Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson

As a Gunsmith and owner of Franson Firearms and fransonfirearms.com I am often asked very specific questions about guns but with over a million different guns out in the market I don't quite know everything about each one. This book is the only source of the proper information about Smith & Wesson firearms. The primary reason I bought the book is because I need serial number information quite often, most manufacturers' serial numbers and dates of manufacture are posted somewhere on the web but because of the unique method of setting up serial numbers at S&W their serial number base is not something that can simply be posted on the internet in an understandable way. As an added bonus I found the history and photographs to be invaluable when evaluating used guns and diagnosing problems as well as having an accurate representation for visual comparison when doing restorations. The book does give a range of prices for the guns which I find are not as accurate as the "Blue Book of Gun Values" which is the guide we use in the gun business when setting the price on guns and as such gives an inaccurate idea of the volatile nature of gun prices.

I suppose my rating gives away the surprise doesn't it? Well that's never stopped me before. This is a great reference book. It literally lists every single firearm model (as well as other products) manufactured and/or marketed by Smith & Wesson. Each model is described in detail, with all the possible variations listed. There are photographs (many in color) with each listing as well. As the title states this is the third edition. I also own the "2nd edition Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson" which is also a well done book, but the amount of additional data between the two editions is astounding. Mr. Supica and Mr. Nahas are not supermen. Over the years they have reached out to the S&W community requesting any additional information as well as helpful criticism. I am pleased to state that I made a small contribution to this edition as well. If you look on the list of acknowledgements you'll find me. Well you will find my avatar name "Checkman" from the Smith & Wesson forum. This speaks well for the writers. They acknowledge that the field is vast and that there is no way they and a couple researchers can possibly cover all the bases. S&W has been in business since the 1850's and is still going strong. That is a lot of firearms. If you are a budding S&W collector get a copy of this book. If you are long-term collector (and evidently been living under a rock if you aren't familiar with this catalog) get this book. If you're just a gunbuff and have a love of firearm trivia get this book. It isn't cheap, but it is money well spent.

I had the previous 2nd edition of the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson and used it extensively for research and information on S&W firearms. When the new 3nd edition was released I thought I'd better buy it to stay up to date and because it includes newly researched information on newly released S&W firearms. The new 3nd edition is infinitly superior to previous editions. It is printed on a high-quality grade of paper and bound in a heavy hardbound binding with an attractive dustcover that really sets it off. The book includes all color photographs and detailed and extensive information on all Smith & Wesson firearms and products to date. Information on history, description, serialization, condition, and production is all contained in this book. It is a MUST book for any serious collector or firearms enthusiast. My hat is off to the authors for this fine addition to their excellent line of books on Smith & Wesson.

The catalog is well made and printed on paper that will last for many years. The information is clear and indexed in such a way as to allow for easy reference. The photos are clear and for the most part large enough for a review of gun details. This is not a picture book, it is a reference book. While the gun values may not up to the moment they do offer a comparasion range that is very helpfull. I am new to gun collecting and this book has only increased my interest. Weather new to collecting or and old hand this is a great investment. Enjoy

I bought this book primarily for its detailed information on the Pre-Model 29 revolvers. It, of course, did not disappoint me as there are not any other references like this one that fully capture ALL the variations of the four-screw and five-screw models. I appreciated the serial number to dates of manufacture linkages, and valuation guides as well. This IS the "one book" as far as Smith & Wesson handgun references go. Later, I needed information to corroborate the attributes of a rare S&W Model 39 pistol in the steel frame & steel slide variation. I cracked open this standard catalog and, bingo, all the details I needed were there (inside). Now that Jim Supica is directing the National Firearms Museum, I hope he doesn't become too busy to continue updates to this nearly iconic reference. For those who are needing to know, this one, the 3rd Edition, is the most current version with coverage of the most recent S&W production guns such as the X-frame Model 500 and Model 460 "hand cannons."

"Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson" is an invaluable guide for any S&W collector or gun shop owner! One of the first firearms I owned was a K38 Masterpiece and my fondness for the older wheel guns has only grown since we opened a small gun shop. We get a lot of trade-in or appraisal requests and typically use the "BlueBook" to judge condition and value, but there are a lot of generalities and omissions that make that hard to use for older firearms. This book has never let us down in pinpointing exactly what we had, when it was made, and what it should be worth. Highly Recommended! CFH

Intéresse les collectionneurs .

Purchased as a reference to all S&W hand guns, and did exactly what was expected of it. Would recommend to any S&W buff. Absolutely brilliant.

シリアルナンバーと仕様にこだわる方は１冊手元に置いておくと重宝します。 S&Wに限ったことではありませんが、同じモデルナンバーでも年代ごとに仕様が細かに変わります。 比較的簡単な英語で書かれていますので、辞書片手に読めると思います。 写真は小さく点数も多くありませんので、ネットからえられる写真で補完しながらカスタムモデルガンを製作しています。 内容とは関係ありませんが、上製本ですのでカラーのカバーを取り去ると本棚でも目立ちません。

I guess since I bought two of these (one was a gift for a friend), Amazon figured I should do two reviews. Not much I can add to the original review other than to reinforce that this is the definitive source when it comes to all things S&W. That is not to take anything away from Roy Jinks' excellent books on S&W's, as you should really have both of his books in your collection too, but Roy centers on earlier Smiths, where this book covers both old and new (as of press time), plus it contains pricing guidelines, and reports what some of the rarer books gathered at auctions. And also as I stated in the other review, it will make an excellent Christmas present for the S&W person in your life.

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