Japanese Smith& Wesson

Though y'all ( I'm from Alabama) might like to see my Japanese Smith& Wesson. I got it from a friend i work with. His dad got it off a dead Japanese NCO in the Philippines. He also got the sword and a small Japanese flag off the same man. The Smith is the last model break top Smith made called the perfected model. To open the gun you have to pull up on the rear sight and push a latch on the side of the gun at the same time. It is in 38 S&W cal. and will also shoot British 38/200 shells. As to how the nco got the gun we can only guess. He may have been to the U.S. before the war ,or could have ordered it from Japan, or he may have taken it off a GI. God only knows.Any way it got back to the U.S. where it belongs .

 

Well, nice photos and nice Smith. Thanks for posting them. I wouldn't doubt that the pistol came into the Japanese man's possession completely legally since S&W were marketed worldwide pre-war. It isn't impossible it was a war trophy itself taken from an American or Filippino serviceman during the CBI or Philippine campaigns. Those S&W's were pretty ubiquitous worldwide.

Nice find though, and thanks again for posting the pics!

 

Nice collection, thanks for sharing.
I don't know if it is still available but at one time S & W offered a research service. They would check their records & issue a letter noting the date of manufacture, whether or not the firearm was a special order &
were went when it left the factory.

 

You are welcome . I know about the letter and have gotten one in the past on 2 victory models I have . Just haven't gotten around to doing it on this one . Plus they went up to $50.00 a gun now and that slowed me down some too.Glad you enjoyed the pictures. papabyrd