I have posted photos of these before but in looking at them a couple questions arose. The non-relieved Targets are not original. I have the original Magnas but I like these. One set is stamped with a serial so I assume they came on a new revolver. The number is 130539 which is earlier than the guns (S140775 & S143776) but probably not too far ahead time-wise. When were these stocks available? If anyone happens to have S130539 I will swap you these for a similar set.

Notice how at first glance the serials seem to be consecutive? Actually are exactly 3,000 apart.

The story goes that the guns were returned to S&W in 1970 for work. One had a new 5" barrel swapped on and the other was cut to that length and smooth triggers installed. But there are no factory service marks on either. If they were refinished it was a truly exceptional bit of work because I can see no evidence of rebluing. I assume the cut barrel was refinished or could a dab of cold blue touch it up? The replacement certainly needed bluing but maybe only it was blued and not the entire gun.




Here's the infamous UHP gun, again. Looking at the service marks there is B◊ in the ejector shroud in front of the serial and again at the bottom of the grip frame. There is a star on the butt and up at the top of the left side of the grip frame is the number 76. Does this number mean anything to anyone? Does the presence of the B◊ in two locations indicate two separate repairs? One date is marked (6/54) but I think a couple of procedures were performed on the gun (barrel cut for sure, maybe hammer replacement).

I assume it was refinished but I can't tell it was done. Stampings look perfect as do the screw holes.

The stocks are not original and the last digit is very hard to make out but it appears to be 59804 (again, if anyone happens to have this gun I will swap stocks with you).

Roy Jinks has said that service records could only be found by owner's name. Does this mean an agency gun's repair history is available since we know the name of the agency?

One more question: The sight blade corners are rounded. Did some come this way? Optional feature? Or did someone do it along the way?

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No life story has happy end.

SP...the B followed by the diamond indicates a reblue (probably in 6/54). Target stocks were available in 1952, two to three years before your 1950 Target 44s were manufactured. Repair records are nearly impossible to access, but you might get lucky. Rounded sight corners were standard on Registered or pre-war magnums (if I remember correctly). The target stocks with the S130000 range serial number are probably original to an early 1955 Target 45.

Bill

Thanks. I was sort of thinking that the Targets may have come on a 1955.

When were the non-relieved Targets replaced by the cut-out version?

Would they stamp a gun twice for rebluing? In the barrel shroud and on the grip frame?

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No life story has happy end.

SP,

The stocks on your UHP gun are not too much later than the serial number of my KCPD RM, which is #59749. This gun shipped in Sept of 1939.

Best Regards,

Jerry

SP...I have a Model 57 that is stamped in the same way. It was reblued in 1966.

Bill

S.P.:

According to the U.H.P.'s historical website, they adopted the .357 Magnum in 1938 with 6 inch barrels, replacing the S&W .44 Special Second Models they started with.

In 1948, they got rid of their cross-draw holsters and shortened the barrels of their .357's to 4 inches. I understand that the guns were returned to the factory for this work.

Your 6/54 stamping was probably for some other repair or refinish.

The post-war .357's that UHP purchased were all 3-1/2 inchers with blue finish. They carried these until they transitioned to the H&K squeezecocker 9mm in 1986. They have had several different pistols since.

Those are three really nice revolvers.

As I read it, they started sending the guns back in 1948 but sent a couple at a time as all could not be taken out of service at once. Maybe mine was in a later batch to go.

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No life story has happy end.

I picked up a UHP marked Model 27-3 a few years ago. I came with a letter from the the president of the UHP Patrol association stating the pistol was in their armory when the UHP replaced their Smith's with the H&K squeeze cocking automatics, and had been sold to one of the officers. He also stated the pistol had the words "Utah Highway Patrol" added to the left side of the frame under the cylinder by Smith and Wesson.The pistol is in about 98% condition with just a faint turn line on the cylinder.

I was wondering if anyone has seen any of the Smith and Wesson 44 Specials that the UHP was originally equipped with. I have attended gun shows in Utah for many years and never seen or heard of one.

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Joseph L. Lyon

Could have been, but old photos taken of troopers in the 1950's that I have seen all show non-crossdraw holsters. My guess is they all got bobbed way before your
6/54 date.

I know a few older and retired UHP troopers. The organization was, in years past, quite rigid in things equipment- and uniform-wise. When they made equipment changes, the changes went fairly fast.

epidoc:

I have one. There is another member, from Illinois I think, that has one. His user name has something to do with 44 and Utah or UHP. There are a couple of threads, with photos, about them. I bought mine from a dealer in Texas, I believe, Lyle Larkworthy, a few years back.

Edit - Here we go, found it:

value of .44 HE Second model Utah Highway Patrol