"The earliest target stocks did not have a relief cut at the top of the left panel behind the cylinder. There full contour made extraction ... somewhat difficult. By the mid to late 1950's, an extractor relief cut had been added to the left panel to solve this difficulty."
The Complete Catalog of S&W, 3rd ed. pg 23.

What N frame revolvers would have been shipped with or had these stocks added to them in this timeframe? (early to mid 1950's)
That is, would 29's had cokes and N frame 357's had diamond targets?

Were "cokes" and non-relieved target stocks shipped/used at the same time?

Thanks for your answers.

GF

I have a 1955 38/44 Outdoorsman that came into my pocession with non relieved targets. (S1342XX) I did not get a letter to confirm what it was shipped with but they look right to me. Even if they were changed, they should be correct for the gun. Yes?

Checked target stocks made of walnut and plain target stocks made of fancy wood became available for N-frame revolvers sometime in 1952. These stocks could be ordered separately or special ordered at the time a revolver was ordered (I doubt many were, however). In 1955, the 1955 Target 45 had these stocks as a standard feature. In 1956, the coke bottle target stocks were used on the 44 Magnum and at least through 1958 or so, these two styles of target stocks were used by S&W. By late in 1958 or early in 1959, stocks without the relieved area on the left panel were used up and standard or diamond target stocks with the relieved area began to be used.

Bill

I have a 25-0 that shipped with relieved diamond targets. It was shipped in 1960

This non-relieved diamond target stocked pre 27 shipped 9/23/53 with the target's installed per Roy's letter.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

ycr posted what I was thinking (hoping) , a 38/44 would be correct. I knew a "pre 25" was the most common seen but they had to ship on other guns.
That 3 &1/2 357 looks good with them too. Hadn't thought about targets on a short gun.

GF

Any N-frame that was shipped in 1957 or earlier would be "correct" if it has non-relieved diamond target stocks. However, most of these guns will not letter with target stocks as they were replacements for the original Magna stocks.

Curtis...is your revolver stamped 25-0?

Bill

Bill
No it is just easier than typing 25 no dash It is simply marked Mod 25

Can we take this one step further and talk about the same issue with K frames?

My K22 from 57-58 (not Mod 17marked) has non relieved Targets and I'd like to know if they are 'period' correct.

__________________
ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

Yes, they are period correct (and could be correct for you gun if it shipped with Target stocks).
Does your K22 have target trigger and hammer also?

Pilgrim, every non model marked K22 I have had, has had the same grips. I currently own a 4 screw pre-17 that has non relieved targets. The gun shipped in late 57

And I have a 1955 (K2585XX) K-22 with Target Trigger and Target Hammer and relieved targets. Does this indicate that they might not be correct or could the grips be had either way in this time period?

I am taxing my memory now, but I believe the relieved targets were introduced about the same time as the Combat Magnum (Pre-19) which was 55 or 56 (?)

Curtis...Why not just call it what it is, a Model 25?

Bill

Bill
I used to and inevitably someone would ask if it was a -2 or -5 so I started using -0. Actually now I refer to it in speaking as a 1955 Target Model 25. My typing skills arent the greatest and I can sometimes get a little long winded so I use shortcuts when I can.

ycr,

The relieved Target stocks would not be correct if the gun was actually shipped in '55. The Target trigger would also be "iffy". The Target hammer could be correct. A letter would remove all doubt.

Good shooting.

yes

thanks

__________________
ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

What gun would these grips be correct for? They are both K frame!





jcelect SWCA#LM723

Mine I'll send you my address

Joe...the set without the relieved area would date to around 1956 or earlier. Stocks like that were also used on engraved or presentation revolvers. The second pair with the relieved area dates to 1957 to around 1967 and be correct for most any gun produced in that period, but smooth rosewood stocks were usually special order or again, reserved for engraved or presentation revolvers.

Bill

Bill,
I have a set that is exactly like the set on the right in Joe's post, only they are definately GA. So you are saying that they would fall into the '57-'67 time frame? I thought that any of them with black washers could go up to '75 for a time frame.

Also, do these look like they were modified? The finish looks to be all original,but the full cut out is different. They have black washers.


And finally, I remember that you posted in a thread that Smith varied the length of some of their stocks. You posted a picture that showed several side by side, all original, and some were shorter overall, with a smaller border around the bottom. I can't say if these were cut or not, but another forum member who handles a lot of stocks said he thought so due to the fact that the border is smaller at the bottom (which reminded me of your thread), and the bottom of the checkered panel is not parallel to the bottom of the grip, which I realize doesn't mean squat. I have several sets that are all original, and some are even NOS that have the same non parallel bottom border. What do you think?

G4F...I was basing my conclusion of 57-67 on the type of escutcheon and escutcheon nut used, not on the black stock circle that was seen, at least on N-frame stocks, until the mid-70s (on a very few pairs of stocks). Your smooth stocks have definitely been modified. The pair of stocks on the left posted by Joe are also Goncalo alves. The checked stocks, in my opinion, have been shortened by a former owner. I had a pair of K-frame stocks that were shortened in a similar manner.

Bill

Thank you sir! Would that mean that the smooth ones I posted were from the 57-67 time frame based on the escutcheons? They look exactly like Joe's when viewed straight on.


Tim

I have a 4-screw M-15 shipped in 1960 which has these grips. They are not numbered. I don't remember where I read it, but it was stated that these grips were an option offered by the factory.

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Peter #2091

Tim...67 would be the latest date. Since we don't know if the left panel was relieved or not, we can't know if the stocks pre-date 1957.

Bill

The most recent they could have been is what I needed to know about. Thank you again Sir!