doubt it’s hand cut.

My m28 6" and 4" both have flat topstraps and ribs with dull bluing. Can't really see a visual difference in the S and N prefixed serial numbered guns but by God you can feel it in DA mode. Both my m27-2 guns (6" & 3.5") have the square checkering on the rear sight and topstrap as well as the barrel rib. The 6" has a std trigger and hammer with the partridge frt blade and wears Smooth Rosewood target grips. The 3.5 is real interesting as it has both target trigger and hammer, Baughman ramp frt sight and wears period correct football cut out checkered target stocks. Both are smooth as a witch's tit. Not many of us N frames whores around but sure like them.mb

It's NOT hand-cut, and on my particular 27, it's poorly done, at best, lots of flats. I should have looked more closely at it when I bought it. As a functioning revolver, it's "okay", but it's sure not the quality of the older Smiths.

Patton called his his "Killing Gun." He wore it to battle in WWII, alternating between it and his ivory handled Colt SAA .45.

Cool find.

The pictures are brought to us by James From Jersey.
James has a ton of old historic pictures and information that is difficult to come be today

Smith & Wesson produced 5224 of the Registered Magnums. Within that number, at least one revolver was produced with a barrel length having each length between 3½ and 8¾ inches, in ¼-inch increments. However, only one each is known to have been produced in 5¾-, 6¼-, 7¼-, and 7¾-inch lengths.

I guess I was wrong about the sighting distance, it could be up to 200 yards.