Sometimes it pays to freeze your butt off!
I made my way to the Seymour gun show this weekend even with the below 0 temps and managed to stumble across this beauty. After some haggling and a bit of trading it came home with me.
1939-40 Smith and Wesson M&P 4th change.
Proper gold an blue box for the time frame.
Engraved on right hand side plate:
The "Mayors" Trophy
Won by
Prob Ptl Samuel S. Herschfield
Sept-1940
Apparently from 1936 to 1973 the New York PD awarded pistols to patrolmen that were exemplary during their training period. There were 9 different awards ranging from best marksman to highest physical and academic scores. The "Mayor's Trophy" went to the probational patrolman who distinguished themselves by an act of service during their probationary period (i.e. save a life, make a big bust, etc.)
I'm in the process of getting it lettered and a historian from the Smith and Wesson forum is researching more about the winner. It seems he went on as a NYPD cop and later served in the court system. They've even managed to track down surviving children and found Samuel's grave site! If only these old guns could talk huh? How did it get from NYC all the way to boondocks Indiana?
I made my way to the Seymour gun show this weekend even with the below 0 temps and managed to stumble across this beauty. After some haggling and a bit of trading it came home with me.
1939-40 Smith and Wesson M&P 4th change.
Proper gold an blue box for the time frame.
Engraved on right hand side plate:
The "Mayors" Trophy
Won by
Prob Ptl Samuel S. Herschfield
Sept-1940
Apparently from 1936 to 1973 the New York PD awarded pistols to patrolmen that were exemplary during their training period. There were 9 different awards ranging from best marksman to highest physical and academic scores. The "Mayor's Trophy" went to the probational patrolman who distinguished themselves by an act of service during their probationary period (i.e. save a life, make a big bust, etc.)
I'm in the process of getting it lettered and a historian from the Smith and Wesson forum is researching more about the winner. It seems he went on as a NYPD cop and later served in the court system. They've even managed to track down surviving children and found Samuel's grave site! If only these old guns could talk huh? How did it get from NYC all the way to boondocks Indiana?
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