S&W Model 936 Box

I know this is going to be a long shot. If anyone has an empty box for the S&W Model 936 Polished Stainless Steel Handcuffs that they are not using or do not want, I would be looking to buy it from you. I have almost all of the boxes for my S&W pre-1979 cuffs. I am missing this one box. I know this is a hard to find box, but i figure its worth a shot. Picture is for attention. Thank you!
-Richard Knip-

Richard,
I’ve also been looking for one for years.
Dave

Dave, I wasnt sure if you had one yet or not? I figured you would be the most likely to have one though, with all of your personal work with the people at S&W and ties to the company, etc. I wonder if anyone on here has one in their collection for that matter?
-Richard Knip-

Richard,

I need to confess i was not aware of a S&W  936. I have a similar set in my collection (without box). Both bows are marked with a "S".
How do I separate a 936 from a 938, which I belive I have? Or don't I?

Lars

holstcollection wrote: ↑

Mar 11, 2022

Richard,

I need to confess i was not aware of a S&W  936. I have a similar set in my collection (without box). Both bows are marked with a "S".
How do I separate a 936 from a 938, which I belive I have? Or don't I?

Lars

The Model 938 and the Model 936 are the same basic cuff. But the 936 is the polished version of the 938. Like how the Model 91 is the polished version of the Model 90. Your set would be a Model 938.
-Richard Knip-

djhalfdead wrote: ↑

Mar 11, 2022

holstcollection wrote: ↑

Mar 11, 2022

Richard,

I need to confess i was not aware of a S&W  936. I have a similar set in my collection (without box). Both bows are marked with a "S".
How do I separate a 936 from a 938, which I belive I have? Or don't I?

Lars

The Model 938 and the Model 936 are the same basic cuff. But the 936 is the polished version of the 938. Like how the Model 91 is the polished version of the Model 90. Your set would be a Model 938.
-Richard Knip-

Click to expand...

Thanks for letting me know! My cuff is not that much polished so 938 sounds accurate. It's a pity many of the S&W were never stamped with model numbers.

Lars

Youre welcome, Lars. Companies that do not stamp model numbers on their cuffs are the bane of my existence! That is why Hiatt Isnt on my Christmas Card list! LOL! I know cuffs were never meant to be a collectible, but its still nice to be able to discern which model you have in the case of recalls, repairs, etc.
-Richard Knip-

To clarify, the #938 is a Stainless Steel model....and so it has a dull gray finish.

Joe Fox wrote: ↑

Mar 11, 2022

To clarify, the #938 is a Stainless Steel model....and so it has a dull gray finish.

Joe, but is the finish on my cuff "dull enough" to be a 938? The finish on my Model 103, which is also stainless, is much more grey in finish.

Lars

Lars:

(as per above photo)....That MAY be a S&W #936: "Stainless Steel Polished" ....as opposed to a  duller #938 "Stainless 
    Steel" model.

Through natural wear & age, the "polished-look" fades...and then it's anyone's guess what model is what.

(Same holds true comparing a S&W #925 (Airweight Nickel) to a S&W #926 (Airweight Polished)...they being nearly identical).

Let's see if others chime-in to voice their opinion too.

I sure wish there were Model Numbers on these early Peerless, & Smith-Wesson handcuffs.

Comparing Dave's pics in his book, Im leaning towards what Joe is saying. I think yours may be the Model 926, Lars. I have a suspision that whom ever owned my pair, before i got it had polished them to a higher shine at some point. All of the crooks and crannies, in between the double arms are all polished as well, so they appear to have done a thorough job at it. Now it makes me question did my set leave the factory as a model 938 or as a model 936? LOL! Not that it would matter, i suppose. Since they start out as the same cuff. Too hard to tell without model numbers on the cuffs. Thankfully the N.I.J. standards changed the no model number issue.
-Richard Knip-

Joe, I do have to point out that the differences in the Model 925 Airweight and the Model 926 Airweight are two different models with two different factory stamps. The model 925 has the same stamps as the Model 90, but is made from aluminum. While the Model 926 Has the Factory Stamps on the Double Strands of the cuffs. Here is a pic of my Model 925 and a pic of my model 926.
-Richard Knip-

Here is a photo of the finishes on the S&W 936 & 938.
Also a product brochure introducing the New Stainless Steel

The S&W Stainless Models 936 & 938 were introduced in 1961.
Note on the product brochure shown above, that the Stainless Model 936, Bright Polished are (Special order only). Sometime between 1971 & 1974 the M-936 Bright Polished was removed from the product brochures (listed in July 1971, no longer listed in April 1974).
Dave

Richard:

 Yep, you are spot on in visibly telling the physical differences between a "NORMAL" #925 and a NORMAL #926.

...but tell me, how would you (or anyone, for that matter) - classify these two ODD-BALL Air-Weights?

I have seen the Model 926 with 1 marking on the double strand. My thought is its like the Model 100. There are a few variations of it that were done through the years. Some Model 100 cuffs have 1 smith and wesson logo on them, others have 2. Some have serial numbers, other do not. etc. I think the single and double stamped Model 926 were made during different parts of the run of the model. Maybe started with 2 stamps and changed to 1 later in production, or vice versa.

Now your completely unmarked pair, is a real odd duck. I do not have any explanation for that one. My only train of thought would be a type of a test model for the factory use. Thy wouldnt need a serial number, nor would they need stamps to test them. Just build the cuff and try it out kind of thing. Maybe a worker pocketed them after testing was completed and they ended up in the market and into your collection? What ever their reason for manufacturing is they are an amazing piece to have! Congrats on finding that gem! On a side note, I have a blue Bangor Punta S&W box with no stamping on it. Just the design of the top of the box, the instructions inside of the lid and nothing else. Maybe I have the box from your unmarked cuffs? LOL! Makes sense to me, anyway!
-Richard Knip-

If the Model 926 was produced until the early 1970s, does anyone have a set with the detent from the 1970s? I have only seen the 1960s detent location on them. Same with the Model 938 and the Model 936. I wonder if the inclusion in the 1971 catalog that Dave mentions was the selling out of their remaining inventory  they made in the 1960s and none were actually made with the 1970s detent location. Just curious.
-Richard Knip-

Richard:
The 1970's "indent location" of a #926 -  was closer to the keyhole, right?...but isn't that what you have, as per your photo above?

I was under the impression that the detents went:
1950s - furthest from keyhole
1960s - offset slightly to the right of keyhole
1970s - above the key hole

Which would make all of the examples shown to be 1960s detent models. Perhaps I am wrong on the way I understood the detents to have been used over time?
-Richard Knip-

Not sure if this is the cuff or not but the Guatamala Army ordered a polished? cuff with no markings on the cuff or box.

I have one one but will have to look for it.

Mark

Richard--You may be correct about the 1970's  "Air-Weight's "indent" being straight over the keyhole...I don't think I've ever seen one.

I know that in his book, David says that the detent location I call the 1960s version (slightly to the right of the key hole), he says is instead the "variant" version. I dont agree with those findings, however. For that to be the "variant placement of the detent, then all of the special models (925, 926, 936 and 938 would have to have that specific detent location...which they do. But, the basic what we call the model 90 and the polished model 91, come with all 3 detent locations available. If the model 90 were only sold as early (1950s location) and late (1970s location), then there would be no Model 90s or Model 91s with the "variant" detent location. It makes more sense to me, that the detent locations signal approx when the cuffs were made, 50s, 60s, 70s. The special cuffs only have the 1960s location available since that was the period in which they were made. So, that would mean that the 1960s detent location would have been brought out around 1958, since that was the beginning of the Model 925 handcuffs, and ran until the early 1970s. Hence why we cannot find any of the specialty cuffs with either the 1950s or the 1970s detent locations. They were a middle run item.

On the Model 938 box, here is my thinking. I dont think there are any boxes stamped as a model 936. None of us have seen one yet, including the most seasoned S&W collector among us, David Teeter. All of my internet searches have never turned up an example of one. The reason why, is because they were in the catalog as "special order only." So, if you placed and order for a Model 936, they could have just taken a model 938 off the shelf and polished it into a Model 936, then sent it to you in the original model 938 box. Since these were done by special order, the boxes wouldnt have to be marked as a model 936 polished, since stores wouldnt be stocking them. They would likely have to place the special order for the customer, when one was requested, and not have a stack of 24 boxes of the Model 936 sitting around on their shelves. That would eliminate the need for S&W to print a special box for the Model 936. Thats just how I am seeing things, anyway. Until an example of a Model 936 box shows up, i cant prove or disprove my theory.
-Richard Knip-

Richard,
“The special cuffs only have the 1960s location available since that was the period in which they were made. So, that would mean that the 1960s detent location would have been brought out around 1958, since that was the beginning of the Model 925 handcuffs, and ran until the early 1970s. Hence why we cannot find any of the specialty cuffs with either the 1950s or the 1970s detent locations. They were a middle run item.”

I think the reason I came to the conclusion for detent locations as Early, Late & Variant is because of the various M-90’s I have in my collection. I’m not saying they were manufactured in serial number order, but when S&W previously manufactured handcuffs for Peerless they were done in serial number order.
The M-90 Early detent (furtherest toward the center), have a serial number range from 591 to 15665 & some without SN’s.
I consider the 3-digit & 4-digit serial numbers Pre-M-90 before 1958 when model numbers were assigned.
The M-90 Late detent (under the keyway), have a serial number range from 117922 to 947661 & some without SN’s.
The M-90 Variant (just off of the keyway toward the center) have a serial number range from 151521 to 157225. So the 151521 is 33,599 numbers past my first Late detent.
I’m sure there are all kinds of different theories out there. I’ll have to try to clarify my thinking in the new book I’m working

You also stated “Hence why we cannot find any of the specialty cuffs with either the 1950s or the 1970s detent locations. They were a middle run item.” I’m assuming you are referring to the Models 925, 926, 936 & 938.
Here is a 925 with a Early detent or a 1950’s as you classify them. (The 926 shown has the Variant or 1960’s detent.
Also here is a 936 with a Early detent along with a 936 with a Variant detent.

I’m sure if we all keep collecting these we will find more things to scratch our heads over.

Dave

Dave thank you for the explanation and for th pics of your cuffs. Those are amazing finds! That is the first set of the specialty models i have seen with the early detent! Which now means, i have even more cuffs to search for! LOL! Its great to see that the do actually exist! I image their numbers would be extremely limited, considering when the detents were switched? But again, nothing i can prove, just yet.

I am really excited to hear that you have another books in the works! I cant wait to buy a copy when you are finished! I was able to acquire some pieces of unplated S&W cuffs and some partially done concept keys along with a few S&W cuff boxes, from an estate sale that was supposedly for one of the S&W factory workers or designers. I do not recall the name of the auction. I purchased them secondhand and was given the story behind the original selller's purchase. There are also swing arms that have yet to be cut for teeth, 2 destroyed Model 210 cuffs and even some unused model 200-210 hinges that were in my opinion drilled too thin and wouldnt have been able to be used. The concept key shapes were supposed to have been being machined to sell with the model 200 originally, or so I was told. Most of it, i have no clue what to do with, but its one of those things, i just had to have. Buy it when you see it kind of deal.
-Richard Knip-

Richard,
Nice collection of parts you have there.
I was looking through some of my product brochures (which I plan to incorporate in the new book) and the last 1970’s brochure I have is dated May 1977 (S&W moved their handcuff manufacturing to Houlton, ME in 1979 & the 100 series were introduced), and the Model 926 Airweight and the Model 938 Stainless Steel were still listed. Interesting but hard to see (I needed to get my magnifier out), but the Models 90, 91, 800 & 810 examples all had the Late detent but the Models 925 & 938 still had the Variant detents. Just an interesting observation.
Dave

That is a really great observation to add to the equation, david! It seems we may have opened Pandora's Box that was hidden in the factory of S&W? LOL! I cant imagine the amount of research you have put into the stories of S&W and of Peerless. Thank you for sharing your findings and information with all of us!

On a semi-related note. I think I may have asked this before but has anyone actually seen a facotry blued set of Model 200 or 210 handcuffs? They advertised them  in the catalog, but I have never seen one anywhere?
-Richard Knip-

Richard,
I have not seen a blued set of either M-200 or 210.
Here is a unopened / sealed factory envelope marked:
S&W Hand Cuff Keys
M 100, 103, 210
Dave