Well I finally have them both in hand and wanted to share them with you. I found this Post War Transitional 38/44 HD AND this Pre War 2 inch Nickel M&P right here in Memphis at a pawn shop. A friend of mine put me on the trail thinking that there was just this 38/44 that I would find. But when I got there I discovered this little 2 incher.
The Heavy Duty was in VERY nice condition and seems unmolested. It has the long action and a four inch barrel. There must be several degrees of transitionalism since it has a four line address and straight ejector rod. The high horn magna's number to the gun to my pleasant surprise. Serial is S72892 and was shipped in May of 1949.
The M&P seems to be a bona fide Pre War 1905 4th Chg Nickel 2 incher. It is a round butt and sports the small trademark on the left side. Hard rubber grips that fit like a glove but have no number inside. Serial for that rascal is 611997 and was shipped in January of 1938. But what made the deal so sweet to me is that the pre war 2 incher was priced at $349 and the 38/44 was $400 out the door. Once again I'm sorry for the hasty sorry pictures. I just shot them 10 minutes ago and my skills have clearly not gotten any better. May actually be worse!

Roger

Those are two very special guns.

I would never call you a blind pig , but those are some fine acorns brother!

A couple factory letters for those may turn up more good news.

Good luck!

Allen Frame

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NRA cert.instructor&R.S.O.

All I can say is congratulations!! I'd like to spew a mouthful or two of pure envious jealousy that would send a sailor running with his fingers in his ears. That 38/44 HD has been on the back of my eye-lids for some time. GAWD! You must be livin' right..........

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Go big or stay home

Memphis,
Wow!!! scored both guns for the price of 1, That 2" nickle M&P is fantastic, I don't collect k-frames but would be proud to own that one. Way to go.

Dan

Thats a fantastic score at a bargain price. Congradulations.
Your pictures are fine, it would take me all day to do the same.

Outstanding find and grab. Friend deserves best steak in Memphis.

Regards

Bill

Very reasonable prices. You are right that they look completely unmolested. Bubba has not even tried to tighten the screws with his K-Mart screwdrivers.

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You're shy a few manners.

Congrats I am jealous now.

Neither of those classics is very high on my want list , but I too woulda grabbed them up at those prices. Well done!

It's like you paid for the HD and they threw in the M&P as a bonus.

Both are fantastic. A fortunate day for you, it was.

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I will move firewood every day

SWEEEEEEEEET.......I would have broke my arm getting my wallet out.

You did REAL good.

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Big Fred

I would say you walked out into the bull pasture and come back with nuthin' but roses on that deal.

Congratulations on a great find.

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Eccentric old coot

Double sweet!

Before the day is over, take all the money you saved on those two and buy a wheelbarrow full of lottery tickets. Luck has an expiration date, and you need to exploit it while you are on the good side of midnight.

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David Wilson

Very nice!
You could only get luckier if that HD lettered to Elvis...

Egads man, buy a lottery ticket whilst the moment lasts! Two very nice and special revolvers that you had the savvy to snap up, well done.

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Stay safe people!

You paid 250.00 less for the two than what that hd is worth.Great job!

I'd have put a dent in my credit card to buy that one if I didn't have the cash.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

You really scored with these - BEAUTIFUL!!

VERY nice.
You could put all the guns of all the pawn shops in my whole area, and not have anything 1/2 as good as what you found.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

Very cool guns. You did well on the prices.

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No life story has happy end.

Couple of really nice little guns. Been a while since I got any good deals.

good gracious! what a deal on two SWEET guns!!! i love them both!

Wow! Those are really nice! Congrats on a heck of a lucky day

Nice...congrats.

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Lt. Dan, what R U doing here?

GREAT Score.....

Thanks for the comments. I think whoever turned these in to the Pawn shop must have been a collector. I believe they came from the same man but couldn't find out more about that. I'm sure they guard that kind of info. I was trying to find out what else this guy turned loose of. But you just never know the circumstances. For all I know it could have been a widow clearing the house of the evil. I didn't go out of my way to inform the shop owner of what he had. I really don't think he cared. I say that because after they were safely in my hands I told him a little more about them. Again, he let me know politely that it really didn't matter to him. Even though I paid a LOT less than I normally pay for guns I'm sure he still made money. He said he would look out for me for others that I might be interested in. And I did provide my buddy that actually made the find with some adult beverages. And he knew exactly what the guns were worth. I still can't believe how nice that Heavy Duty is. The Nickel 2 incher is clearly shooter quality. But those are so hard to find.
I thinks it neat to know that one of the main things on my mind when I found these two, was showing them to all of ya'll. Not to boast, but more along the lines of what this Forum means to me. Not to sound corny but it's kinda like family.


Roger

WOW!! Just WOW!!

Exactly why I haunt pawnshops. I have gunshop aquantances that don't understand why I get such good deals, they say they don't do pawnshops because their stuff is overpriced. I tell them you can't get the deals unless you go and go often enough the pawnshop managers or owners recognize you and know you are a serious buyer.

SWCA 892

Roger,
You did real good! I like them both!
Bill

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38-44heavyduty.com

Congrats on finding 2 collectible S&W's at bottom dollar prices. Fortunate son, indeed! Enjoy, and thanks for your post. Stories like yours keep me looking in all the nooks and crannies that I would normally pass by in my wanderings.

Jerry

Everyone who has tossed in the towel after striking out on many a visit to the pawn shops without finding anything worth buying will make the rounds this week because of you! Score.

I wish the pawn shops around here had guns like that! You need to watch that shop every day for a year.

WHERE is a cop when we need one?!?!!!!
Tha pawn shop done been robbed!

Way to go, Roger.
Good for you.
GET a LETTER for the M&P. Many shipped to neat places.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

I am not really a HD guy, but I REALLY like that M&P. Good job on both

roger, PM me the exact location of that pawn shop. as much as i hate coming to memphis, i'll make an exception this one time. nice catch buddy. lee

Boy did you get screwed on that deal, those guns are grossly overpriced and in really poor shape...

just kidding, thought that I would offer an opposing viewpoint just to bring you back to earth. After all of the accolades you won't be able to get your head through the pawn shop door to make your next purchases.

Very nice, I too would have broken my arm getting to my wallet.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Congrats on a couple outstanding finds!

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Even older, even crankier....

Most excellent X2!
Frank

Wow Roger, great find! That nickel MP might just turn me into a snubbie fan.I wonder how many of those ever shipped in nickel?

Where are these sweetheart Pawn shops?
None around me. Nice when the owners of
such shops don't know what they got.
But they probably only gave the guy who
pawned them 100 bucks.
Very nice score.

Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

Great finds Roger! Proud for you. I sure like to see the good guys win one.

Hello Roger
Excellent score's you have there ! I have a few Pawn shop contact's as well as some Local Gun shop contact's here on the Eastern Mountain side of Tennessee. I have found that Tennessee-an's Sure do Like their gun's and some really nice stuff has popped up around here. I often speak about gun's where ever I go if people are willing to listen and it has turned up some very nice example's, or solid lead's in doing so as most that I have spoke with are very Gun friendly in my area, or they know someone that has older S&W's that they might want to sell off. That said below are some of the one's that have come to me by Just leaving my Name & Number at these Places, Or mentioning I am a Player in Buying older nice S&W revolver's, & willing to pay a finder's Fee if contacted about good Prospect's...


First up is a nice Pre-War 1939 M&P that I got from a Pawn shop for $275.00 Two years ago. The guy that Pawned it failed to pay his loan of $200.00 on it. This one has a 5" Barrel length and is shown wearing it's original serial numbered service stock's. Sadly, no box came with this one but the price was right.







Two week's after I scored the 1939 M&P shown above a Man called me and said that he had gotten my phone number from the Pawn shop where I recently had bought a nice S&W M&P revolver. He asked if I was Interested in buying another 5" example ? I got together with him and he had this one boxed with all of the content's it left the factory with that used to belong to his Father. I bought it for $200.00, His set price not mine and later found out that it shipped in September 1946 shown wearing it's original Magna serial numbered stock's











I was in Local Gun shop Browsing one day when this one showed up. An Old man walked in while I was there, & sold Two handgun's one being a semi auto Pistol with high engraving, the other one was this M&P Victory model with South of the Border I suspect Mexican engraving and elaborate sterling silver & 14KT Gold stocks. Not Really my cup of Tea, but I felt if I could buy it right I would, so I gave $25.00 More then the gun shop gave him for it being $200.00 for this one Five minute's after the old Man left the shop. I fondly Named it "The Taco Special". It appeared to be unfired after it had been engraved and did Not show a cylinder Turn line as well. I swapped this one off for a S&W Model 25-5 blued revolver Chambered in .45 Colt Caliber in a Presentation case with a 6" Barrel Paperwork & Tool's included.










Here is a Model 17-2 K-22 I found in another gun shop I visit often. The shop owner called me and said that he had a consignment K-22 with some Fancy stock's on it that I may want to see, he called the stock's Herritt's while we were on the phone. I drove down there to see it & I saw they were Not Herritt's, instead they were actual Walter Roper stock's on a Very Poorly refinished Blued Model 17-2 and Haggled with the owner on his price a bit to get the gun for $275.00. Since it had all ready been refinished and a Very Poor job of it, he moved on his asking price. I then sent it down to Ford's custom gun refinishing to have them Nickel plate it and restrike the factory stampings that had been over Polished and looked very weak, as I alway's wanted a Nickel K-22 and figured what I had Paid for it, is what the stock's alone were worth. It returned from Ford's Custom Gun refinishing in Florida looking as it does now below. This gun was later swapped off with a set of Later Non Diamond Target stock's for my 1936 K-22 Outdoorsman of which I have no regret's










I Located this one at my Local Tobacco shop, while buying some product. An older woman who worked there & I got to know good over a Period of time told me that her Late Husband had a small S&W revolver he kept in his nighstand and she did not want the gun in the house after he passed. All she knew about it was that it was Indeed a .38 caliber She brought it to work to show me and Priced it to me at $150.00 with it's original box, Paperwork & tool's. I Gladly paid her asking price for this Terrier that came with everything it left the factory with and had spent it's life in a Night stand drawer.







Abbout a Year and a Half ago I Got a call one day from one of my Local Pawn shop's that had this S&W Traded in. The store clerk told me that it was a 45 S&W Revolver that was all he knew about it and that it looked pretty good to him, so he had seen my Business Card asking for contact on older S&W revolver's. On the way over there I suspected it would be a Model 1917 .45 revolver, but When I got there, he brought it out of the back storage room and I could see it was Indeed a Pre-25 Five screw Target .45 Not a Model of 1917. The barrel Looked Odd to me in Length but I went on an Impulse buy and took it home. Once I got home I measured it's barrel & it measure's 5-7/8", not the usual length of 6-1/2" I have not lettered the gun so I am not sure if it left the factory in this barrel length but it look's too good to be altered. It came with the non relieved Gancalo-Alves diamond Target stock's and I gave his asking price of $600.00 out the door for it. I Later Leanred it shipped late for a Five screw gun being April of 1959. It did not take me long to see that it shot as good as it looked and is one of my Favorite Range Target shooter's now










In closing here, I would suggest that anyone hunting these older S&W's to get the word out to your local Pawn-Shop's as well as local Gun shops. Leave your name & number with them and include a finder's fee Mention on a Business card if a sale is completed, which has worked very well for me. I commonly give a small fee of $25.00 when I locate and buy older S&W's and this often bump's those not willing to pay a small finder's fee for them. Many Gun shop's do not want to fool with these older revolver's as the black plastic gun's move much quicker, so that's a bonus when hunting these as the gun shop's know I am Player on any Five screw S&W revolver's and call me as soon as they come in, before they hit their glass show cases, or are out for other's to view....

Outstanding! Congratulations.

Great finds Memphis. Sure makes the day go along a little better.

thanks for posting the pawn shop guns Hammer, and the lesson along with them.

Got to go hit a couple pawn shops


Charlie

Seems like my local pawn shop only takes in brands like ROSSI, JENNNGS, LLAMA, and IVORY JOHNSON (as they like to put on the tag).

Excellent find(s)!!
Congrats on acquiring two very fine guns.

Great, great guns, with great prices. My HD is just like that.(without orig. grips.)

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

Roger, Congratulations on your find! I picked up a 38-44 2 weeks ago from a pawn myself, mine a 1937. I was dumbfounded when I got so much interest at the range with it, several offers to buy it before I ever dropped the hammer on it. Good find!

I've gotten some real good deals at a local pawn shop but nothing as old as those two. I would love to find a HD in that kind of condition but that old M&P is the cat's meow.
Congrats on two good ones.