Gates, Inc. .357 flattop wood case

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chet15

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 22, 2001
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5,993
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Dawson, Iowa
So who is the lucky new owner???

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-MAHOGANY-PISTOL-GUN-DISPLAY-BOX-SMITH-WESSON-RUGER-4-INCH-BARREL-/223586163277?_trksid=p2047675.m43663.l10137&nordt=true&rt=nc&orig_cvip=true

Chet15
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
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8,966
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Ohio , U.S.A.
yes typical for an ebay "search"...looks cool, gotta get out my Dougan book recall they were( are ) pictured in there, way in the back...Rich M. from Michigan at one time had a couple of these, Bob C, always asked about them...has the same top section ( corner s) and the rear hinges exactly like the old S&W Presentation cases, also made in mahogany never knew who built them as S&W had their own woodshop made all their grips back then...nicely done interior ,routing/inletting,not "home made"....to me it just seems like two different pieces put together, a top, ala S&W and bottom ala Colt, but then again may in fact be just that, a "prototype" 8) :roll: :wink:

The old man (WBR) would NEVER spend that much money on a "box" :shock:
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
update,...in fact Gates did make the early mahogany cases for S&W, until the S&W Factory started the work in their own wood shop, around 1960-61?? (Doc 44, thank you!)

and YES, found the pictures in Dougans book, pages 301-302 of this very , exact style case , from Rich M.s' collection......well, well, well....awesome find :wink:
 
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