Manufactured in 1956/57. 4-screw frame, red insert front and adjustable white outlined rear sight, and matching numbers on butt, cylinder and ejector shroud. This revolver is the lowest serial numbered 4-screw frame .44 Magnum known to exist based on serial number research provided in Supica and Nahas' "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson." According to the consignor, this revolver was once owned by famed pulp magazine artist Graves Gladney, a native of St. Louis, Missouri. Gladney painted 70 covers for the popular pulp magazine "The Shadow" from 1939 to 1941, was a professor of fine art at Washington University in St. Louis, avid sport shooter, and was the son of the founder of the 7-UP soft drink company. Gladney's service during WWII is as storied as the publications he painted for, enlisting in 1942 and serving first as a gunnery instructor at Fort Sam Houston before being transferred to the 82nd Airborne where he was deployed in both the D-Day landing and Operation Market Garden via combat glider, and eventually as a First Lieutenant, leading his combat division into Berlin in 1945. Graves' exploits in WWII were also an inspiration for the fictional character, Max Collins, in the popular 2nd Amendment novel "Unintended Consequences" written by Graves nephew, John Ross. Lot comes with written documentation by the consignor regarding the military service and family history of Graves Gladney. From the John Ross collection, author of the bestselling novel "Unintended Consequences".

Excellent overall, retaining 98% plus original blue and casehardened finishes with slight loss at the muzzle, cylinder drag line, numerous scattered scratches and crisp grip checkering overall. Mechanically excellent.