The accompanying factory letter verifies the serial number, factory Class "A" engraving, 8 3/8 inch barrel, red post front sight, blue finish, target hammer, smooth rosewood target grips and that it was shipped to the Rex Firearms Co., New York City, N.Y., on April 21, 1954. This is a beautiful example of a very scarce factory engraved Pre-Model 27 revolver in the always popular 357 magnum caliber. The revolver features factory Class "A" special order extra-charge engraving, as pictured in the 1952 S&W Catalog, with a panel scene vignette of the head of a “wolverine” on side plate, and rope motifs on barrel sides. The left side of the barrel is marked "SMITH & WESSON" with a decorative border around it and the right side is marked ".357 MAGNUM" with the same border. The S&W trademark is on the left side of the frame amid the engraving and the four line address on the right front. It has the correct five screw frame with the red post patridge target front sight and adjustable white outline target rear sight. The top of the rib and top strap are finely checkered, serrated trigger and back strap, checkered wide spur target hammer, blue finish with casehardened hammer and trigger, and fitted with smooth rosewood grips with silver S&W medallions.

Excellent. The revolver retains 99% plus original blue finish with only a faint drag line on the cylinder. The hammer and trigger retain 98% original bright case colors with some minor normal cycling wear on the left side of the hammer. The grips are also excellent with a few minor handling marks. The engraving is sharp. Mechanically excellent. Panel-scene engraved S&W’s of the post-WWII period are so rare as to be almost non-existent.