Guns International #: 101663386
Seller's Inventory #: M21-1340

Category - Smith & Wesson Revolvers - Bodyguard - Smith & Wesson Revolvers

Category
Smith & Wesson Revolvers - Bodyguard
Smith & Wesson Revolvers

1968 Vintage Smith & Wesson Model 49 Bodyguard .38 Special Revolver ** Beautiful All-Original Example **

Description:
This is a beautiful very lightly-used .38 Special Smith & Wesson Model 49 Bodyguard manufactured in 1968.  If it has had more than a handful of shells fired thru it since leaving the factory more than 53 years ago we would be very surprised.  This handsome Bodyguard looks like it has spent it's entire life in a sock drawer!  The Smith & Wesson Model 49 Bodyguard .38 Special Revolver was introduced in 1959 as the steel-framed version of the Model 38.  It was an extremely popular model and remained in production for 37 years until 1996, at which point the Model 49 name was dropped but the gun carried on under a different model number.  Offered in both a gloss-blue and Nickel-plated factory finish, the round-butt J-frame DA/SA Bodyguard revolver featured a 5-shot fluted cylinder, a 1 & 7/8" inch or 2" inch barrel, a color case-hardened hammer and trigger, fixed iron sights, and a hump-back style frame that shrouded the hammer.  This integral hammer shroud made the gun "snag free" and easy to carry in a purse or pocket, while at the same time still giving the user the ability to cock or de-cock gun using the hammer like a single-action revolver.  The Model 49 Bodyguard was a big commercial succes for S&W and the gun remains popular today with both shooters and collectors alike.  This particular example is serial number 751215 and it came with a gloss-blue factory finish.  As mentioned earlier, it is in superb condition overall.  The original factory blue finish is bright, clean, and beautiful, rating 98%.  The only deductions from the finish come from an extremely faint drag-line around the cylinder and a few tiny handling/storage marks.  The factory case colors on the hammer and trigger are excellent, showing lots of bright color and 99% coverage.  All of the factory stampings on this Smith are crisp and fully legible, including the S&W logo on the left side of the frame.  All of the screws in this Smith appear unturned with crisp slots, and there is no evidence that the sideplate has ever been removed from this gun since it was built.  The bore in the factory-pinned 1 & 7/8ths" inch barrel is pristine and mirror-bright, free from any pitting, wear, or damage of any kind.  All five chambers of the cylinder are equally as clean and bright.  The original grips on this gun are in very good condition overall.  Both sides are free from any cracks, chips, repairs, or major wear/damage.  Both grip panels show only some very minor wear to the gloss finish but nothing that stands out as an eyesore.  Both grips are perfectly fit to the gun, a perfect match to each other in every way, and tight to the grip frame with no wiggle.  The right grip is stamped on the reverse with the matching serial number of the gun, as-is proper and correct for a gun made during this time period.  The action on this Model 49 is slick, precise, and perfectly "in time" no matter how the gun is operated.  At full-lock there is ZERO felt play in the cylinder.  All of the controls on this Smith are in perfect working order and there is no doubt that this Bodyguard will still function 100% just like the day it shipped from the factory.  If you have been looking for an investment-worthy Model 49 Bodyguard for your collection this 1968 no-dash example would be an excellent choice.  They seldom come much cleaner than this!  

SOLD

Curio/Relic: Yes
Handgun Caliber: .38 Special
Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
Model: Model 49 Bodyguard (No Dash)
Serial Number: 751215
Barrel Length: 1 & 7/8ths Inches
Condition: Excellent
Metal Condition: Excellent
Wood Condition: Excellent/Very Good
Bore Condition: Minty
Barrel Type: Pinned Barrel
Action: Double-Action / Single-Action
Finish: Gloss Blue / Color Case-Hardened
Sights: Fixed Iron Sights
Manufacture Date: 1968