The .38 Smith & Wesson Pistol
curtjester1
File, by Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry. The item was a full-page
Klein's advertisement from Guns And Ammo magazine, with a circle drawn
around a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver and a 6.5 mm Italian carbine.
The clear implication is that while looking through sports magazines,
Oswald found the rufle and pistol which he used to shoot President
Kennedy and officer Tippit on November 22, 1963.
During the Spanish-American War, Smith & Wesson produced 3000 .38
caliber double-action revolvers-2000 for the Navy and 1000 for the
Army. Production continued after the war and by 1942 over 1,000,000
had been manufactured. The gun was chambered for the .38 Colt long
range cartridge and was manufactured with a 4-inch barrel for the
commercial model, and a 6 1/2 inch barrel for the military model.
The cylinder held six bullets and was equipped with a center extractor
which ejected all of the hulls simultaneously. In April 1942 Smith &
Wesson began production of the Victory Model, which featured a gray
sandblast finish. The serial numbers of the Victory Model, which was
used extensively in WWII, began with the letter "V."
Smith & Wesson produced some 1,000,000 Victory Model .38's for English
and Canadian troops that ws known as a .38-200 British Service
revolver. All weapons entering England had to be proof-tested and
marked with "English proof marks" on the barrel, cylinder, and frame.
(These English proof marks were on the .38 Smith and Wesson revolver,
SN V510210, that was taken from Lee HARVEY Oswald when he was arrested
by the Dallas Police at the Texas Theater.
In the late 1940's and early 1950's millions of surplus military
rifles and pistols were imported into the United States, and Canada
and sold to sports enthusiasts. The S&W pistol take from Oswald on
November 22 was imported from Europe by Empire Wholesale Sporting
Goods, Ltd., 300 Craig Street West, Montreal 1, Quebec, Canada.
Canadian law exempted wholesalers of surplus firearms from keeping a
record of the serial numbers of weapons that were exported from
Canada. U.S. Law, however, required that importers record the serial
numbers of all weapons imported into the country.
On October 19, 1962 George Rose & Company (aka Seaport Traders), 1221
S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, placed an order for 500 pistols from
Empire. The guns were sent from Montreal to Century Arms, Inc. of St.
Albany, Vermont and then re-shipped to George Rose & Company in Los
Angeles on January 3, 1963. (The .38 Smith & Wesson revolver
allegedly used to kill Officer J.D. Tippit and a Mannlicher-Carcano
rifle (SN 2766) were shipped from Empire Wholesale Sporting Goods to
Century Arms. The pistol was re-shipped to George Rose & Company in
Los Angeles while the Italian rifle was shipped to Aldens in Chicago).
Before the .38 pistols were sold to the public several modifications
were made by gunsmith M.L. Johnson of 13440 Burbank Blvd. in Van Nuys,
California. The hand grips were changed,the swivel hole in the butt
of the gun was filled, the gun was re-chambered to a .38 Special (the
cylinder chambers were lengthened to accommodate the longer .38
Special cartridge as was the front of the cylinder where the tip of
the cartridge fit into the cylinder), the words "CAL. . 38 Special"
were stamped on the left side of the frame, the barrel was shortened
from 5-inch to 2 1/4-inch, and a front sight was added. In addition to
regular .38 ammunition the gun could now fire the longer (.35" longer)
and smaller diameter .38 Special cartridge.
On March 13, 1963 Seaport Traders allegedly received a coupon (from an
unknown publication) dated January 27 (year unknown) along with $10.00
cash deposit from "A.J. Hidell" at P.O. Box 2915 in Dallas, Texas.
The order coupon listed 19 items for sale, including a ".38 S&W Spec."
for $39.95 and a ".38 St. W. 2" Bbl." for $29.95. (A ".38 S&W Spec."
is an abbreviation for a.38 Smith & Wesson Special. The abbreviation
".38 St. W 2" is for an unknown model).
On March 20, 1963 the order from "A.J. Hidell" was allegedly filled by
Emma Vaughn at Seaport Traders. But neither Vaughn nor the Warren
Commission explained why the order was filled by subsituting the more
expensive $39.95 ".38 S.&W. Spec." for the $29.95 model that was
ordered. The pistol, known as a S&W .38 Special Commando, was
allegedly sent C.O.D. via Railway Express Agency (REA) to "Hidell" at
P.O.Box 2915 in Dallas, Texas. (A "S&W .38 Special Commando" was
never manufactured by Smith & Wesson. This name was created and used
by Seaport Traders to advertise their version of the .38-200 British
Service revolver with a shortened "2 barrel.)
Railway Express Agency Vice President Robert C. Hendon was in charge
of operations and explained the company's regulations when shipping
firearms. Hendon told the Dodd Committee, "We have always required
that shipments of small arms be handled through our moneys department
and each employee handling such shipments sign a receipt for same."
REA allegedly shipped a package to "A.J. Hidell" at P.O. Box 2915 in
Dallas, Texas, according to a copy REA receipt #70638, the original of
which was never obtained by the FBI. REA employee "Paxton" allegedly
signed the receipt on March 20, 1963.
Attached to the receipt was a C.O.D. form which alerted the REA office
in Dallas to collect the amount due to Seaport Traders ($19.95) and to
collect $1.27 for their C.O.D. charges. The amount to be collected
should have been $20.22, but the amount listed under the "Amounts to
Be Paid" on the REA form was $19.95.
Robert C. Hendon also told the Dodd Committee their regulations
required that the shipper declare the contents of the package and the
methology of delivery. On the REA copy of the express receipt the
article shipped was noted as"1 Crtn Pistol."
Companies involved in the intrastate transportation of firearms, such
as REA and Seaport Traders, are charged with the responsibility of
conforming to the laws of the various states in which they conduct
business. In 1963 Texas state law required that anyone desiring to
purchase a pistol or handgun first obtain a "certificate of good
character" from a Justice of the Peace, County Judge, or District
Judge, of the county of his residence. Seaport Traders should have
never shipped a pistol to "A.J. Hidell" or anyone in the state of
Texas without receiving a "certificate of good character." REA
offices in Texas should have withheld shipments of pistols and
handguns to any consignee who failed to display a "certificate of good
character." Failing to do so could subject REA to civil and criminal
penalties. (Klein's Sporting Goods, from whom Oswald allegedly ordered
the Italian carbine, published a notation at the bottom of
advertisements which included handguns. It read," ..... send permit
if your city or state requires."
REA issued rules and instruction to employees pertaining to the
shipment and delivery of firearms which stated:
*Employees must use their best judgment in respect to identification
and, unless fully convinced of the claimant's identity, the must
decline to make the delivery. The REA employee who allegedly released
the gun to "A. Hidell" should have asked for identification and a
"certificate of good character" before releasing the firearm.
*If consignee is an entire stranger and is unable to obtain personal
indentification, he must furnish evidence that the shipment was sent
to him-first by correctly describing the contents thereof before the
shipment is opened, which must be done in the presence of employee
effecting delivery; and, second, by surrendering shipping receipt, if
in consignee's possession. Whoever picked up the package could have
described the contents of the package, but there was no evidence that
a shipping receipt was surrendered.
* A hand-to-hand check must be made and receipts taken on form 5024 or
other approved register forms for the following described shipments.
Firearms-small pistols and revolvers. There is no evidence REA
conducted a hand-to-hand check or filled out form 5024 or another
approved registered form.
The package allegedly sent by Seaport Traders via REA to "A.J. Hidell"
in Dallas could not possibly have been delivered to P.O. Box 2915--
only the United States Post Office can deliver packages to postal
boxes. When the package arrived at the REA in Dallas they would have
notified "A.J. Hidell" by sending a postcard to P.O. Box 2915. The
date of mailing the postcard would have been noted on their
documentation, but there was no evidence that REA mailed a postcard to
"Hidell."
The package containing the pistol was allegedly picked up at the REA
Office at 515 South Houston in Dallas. Yet the REA office had no
notification card, no receipt, for the payment of C.O.D. charges, no
signed receipt for the package, no form 5024 as required, and no
record of the person who picked up the package. REA had nothing to
that showed either the identity of the individual who picked up the
package or the date of pickup.
The FBI failed to obtain proof that the payment for either the pistol
or C.O.D. charges were remitted by anyone to REA or that REA remitted
payment to Seaport Traders. If the Warren Commission or the FBI
wanted to prove the package was sent to Seaport Traders to the REA
office in Dallas they needed only to obtain REA Express bank records.
They could have easily located a deposit which corresponded to the
payment and C.O.D. charges received for the gun by REA in Dallas and
REA's remittance to Seaport. They could have checked Seaport Traders
bank records to confirm receipt of payment of REA.
With a total lack of documentation, there is no proof that "A.J.
Hidell" or Oswald, picked up a package at the REA Express office in
Dallas. The overwhelming weight of evidence suggests that Seaport
Traders did not send a pistol to "A.J. Hidell," but if a package were
sent it did not contain a firearm. (No receipts of any kind relating
to the pistol (shipping notice, invoice, notification from REA,
receipt of payment of C.O.D. charges, delivery receipt, etc.) were
found among Oswald's possessions.
Not a single person, barring the unproven claims of Marina, saw HARVEY
Oswald with a pistol, holster, or bullets during the next 9 months.
Not a single gun shop was known to have sold Oswald .38 Special
ammunition. No ammunition of any kind (.38 Special or 6.5 mm) was
found among Oswald's possessions after the assassination. (If someone
wanted to create the illusion that Oswald ordered a pistol using the
name "A.J. Hidell," they could have sent $10 in cash to Seaport
Traders and ordered a pistol or any other items. By calling the REA
shipping and receiving departments in Dallas anyone could have
determined if and when a package was scheduled to arrive. By knowing
the contents of the package, it could be picked up without any
identification.)
In the final analysis "A.J. Hidell/Oswald, or anyone else, could have
ordered the pistol from Seaport Traders and had it shipped via REA
Express to Dallas. But there is no records that anyone was notified
of its arrival, no signed receipt for the pistol, and no receipt for
C.O.D. charges. The only time the .38 Smith & Wesson, V510210, was
known to be in Oswald's possession was on November 22, 1963, at the
Texas Theater.
Marina's Knowledge of The Pistol
On November 23, 1963 the Dallas Police found two photographs of Oswald
holding a rifle with a pistol strapped to his waist in Ruth Paine's
garage. One of the photos, known as "133-A," was pictured on the
front cover of Life Magazine on February 21, 1964. Warren Commission
attorney J. Lee Rankin questioned Marina about the photo:
Mr. R - Do you recall when he first had the pistol, that you
remember?"
Marina - "He had that on Neely Street, but I think he acquired the
rifle before he acquired the pistol. The pistol I saw twice-once in
his room, and the second time when I took these photographs."
In 1978 the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) also asked
Marina about the pistol, but she was much more evasive and seemed to
have forgotten the story she told the Warren Commission:
HSCA - "Had you seen the handgun before, before you took the
photographs?
Marina- "I don't think so. I do not recall."
HSCA- "Well, do you recall if this was the first time when you were
taking the photograph that you had seen him, or that you had known
that he owned both the rifle and handgun?"
Marina - "It is possible."
Harvey and Lee pgs. 481-84
CJ
davidemerling
> With a total lack of documentation, there is no proof that "A.J.
> Hidell" or Oswald, picked up a package at the REA Express office in
> Dallas. The overwhelming weight of evidence suggests that Seaport
> Traders did not send a pistol to "A.J. Hidell," but if a package were
> sent it did not contain a firearm. (No receipts of any kind relating
> to the pistol (shipping notice, invoice, notification from REA,
> receipt of payment of C.O.D. charges, delivery receipt, etc.) were
> found among Oswald's possessions.
This proves that poor documentation was involved. So what?
What we DO know, however, is that on November 22, 1963, Lee Harvey
Oswald had this pistol in his possession, and that it was used to kill
Officer J.D. Tippit. Also in Oswald's possession was a fabricated I.D.
card with the name "A.J. Hidell" on it.
Does one really have to be a rocket scientist to connect the dots on
this one?
David Emerling
Memphis, TN
bigdog
Was there a point you were trying to make? If not, you just took three
minutes from my life that I will never get back.
bigdog
We're not allowed to connect the dots, David. We must look at each dot
individually.
curtjester1
Well when you understand that this was a fabrication process, then you
will have to check out other weapons like rifles to see if they
were. It might take more than a few minutes, but it will definitely
be worth it.
CJ
curtjester1
>
> > With a total lack of documentation, there is no proof that "A.J.
> > Hidell" or Oswald, picked up a package at the REA Express office in
> > Dallas. The overwhelming weight of evidence suggests that Seaport
> > Traders did not send a pistol to "A.J. Hidell," but if a package were
> > sent it did not contain a firearm. (No receipts of any kind relating
> > to the pistol (shipping notice, invoice, notification from REA,
> > receipt of payment of C.O.D. charges, delivery receipt, etc.) were
> > found among Oswald's possessions.
>
> This proves that poor documentation was involved. So what?
>
documenation all the way through a potential process, that has
agencies known to scrupulously monitor their paperwork. Thus, it
shows, it was fabricated, and not ordered.
> What we DO know, however, is that on November 22, 1963, Lee Harvey
> Oswald had this pistol in his possession, and that it was used to kill
> Officer J.D. Tippit. Also in Oswald's possession was a fabricated I.D.
> card with the name "A.J. Hidell" on it.
>
No, you don't know if was used to kill officer Tippit. Oswald was
documented to be in the theater at or near the time of Tippit's death.
And so was a fabricated I.D. with the name "A.J. Hidell" found at the
Tippit murder scene, as well and caught on camera with witnesses.
> Does one really have to be a rocket scientist to connect the dots on
> this one?
>
Apparently so...: D.
CJ
> David Emerling
> Memphis, TN
bigdog
So you aren't satisified with stealing just three minutes of my time.