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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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  #51  
Old 02-25-2013, 11:57 AM
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Thanks for the pics! I worked on the pic codes a little bit for you.


Quote:
Originally Posted by illini24 View Post
What is it that bothers you Lee?
What was bothering me-
In the first pics, the barrel looked a bit shinier and darker than the normal Satin blue seen on the rest of the gun. The 44 looked a little soft, and the pin in the shroud has a very slightly dished hole.
The second S in the shroud could explain that. That second S is normally believed to stand for "Service Dept". If there was a cosmetic flaw on a gun or a gun got dinged, I believe it was sent to Service for repair. If Service pulled that barrel and sent it to bluing, the second S let bluing know that it needed to be sent to Service instead of the Fitters like the other 200 barrels that they blued with it. Parts were blued in large batches.

After WW II, S&W seems to have had trouble getting back to the high standards they had for the finish on commercial guns. We know that they went to the satin blue as a cost cutter and production expedient on small frames, K frames, and almost all N frames. The earlist post-war AMC's also state the 357 will have the "S&W Blue" (Satin), but they apparently changed their minds and decided to keep the "Bright Blue" on the premier 357. The Transition Magnums I have owned had a bright finish, and they soon changed the AMC's to state Bright Blue for the 357's. However, MANY Pre-27's shipped in 1950 have an S on the frame, presumably meaning they had to go to Service to come up to snuff.

So, getting back to your gun and what I was thinking-
I suspected the barrel had been worked on or replaced because of the brighter blue and indications of buffing. That, combined with the numbered grips, made me wonder if the gun had been sent back for a new barrel after 1950 and the grips had been made for it then.
However, that may NOT be the case. Maybe the barrel needed work before the gun was shipped, and someone numbered the grips later for an unknown reason.
I should have asked sooner-
How about a pic of the grip number, please?

NONE of this is meant to cast aspersions on your gun, but merely to understand what we see.
It's a great gun- period. Beyond that fact, I'm always interested in trying to figure out any deviation from the norm.
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  #52  
Old 02-25-2013, 10:23 PM
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Here's a picture of inside of grip. The brand on the one side is from the man who my dad inherited the collection from he branded all his stocks and leather. Thanks Lee for the info. What you just told me explains why on another site they think it was reblued. I knew that wasn't the case from what I've read on the forum here.
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Old 02-26-2013, 09:46 AM
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Thanks.
That helps.
It is extremely unlikely that the factory numbered those grips.
So, my opin is that you have an extremely rare gun, original except for grips, whose barrel was worked on before the gun shipped.
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Old 03-25-2013, 08:54 PM
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Letter from Roy showed up today. Suprised where it was shipped but not an issue. Roy does state "they came in 4,5,6.5" but mine was shipped 6 in. any thoughts, was it a typeo earer.

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Old 03-25-2013, 09:37 PM
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I always wanted one like yours but have never seen a 3rd change .44 Target in that condition for sale. When you posted on the first day the stocks knocked my socks off. I've had some like yours but never a pre1950 GUN to put them on!
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Old 03-25-2013, 09:50 PM
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The barrel looks like a 6-1/2 to me, so I would say the letter has a typo.
It IS a 6-1/2, isn't it?
Send it back to Roy with a cover letter.

Fabulous gun!
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Old 03-25-2013, 10:12 PM
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Yes it is a 6-1/2 Lee. when you say send it back to Roy with
a cover letter, you're saying to ask for a correction on his letter?
Thanks Craig
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Old 03-26-2013, 01:34 PM
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Default Letter to Roy

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Originally Posted by illini24 View Post
Yes it is a 6-1/2 Lee. when you say send it back to Roy with
a cover letter, you're saying to ask for a correction on his letter?
Thanks Craig
Dear Roy,
I write in regards to the recent Historical letter you did on my revolver. In the letter (enclosed) you state it shipped with a 6" barrel, which in fact it is a 6.5" barrel. I am respectfully requesting a correction on what I believe is a typographical error. I realize you are incredibly busy and intend no offense with this request.

Now the one thing that interests me other than this is a fantastic revolver is I would expect the "Jig" hole in the frame by the locator pin for the grips, typical on early guns. It's not there. Anyone know why?
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Old 03-27-2013, 06:58 AM
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I'll say it was a little too early for the jig hole. Notice the difference of the milled out area on this frame with jig hole and yours below it:

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  #60  
Old 04-28-2013, 11:13 PM
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Darn, gosh.............
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  #61  
Old 06-27-2015, 09:55 PM
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Roy did correct my letter to being a 6 1/2 barrel. Thanks Roy. I have put the original grips on her and thought I'd post a picture with born on grips.
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Old 06-27-2015, 10:12 PM
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Great thread, did you ever get it appraised for insurance purposes? Great story too.
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Old 06-27-2015, 10:20 PM
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No I've got to. My wife has been hounding me to but I'm not
sure who to go to in the Austin Tx area. Anyone have a suggestion please let me know.
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Old 06-27-2015, 10:57 PM
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Welcome back! Someone here probably will have an Austin reference for you shortly, or perhaps one of the SWCA member/dealers travels there for a gun show.
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Old 06-28-2015, 12:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by illini24 View Post
No I've got to. My wife has been hounding me to but I'm not
sure who to go to in the Austin Tx area. Anyone have a suggestion please let me know.
If you are ever in Dallas there is the Jackson Armory. You might want to check with the Gun Library folks at Cabellas there in Buda. And I hear from my SIL that there is a LGS run by a Joe MCBride who us pretty well versed on collector guns there in Austin.
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Old 06-28-2015, 12:15 AM
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Hi
I have some information for you. I have 23 guns in my data base for the 44 Transition targets. I have two with the S 712 first 3 numbers they are S-71268 and S-71263 thes two guns were in a 10 gun shipment to Marshalls Co. Lima OH. If your gun is close to these two numbers I would say that your gun shipped in this order. The company that your dad got the gun from may have ordered it from this supplier.
When you get your letter in 20 Weeks that the wait time now. Send me the information from your Factory letter and I will up date my data base and send you a copy for your records so you can see how many are documented.
Jim Fisher
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  #67  
Old 06-28-2015, 12:33 AM
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Jim my revolver is the S71268 it's suppose to be part of
a six gun shipment to Marshall's shipped in 1947.
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Old 06-28-2015, 12:36 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moralem View Post
If you are ever in Dallas there is the Jackson Armory. You might want to check with the Gun Library folks at Cabellas there in Buda. And I hear from my SIL that there is a LGS run by a Joe MCBride who us pretty well versed on collector guns there in Austin.
Would he be part of McBride's On North Lamar?
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Old 06-28-2015, 12:57 AM
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Would he be part of McBride's On North Lamar?
That would be the one according to SIL. Gun shop has been around for decades he says and they should know there stuff according to him, but what does he know he is my knucklehead SIL ......haha
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Old 06-28-2015, 09:00 AM
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illini24
That is right I read the amount of the shipment wrong.
some how I had this serial number from before.
Great gun
Mine shipped Shipped 6/12/1947 to Smith Bros Gun Shop Rochester PA
There was 6 in that shipment also. shipped on the same day looks like S & W was cleaning house.
Jim
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Old 06-28-2015, 11:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by illini24 View Post
Here's a picture of inside of grip. The brand on the one side is from the man who my dad inherited the collection from he branded all his stocks and leather. Thanks Lee for the info. What you just told me explains why on another site they think it was reblued. I knew that wasn't the case from what I've read on the forum here.
E.T.G.
Elgin T. Gates, perhaps?
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Old 06-28-2015, 12:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by illini24 View Post
Roy did correct my letter to being a 6 1/2 barrel. Thanks Roy. I have put the original grips on her and thought I'd post a picture with born on grips.
You located the grips that came with the gun? Do you also have the box, etc.?
BTW, thanks for sharing your beautiful revolver with us. I've enjoyed reading this thread.
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Old 06-28-2015, 06:25 PM
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Old TexMex it's not E.T.G. sorry it's L.T.G for Lewis T. Gillette from Aurora Il. he was a man who love his target shooting and loved his Big Game hunting. 19leben yes the grips are numbered to the revolver, but the box was lost in all the movers my mother and father have made through the years.
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Old 06-29-2015, 05:08 PM
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Does having the original box have even more meaning?

And now you tell us you have the box for it too...
Unbelievable!

You make me mad
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Old 07-03-2015, 06:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moralem View Post
That would be the one according to SIL. Gun shop has been around for decades he says and they should know there stuff according to him, but what does he know he is my knucklehead SIL ......haha
Well I went to McBrides today to get the revolver appraised and when Joe saw the gun he said sorry I have no idea of its value. Then he told me it was very nice gun. Joe is one guy that loves guns, and his knowledge of them is spot on.
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Old 07-11-2015, 06:21 PM
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Sorry for the bum steer......darn SIL.
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Old 04-05-2018, 01:01 AM
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Very nice find.

Serial # stamped on backside of the left grip is a dead give-away it's not a factory stamped #. Factory stamps are only on the back side of right grip.
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Last edited by Hondo44; 04-05-2018 at 01:24 AM.
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Old 04-05-2018, 01:12 AM
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Man that gun is just awesomely beautiful...would love to own something like that but never will. I thought I was doing good finally coughing up the $$ for a Python and that wouldn't even be a down payment for that baby...
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Old 05-12-2018, 11:54 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hondo44 View Post
And there is one thing nobody has mentioned. Your gun appears to have a rare transitional version of smooth presentation target stocks w/o football cutout. It would be between one of the rarest of factory target stocks which are the early 1950's special-order-only Smooth "coke bottles" or "cokes" target stocks Pg. 23, SCSW, 3rd ed. They look like this with long wood behind the trigger guard and pronounced flare at the butt:


I have a pair of those old smooth stocks, without the football cut-out, and with lots of "flare" at the bottom. They are in very nice condition. They have been sitting in a cardboard box in the bottom of my safe for years. What are they worth (fair price), please?
Much obliged,
Jethro

Last edited by durco; 05-12-2018 at 11:58 AM.
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Old 05-12-2018, 09:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by illini24 View Post
Roy did correct my letter to being a 6 1/2 barrel. Thanks Roy. I have put the original grips on her and thought I'd post a picture with born on grips.
[/URL]
Recognize that your original Magna grips are special in their own right! Those are what collectors refer to as the "Sharp Shoulder" Magnas. Notice the sharp edge at the top of the grips. The sharp shoulders disappeared soon after the production period of your gun.
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Old 05-12-2018, 09:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by durco View Post
I have a pair of those old smooth stocks, without the football cut-out, and with lots of "flare" at the bottom. They are in very nice condition. They have been sitting in a cardboard box in the bottom of my safe for years. What are they worth (fair price), please?
Much obliged,
Jethro
Jethro,

I'm afraid I don't know, they're so rare, I've never seen a pair sell! I've only seen them on a few guns that were sold.

So with later checkered 'cokes' with football cut out selling in the $400 range these days, I can only speculate at least twice as much. I wouldn't sell mine for under $1000.

Here's one other pair I've seen. These grips and mine are maple but these are nicer than mine with some 'birdseye' showing:



Can you post a photo of yours?
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