A couple of weeks ago, I purchased this blue with diamond wood grips, S&W, 1905, 4th change, .38 special. I'd like to know when it was manufactured and if it has the correct grips on it. The serial # is 2684xx and the last patent date on the barrel is 1914.
Here's two pictures of it. Are the wood grips on this blued revolver the correct ones?

Then just today I won at auction another S&W, nickel plated, 1905. Haven't even paid for it or picked it up yet. I am not sure which "change" it is. Going by the slightly fuzzy photo at the auction site it's serial # appears to be 2729xx and the last patent date on its barrel is also 1914.
I know the cracked stag grips on it aren't correct. As I'd like to know on my blue one, I'd like to also know what year this one was manufactured, what "change" it is, and also what grips would be correct for it. Here's a picture of it also.

Thanks in advance.

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I'm pretty sure both of these are from the 1920 decade. The stocks on the blue one are correct (you may see the SN in pencil on the inside right panel), and you would want a similar set for the nickel gun, which is also a 4th change. Hope this is helpful.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Thanks Murphydog. I appreciate the info. When I won that nickel one this morning, I immediately started looking online for grips for it that are like the ones on my blue one. Good to know the same grips on my blue one also go on my nickel one. Problem is, I couldn't find any that are exactly like the grips on my blue one. Do you know a source that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? My blue one's grips are absolutely perfect. I can't understand how they lasted this long in such immaculate condition. I don't know if I could find another original set in this nice of shape without them being very expensive. I did see some that looked similar but they had S&W medallions in them and mine do not. Did some 1905 4th change revolvers have grips like my blue one has but with S&W medallions in them? If I can't find an original set for my nickel 1905 that isn't very expensive, do you know of a source that makes exact reproductions for a reasonable price? Thanks.


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Bill,
Have you thought about putting the original grips away for safe keeping? These might be a good alternative...
Walnut S&W K/L Frame Sq. Butt Gr |American Walnut S&W K/L Frame Square Butt Grips Hand Checkered Hand Gun Grips, Gun Handles, Pistol Grip from Eagle Grips - Eagle Grips Inc. - Gun Grips

Good Luck in your search, My compliments to a fine pair of Hand Ejectors!

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Have Fun, Shoot Safe!
John

Both your M&P revolvers would be from the very early 1920s. The round-top wooden grip style (no medallions) you have would be correct for this era. The stag grips would not.

For shooting purposes, I prefer Hogues or Pachmayrs in rubber (see eBay). Put the originals away for safekeeping.

Help me out guys? The SWCA database shows the first 1905 shipped in 1920 at sn over 300,000. Both guns from the OP show a solid 1917/1918 ship year.

If that is true, the correct stocks would have the large gold medallion until around 1920 when the round top/no logo was adopted.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Gary;

Didn't have my lists handy earlier. You may be right; in my notes I have one in the 205,000 range in 1918 and 325,000 in very early 1920. Perhaps the OP can look at the wood set and see if the number matches?

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

To help you on your manufacturing date , I have a 1905 4th ch. with serial # 268828 and it was shipped 11/17.

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Tom
NRA Pistol Inst

You outbid ME Bill! Good deal you got!

Thanks turnejm, I appreciate you taking the time to send me that info and link. But those grips in the link aren't the round top ones that I think might be the correct ones to go on it. I want to put the original style round top grips on it if that's what it is supposed to have. Like on my blue one. But after reading the posts in this thread, I'm not even sure if those round top NON medallion ones are the correct ones either. According to one poster, the correct ones might be the round top with medallions. Need to find out for sure. Thanks for trying to help anyway, but if I were going to spend $75.00 for those grips in the link you sent, I'd rather have the period style correct ones rather than magnas (if it isn't supposed to have magnas since people in this thread say mine were both from 1917/1918 before the magnas were used).


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Bill, here is the progression of walnut stock styles in the early part of the twentieth century.

Diamond Wood-flattened top-No Medallion 1904-1910

Diamond Wood-Large Gold Medallion 1911-1920

Diamond Wood-Round top-No Medallion 1920-1929

We would like to know if the inside of the right stock has a serial number stamped?

The problem with hard fast rules is there are no hard fast rules when it comes to S&W. It is possible that a gun with your earlier serial number got manufactured and was stuck in a pile of 1905s that were shipped out without regards to serial number sequence. That is why the serial number on your wood stock is important. Maybe it did not ship until the early 1920s?

If the numbers don't match, I am still inclined to believe that your 2 revolvers were shipped at the end of WWI with large gold medallion stocks.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Thanks Jmace. You must mean the blue one, because I was the only one who bid on the nickel one. Was both good deals. Got them both for $250.00 each (not including shipping, insurance and dealer transfer). So I figure probably just under $300.00 each. Not bad for good shape S&W antiques.

Now I just need to find out if the grips on the blue one are correct, and if they're not, which ones would be correct. Same with the nickel one, because I know its grips aren't correct.

From the previous posts, did any of you fellas figure out if mine both take the round top ones with medallions to be correct? Or is at least my blue one's grips correct? Kinda confused right now on whether the blue one's grips are correct, or if they should have medallions.


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The gun needs to get a shipping date, to know what grips are correct. I think
it is about a 1917 gun, which means gold medallion grips. However, the gun could
have been made later, due to WW1. If it was around 1919, then maybe the
non-medallion grips are original to the gun.

Mike Priwer

Bill - you might want to re-read your posts. There are 30 guns in the SWCA database with similar serial numbers on both sides of your 2 revolvers that were all shipped in 1917, which would be the large medallion walnut stocks - BUT did you check your round top stocks for a serial number???

The only way to know exact dates would be to request a factory letter, and each would cost you $50. As Mike and I state, there is no guarantee that your 1905s would have been shipped in numerical sequence, but lacking any additional information, the medallion stocks appear to be the ones you should look for if you want to have sets of originals. Your best bet is to keep watching ebay and Gunbroker because these stocks to come up for auction from time to time.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

The serial number on the metal butt of the revolver is...2684xx.
The stocks were PERFECTLY mated to the metal front and rear and bottom of the grip. They are so perfectly and tightly fitted to the metal that at first I thought they had to be the original grips. I almost felt like I was the first person to remove the original wooden grips they are so perfectly matched to the metal. There were no serial number STAMPED on the inside of the stocks, but there are very faint, pencil written numbers on the right stock that do not match the serial number on the butt. The pencil marked numbers are extremely faint and I had to get under a very bright light and use a magnifying glass to make them out and even then I couldn't make them all out. But I could make out the last four digits. The last four pencil written digits on the right stock are 1,4,8,3, while the butt serial number is 2684xx. So obviously they are not the same numbers as on the metal butt. Which surprised me because the grips are an absolutely perfect fit and I was almost sure they were going to be original and numbered to the revolver. Such was not the case.



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Thanks very much for that info Glowe. Since we now know that the pencil numbers on my right grip does NOT match the serial number on the butt, that should mean that if my revolvers were manufactured in 1917 or 1918 (according to the butt serial numbers on both of them, that they should have the diamond wood, large gold medallion grips of 1911 to 1920 that you listed in your post. Thanks very much for that info. I was surprised the perfectly fitting grips on my blue one were not original, but at least now I know which grips they should have on both of them.

Tip of the hat and thanks to all who gave helpful info. I just love this site. Such nice and helpful people. Thanks again guys.

Thanks for that helpful info Tlay. Since my serial number of my blue one is 2684xx (over 400 lower than your serial number) that should mean my blue one is also from 1917. My nickel one's serial number being 2729xx, should mean it was also from 1917 according to the info Glowe gave me when he said: "There are 30 guns in the SWCA database with similar serial numbers on both sides of your 2 revolvers that were all shipped in 1917, which would be the large medallion walnut stocks".

Since both my 1905's were made in 1917 and prior to 1920, then according to the info given to me by Glowe, they should both have the Diamond Wood-Large Gold Medallion grips used from 1911-1920. Looks like that answers my questions on both revolvers as to the year they were made and what stocks should go on them. A big thanks to you, Glowe, and everyone who aided me with their helpful info. You guys are great.


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Bill - here is the good news - you have a set of nice 1920s stocks to sell or trade for the medallion stocks you most likely need. Stocks on S&Ws were hand numbered until about 1929, and after that stamped.

By WWI, the manufacture of S&W frames were pretty much mass produced and had standardized frame measurements. I have bought 1902s and 1905s with the wrong stocks in the past and it is not uncommon to find them that way after 100 years of use. Was able to find correct stocks for several guns and they seem to fit perfectly with little of no fitting needed.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

In the for what it's worth category, I have M&P Target # 264678, shipped 03/01/17. The grips are gold medallion---numbered to the gun.

Ralph Tremaine

Same here as Ralph's post: I have 269120 Target with numbered large gold medallion grips - shipped 5/1917

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Peter #2091

FWIW, I have a nickle Mdl 1905 4th change, 5" barrel. SN dates it to 1917. It has the original grips, or at least I think they are original, the penciled in SN is illegible, The grips are wood diamond, with large S&W medallion. Grips are in excellent shape, they look unused, except the medallions are tarnished.

Yep, that's seems to be the case. But these grips are so nice that instead of trading them or selling them, I'd probably just keep them in case I get a 1905 that was made in the 20's that doesn't have the correct grips. My favorite revolver of all time is my four S&W 1917's in .45 acp. But after getting these two 1905's, I'm really starting to like them too. These K frames sure feel like toys though after handling my big N frame 1917's.

Again, a big thank you to everyone for all the helpful info they provided. It is clear now that both my 1905's original grips should be the diamond walnuts with S&W large gold medallions. Now I just need to find two original pair that don't cost an arm and a leg. Or to get reproductions. I'd be fine with repros. Anyone know where I could get new repros from?


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Bill,

There are at least 2 sets of K frame large medallion grips on sale right now on ebay. If you use the numbers below, you can go right to the grips for sale.

Worn pair that could be recheckered – 350821628572

Nice set - 290936570376

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Thanks. I checked them out. On the first set, how do you know they are for a K frame? The ad didn't say what frame they were for. Can you tell just by looking at them? Except for one side needing to be recheckered, they look pretty good.

On the second set, it did say for a K frame. But since I only paid $250.00 for each revolver, I have a hard time justifying spending the money for these when the initial bid to be able to bid is $115.00


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First, they can only be N frame or a K frame stocks. A little detective work is needed, but using the ruler along with the picture, it seems that the butt measures 1 3/4". The N frame measures just under 2" across the bottom and the k frame measures 1 3/4", so I think they are K frame stocks, but before buying, I would ask the seller to measure the bottom width for you to be sure.

Also, the number on the stock is a 6 digit number starting with 222XXX, which fits with the era for a K frame, but not an N frame.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Ah, I see. Good to know. Thanks very much.


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