This .357 Registered Magnum (reg. no. 1400) is one of only 839 S&W manufactured with a 6 inch barrel and is the only one known with a factory 1/10 inch military-cross lined front sight. The accompanying factory letter states the revolver was shipped on September 23, 1936, and delivered to R.D. Heath of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, with a 6 inch barrel, 1/10 inch military-cross lined front sight, rear sight to match, blue finish, grip adapter, and checkered walnut grips. Additional included documents provided by the S&W Historical Foundation indicate the revolver was ordered by Joseph A. Holmes through Wolf & Klar, Fort Worth, Texas, and delivered to R.D. Heath of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, for Joseph A. Holmes. The recipient of this revolver is possibly Joseph A. Holmes, Jr. the son of Joseph A. Holmes, Sr. (1859-1915) who was a geologist, occupational safety and health pioneer and the first director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Joseph A. Holmes, Sr. is the namesake of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association. Many of these documents discuss payment and shipment of the revolver. Holmes had requested to receive the revolver before setting sail to South America, but the revolver was not completed in time. The revolver was delivered to R.D. Heath because Holmes was in Trinidad. The S&W order form and invoice confirm the revolver's configuration including the 1/10 inch military-cross lined front sight and Joseph Holmes as the recipient and feature a sketch of the front sight with the notation "if any doubt about this sight see Mr. Pomeroy." Edward S. Pomeroy was S&W's chief designer who is perhaps best known for designing the Model 1940 light rifle. His invaluable firearms expertise would undoubtedly have been appreciated by the individual tasked with manufacturing this very custom front sight. The 1/10 inch military-cross lined front sight was specifically designed and fabricated for this order and only this order. Knowledgeable S&W collectors see this revolver as having a one-off sight configuration that will only be found on this .357 Registered Magnum. The rear sight is a gold outlined square notch. Matching serial numbers appear on the butt, right grip panel, cylinder, and ejector shroud. Provenance: The Dave Ballantyne Collection

Excellent, retaining 97% original blue finish with a patch of pitting on the butt, a light cylinder drag, and scattered handling marks. 98% plus original case colors remain on the hammer and trigger. The grips are also excellent with a few minor handling marks and overall crisp checkering. A well-documented S&W .357 Registered Magnum revolver with a one-of-a-kind sight configuration that is a must have for the serious S&W or big caliber revolver collector.