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Old 05-25-2015, 05:58 PM
Shorty 45 MK2 Shorty 45 MK2 is offline
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Default Fitz special's.

These just really interest me and hope to one day make my own as I doubt I'll be able to afford one ever.

So do any of the members here have one or one they made? If so, sure wouldn't mind info or of course photos!

Last edited by Shorty 45 MK2; 05-26-2015 at 07:38 AM. Reason: typo.
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Old 05-25-2015, 11:13 PM
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I've always liked them too. I like the idea of old belly guns.
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Old 05-25-2015, 11:15 PM
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I cringe when I see photos of them. I'm just fine with snubbing an otherwise long tube, but cutting the trigger guard is an abomination in my eyes. I wonder if Thee Mr. Fitz had freakishly long fingers which might snag on the front of the trigger guard.
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Old 05-26-2015, 12:02 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VictorLouis View Post
I cringe when I see photos of them. I'm just fine with snubbing an otherwise long tube, but cutting the trigger guard is an abomination in my eyes. I wonder if Thee Mr. Fitz had freakishly long fingers which might snag on the front of the trigger guard.
I think the idea behind cutting the trigger guard was for easy access year round - i.e. even if you are wearing gloves you can get at the trigger.
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Old 05-26-2015, 12:43 AM
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Default I think it was thick gloves.....

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Originally Posted by VictorLouis View Post
I cringe when I see photos of them. I'm just fine with snubbing an otherwise long tube, but cutting the trigger guard is an abomination in my eyes. I wonder if Thee Mr. Fitz had freakishly long fingers which might snag on the front of the trigger guard.
I think it was for wearing thick gloves for cold weather. I live in the south and never wear thick gloves. I tend toward 3" barrels. I have heard of people with fingers like bananas, but I'm not one of them.
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Old 05-26-2015, 07:30 AM
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I like trigger guards, but here's a good read of Fitz specials: Perfect Fitz | Shooting Illustrated
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Old 05-26-2015, 08:50 AM
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Never gona cut a trigger guard and never gona cut off a hammer on a da sa snubby as you loss sticking force . You want a nothing to snag . BUY a hammerless and with modern large trigger guards there no reason to cut one . Or do it to one of the airsoft guns maybe .

Last edited by hardluk1; 05-27-2015 at 08:49 AM.
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Old 06-02-2015, 10:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Shorty 45 MK2 View Post
These just really interest me and hope to one day make my own as I doubt I'll be able to afford one ever.
I'm with Shorty 45 MK2 on this. I'm a fan of short barreled revolvers and the "Fitz" jobs appeal to me big time. The bigger the hole in the end of the barrel the better. I've never owned one but might someday.

I don't really see the open front trigger guard as a safety issue with a double-action revolver.

A few years back on a NC gun forum, a member had two Fitzed handguns for sale. One was a S&W 1917 (shortened barrel) and the other was an old Colt 1911. Both looked good, had the right patina, and I wanted them both. Couldn't afford them at the time.
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Old 06-02-2015, 02:45 PM
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I am intrigued by the history and nostalgia of Fitz specials, but I don't see myself making one anytime soon.

Every time I see one, I wonder how susceptible the cut off trigger guard is to being bent up into the trigger.

There was a Texas Ranger that carried a pair of 1911's with cut off trigger guards.
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Old 06-02-2015, 03:07 PM
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Heavy on the cool factor.
Right gun in the caliber would be
neat.
Always liked them.

Hap...good article.
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Old 06-02-2015, 03:14 PM
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I don't care for the complete removal of the front of the trigger guard but I've seen versions where only the one side is half removed. I prefer he look and the idea of those. I've even thought of finding an older M36 and having that done to it.
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Old 06-02-2015, 03:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eveled View Post
I am intrigued by the history and nostalgia of Fitz specials, but I don't see myself making one anytime soon.

Every time I see one, I wonder how susceptible the cut off trigger guard is to being bent up into the trigger.

There was a Texas Ranger that carried a pair of 1911's with cut off trigger guards.
Lone Wolf Gonzales carried a pair. Many pics on the web.
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Old 06-02-2015, 07:18 PM
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Here are a few "Fitz" revolvers I've collected over the years.
S&W D.A. 1917 .45ACP. (mfg. 1918), 3 1/8" barrel.


Colt 1917 Army .45ACP (mfg. 1919), 2 3/8" barrel.


Colt Army Special, .38 special, (mfg. 1922)

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Old 06-02-2015, 07:23 PM
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If forum member mm6mm6 sees this thread I'm sure he'll make mention of his incredible modern homage to the Fitz Special. Here is a link to a chronicle of the build, some of the pics are gone but there's still enough left to blow you away, it's a beautiful piece - http://smith-wessonforum.com/firearm...-engraved.html.
Hopefully he won't mind me posting one of his pics as a teaser-



I've never had a revolver with the trigger guard cut completely off but like C&L and Shorty 45, I don't have an issue with it and would certainly buy a revolver already done if it was quality work (like mm6mm6's gun) or would consider doing one for myself if the right candidate ever fell into my hands and the mood struck.

My Krebs Custom CROWBAR .45ACP M28 has a half or 'Semi-Fitzed' trigger guard. Sorry about the bad photos, I need to take some new ones-



You can kind of see it better in this equally ****** pic-




Quote:
Originally Posted by hardluk1 View Post
Never gona cut a trigger guard and never gona cut off a hammer on a da sa snubby as you loss sticking force . You want a nothing to snag . BUY a hammerless and with modern large trigger guards there no reason to cut one .
I don't know what it means to "loss sticking force" but if you bob the hammer on a DA/SA revolver, it is no big deal to just make it DA only. The trigger guards on modern snubbies are no larger than they were 50 years ago. And, I don't see where you'll snag anything when drawing a revolver that has no hammer spur and the front of the trigger guard removed. Mr. Fitz used his guns for pocket carry, with a pocket holster I can't see a "Fitzed" revolver being any less safe to carry than any other.
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Old 06-03-2015, 02:18 PM
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Those are some nice ones Whitecoyote!

WC145, Really like your "Crowbar" and would be more likely to do the relief style cut for a revolver I'd EDC. Thanks for the link that is some amazing work!
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Old 06-09-2015, 04:53 PM
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I wouldn't cut up an old 1917 or New Service to make these guns. Ruger makes .44 Mag snubs on Redhawk and Super Redhawk frames. The action on the SRH Alaskan is much superior, IMO, to that of the newer Redhawk .44 snub, but both guns are along the lines of a Fitz.

Also Smith offers big bore .44 and .41 snubs as PC guns, I believe.

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Old 12-29-2016, 11:42 PM
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Rossi 461 with Mark Lee Expess Brown
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Old 12-30-2016, 12:42 AM
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Default What's good and what's bad.....

Bobbing the hammer is good.

Cutting the trigger guard was mainly for guys with big fingers and big gloves.
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Old 12-30-2016, 01:03 AM
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Bobbing the hammer is good.

Cutting the trigger guard was mainly for guys with big fingers and big gloves.
And very big bank accounts for legal expenses.
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Old 12-30-2016, 08:34 AM
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Legal expenses for Negligent Discharges or making it easier to drop a bad guy?
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Old 12-30-2016, 08:43 AM
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Quote:
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And very big bank accounts for legal expenses.
For what? What legal issues do you think someone carrying a "Fitzed" revolver might face that someone who's gun still has it's full trigger guard wouldn't under the same circumstances?
I'm no legal expert but I've never heard of a case where the use of a cut away trigger guard on a revolver was used against anyone in court.
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Old 12-30-2016, 08:46 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hardluk1 View Post
never gona cut off a hammer on a da sa snubby as you loss sticking force.
Your guns and your choices. I would never chop a trigger guard myself. But, the idea that bobbing a hammer makes it lose striking force is incorrect. The lighter hammer is moved faster by the hammer spring. Energy is mass X Velocity squared. The increased speed of the lightened hammer makes up for the loss of weight. You would have to make the hammer extremely light to cause its weight to be the reason for failure to fire.

Witness all the skeletonized hammers now available on 1911s.

Plus, quess what is inside a shrouded model S&W. Pretty much the same hammer as a regular one, just no spur.
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Old 12-31-2016, 12:36 AM
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Originally Posted by steelslaver View Post
Your guns and your choices. I would never chop a trigger guard myself. But, the idea that bobbing a hammer makes it lose striking force is incorrect. The lighter hammer is moved faster by the hammer spring. Energy is mass X Velocity squared. The increased speed of the lightened hammer makes up for the loss of weight. You would have to make the hammer extremely light to cause its weight to be the reason for failure to fire.

Witness all the skeletonized hammers now available on 1911s.

Plus, quess what is inside a shrouded model S&W. Pretty much the same hammer as a regular one, just no spur.
I wouldn't bet my life on a revolver with a bobbed hammer spur regardless of how much faster it got to the primer. I once had a Model 36. I had the hammer bobbed and it didn't have enough mass to set off primers reliably. I had to get an extra strength mainspring for it.
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Old 12-31-2016, 12:56 AM
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THIS THREAD IS VERY INTERESTING. WHAT IS THAT ROUND SPOT UNDER THE CYLINDER RELEASE OF THE REVOLVER IN PIC #13 ? ? ? I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT AN IL---GOD FORBID...lol.
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Old 12-31-2016, 01:36 AM
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Quote:
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For what? What legal issues do you think someone carrying a "Fitzed" revolver might face that someone who's gun still has it's full trigger guard wouldn't under the same circumstances?
I'm no legal expert but I've never heard of a case where the use of a cut away handguard on a revolver was used against anyone in court.
I've never heard of such a case either, but I have lots of faith in what a skilled attorney can do in a civil lawsuit for negligent shooting and wounding. The kind often brought by families of miscreants who are "basically good kids trying to get their lives together." May be a perfectly justified shoot in the sight of the law and still wipe you out in civil court.

No way in hell I'd risk carrying a Fitzed gun, no matter how cool they look. I won't carry one that isn't stock, preferably DAO. I'm funny that way.
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Old 12-31-2016, 01:46 AM
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this one was the only fitzed gun gun I ever owned, after a bunch of research and all the old timers looked at it we concluded that it was S&W factory modified.


Dan



















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Old 12-31-2016, 07:07 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by one eye joe View Post
THIS THREAD IS VERY INTERESTING. WHAT IS THAT ROUND SPOT UNDER THE CYLINDER RELEASE OF THE REVOLVER IN PIC #13 ? ? ? I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT AN IL---GOD FORBID...lol.
That is the end of the hammer stud. It is still there on modern S&W's, but blended/polished in so that it doesn't show except under strong light at certain angles.
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Old 12-31-2016, 08:01 AM
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THANKS FOR THE EXPLANATION, Pisgah. I WILL HAVE TO PAY BETTER ATTENTION WHEN I VIEW OLD S&W REVOLVERS. I NEVER NOTICED ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE......
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Old 12-31-2016, 09:54 AM
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For those of you who are interested, the premier issue of a new gun magazine, "Revolvers" is on the shelves now and contains a pretty good photo spread of the Fitz Special that Mr. Fitz presented to Colonel Rex Applegate.

That gun could almost cause me to like Colt Double Action revolvers, almost.
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Old 01-01-2017, 06:56 PM
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I like how WHITECOYOTE has left the revolvers in as found condition. So many just has to polish em up. I so admire honest wear guns. I particularly like the electrical tape.
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Old 01-02-2017, 11:50 AM
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I have a couple of Colts that have had the Fitz treatment and enjoy shooting them from the historical prospective. I would not carry them for many of the same reasons mentioned above. I am in the process of finding a candidate revolver {Colt New Service} to build a copy Of Col. Askins' Border Patrol Revolver and am going to enjoy that project as well. The tough part is finding a rib and sight. One of my friends who is also a top flight fast draw expert and does compete in national events says that guns so modified are faster into use. We are of the same vintage and appreciate the use of such guns in the"old" days. All my best, Joe.
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Old 01-02-2017, 02:07 PM
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Quote:
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I wouldn't bet my life on a revolver with a bobbed hammer spur regardless of how much faster it got to the primer. I once had a Model 36. I had the hammer bobbed and it didn't have enough mass to set off primers reliably. I had to get an extra strength mainspring for it.
Interesting. I used a bobbed hammer 28-2 long ago for PRC, have a bobbed 36-1 and a bobbed 396 and have never had a problem.
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Old 01-02-2017, 02:33 PM
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Steelslaver, I also carry and use Bobbed hammer revolvers in J, K, and L frames, and have for over 45 years.
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Old 01-13-2017, 05:04 PM
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And very big bank accounts for legal expenses.
Remember that Fitzgerald operated in the late 1800s/early 1900s. The legal climate was just a tad different back then. I wouldn't have one now unless I had a VERY GOOD reason, which I don't. Hammer bobbing, yes. Cutting trigger guards or barrels off, no. And I live in a warm climate and don't have big gloves or banana fingers.

If you want one as a collectors item, fine, but I'm not taking it to any range or out of my house for that matter.
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Old 01-13-2017, 05:25 PM
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While I agree that 100 years ago the legal climate was different I think the concept of a lawyer using the cutaway trigger guard against a self defense shooter is a very minimal issue. The Fitz special trigger guard bugs me because I think it is unsafe from the user's perspective - the chance of catching the trigger onto something and having an AD is what gets my attention.

Which explains why when I had this Model 64 customized by TheShootist1894 I asked him to relieve the trigger guard, which he did, but to not cut it away. He had recently done a Fitz job for another Forum member and I loved it but for my project I simply did not want that trigger guard removed completely.

You can find the Fitz job that TheShootist1894 did if you search for it.

These are before and after shots of the same gun - I don't think the relieved trigger guard is visible but maybe you can spot it. It is on the left side in the front curve of the trigger guard. The gun was manufactured by S&W with a bobbed hammer, DAO, so that part was easy.
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