Introduced in 1935, the Registered Magnum was the culmination of several years of experimentation by leading handgun authorities of the era with 38 caliber revolvers built on 44 caliber frames, leading to the development of the 357 Magnum cartridge. Hand made to order by Smith & Wesson's in-house craftsmen and individually registered to the owner, the Registered Magnums show a level of fit and finish beyond the already high standard the firm set during that era, making them contenders for the title of finest revolver ever made. Issued registration number 899, this revolver is equipped with a raised Patridge blade front sight and an adjustable rectangular notch rear sight, both set into the signature full-checkered barrel rib and top strap. The barrel is pinned and the rear cylinder face is counter bored, with fine casehardened colors on the serrated trigger and hammer. The later production replacement grips are smooth front wraparound hardwood, with a slight coke bottle profile and S&W medallions.

Extremely fine, with 95% of the original blue finish, showing some light edge wear, a small amount of spotting, a drag line on the cylinder and scattered handling marks. The rear face of the front sight has been filed down to it's current profile with traces of red paint highlighting, and the rear sight blade is a replacement, with a few scratches visible on the sight base. The replacement grips are excellent, with a few small scratches. Mechanically excellent.