Chrome Plated "Salesman Sample" Crosman 38Ts

[Rabbit\Squirrel Killer]

Here is a shot of the numbering on my cadmium gold 38T. There are no other markings on the gun, and these ones are read right side up and upside down! No idea what they signify.

Weird, the one looks upside down to me.

[DWTrull]

Chrome plated models are presentation pieces built in the model shop. They have never been used as salesman samples. These were never offered for sale to the public, and consequently would not be carried by salesmen looking to make a sale. I have not found any records or documentation indicating these were carried by salesman. Logically a salesman would not show prospective retail buyers a model that was not available for them to purchase. I still have a lot of Crosman documents to review , but so far the only reference to special plated models other than the 150 Medalist involves custom "Presentation" pieces made at the model shop.

I wish people would quit calling them "salesman samples" unless they have documented proof to support that statement.   

The photo below is a presentation model 1100 in gold made in the model shop!
 

[Back_Roads]

 Joking ; I think I saw that at Shot Show some time back

[78gCollector]

Here is a shot of the numbering on my cadmium gold 38T. There are no other markings on the gun, and these ones are read right side up and upside down! No idea what they signify.

Here are pics of the butt of my gold pistol compared to yours.  Mine has no markings at all, and my pistol appears newer than yours.  You've got the older style circular recess for the piercing screw while mine has the newer D-shape.  I went back and took a close look at the one on the Rock Island site.  It has SN 67502642, which is June '75, a little over a year prior to the chrome ones that were made in August 1976. (It's also listed as NPRF - "Non Professionally Refinished" which may mean non facory color, or someone whipped it up on their own?!)   It's part of a lot of 13 pistols, so the pics are limited to a few side shots.    So much for these three coming from the same batch!

[78gCollector]

Chrome plated models are presentation pieces built in the model shop. They have never been used as salesman samples. These were never offered for sale to the public, and consequently would not be carried by salesmen looking to make a sale. I have not found any records or documentation indicating these were carried by salesman. Logically a salesman would not show prospective retail buyers a model that was not available for them to purchase. I still have a lot of Crosman documents to review , but so far the only reference to special plated models other than the 150 Medalist involves custom "Presentation" pieces made at the model shop.

I wish people would quit calling them "salesman samples" unless they have documented proof to support that statement.   
 

Good luck undoing 20 years of Internet lore combined with/ because of the "salesman sample" title given by the Blue Book of Airguns!

I agree with your reasoning that it wouldn't make sense to show off to customers something that was not going to be available to the market.  If you find any info in the Crosman paperwork, please share it.  I'm working on collecting data and information for a website that will feature some  pistols from the late 1960s through the 1980s, starting with S&W 78g/79g and then branching out to the popular Crosman and Daisy airguns of the era.  When I assemble the section on the 38T, I'd like to have accurate info about the chrome pistols, if only pointing out the lore as not making sense logically!

[DWTrull]

The Bluebook does little to no research. The vast majority of history is provided to the bluebook through collectors. The accuracy varies from good to totally abysmal. Unfortunately a great bit of the history of obsolete air guns in the bluebook falls in the Abysmal category.

As you mentioned, this gives rise to misinformation being presented as fact regarding the history of of the most popular collector air guns of the past. 

[bantam5s]

Somebody must have found a stash somewhere.