I just checked my TL that has the s/n on the rear sight blade. Even though my gun's s/n is only 4 digits, the s/n on the sight blade only has the last 3 digits stamped on it and they are stamped vertically so you have to turn the blade sideways and read it from top to bottom.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

Sixgun: great story, in reading your letter from Mr. Jinks, I would speculate that the original shipping was to R. Zuniga y cia of Laredo ( rather than Zungia).
(He was a customs broker.)
That is an old and respected family in south Texas. Some history in all those Registered Magnums, but yours may have more than many.
I wonder what happened to the other 34 RMs that were shipped to the customs broker in Laredo Texas back in those wild and wooly days.

__________________
Halfway and one more step

It's there. I finally found the right screw for the rear sight. At this point this gun is exactly where I want it to be and nothing further will be changed on it.

Except maybe one thing.

If I can ever find a set of Ropers that are as equally beat up as this gun I would love to put them on there. I doubt that will ever happen, but if anyone has a set of ropers in a back drawer they were thinking about restoring, please talk to me

A $150 RM in shootable condition and a total investment of under $1K it appears. No need to buy a lottery ticket because you've already hit the jackpot IMO!

Do you happen to have the measurement of the hole spacing as well as the rib width on those rear sights? I have an HE that was milled for a now missing adjustable sight and your pics have me wondering now...

That old timer is just about broke in.. You've got a winner there.

__________________
Eccentric old coot

The rear sight should have the serial number. Perhaps one of the RM gurus can confirm or object to that. If Serial number (that's my reasoning) this number is likely off a triple lock in that serial number range. The target sight assembly from a triple lock appear identical to those on a RM. I've seen this same scenario before. I don't want to "presume" but all those large frame targets of the era all seem to have the same style size rear sight. Triple lock, 2nd model HE 44, 3rd model HE 44, 38-44 HD (which was the predecessor of the RM)

__________________
ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Good story. You did a great job on the restoration.

I generally advocate against refinishing. The only time it makes sense is when the original finish is so far gone the gun is in danger of suffering corrosion damage if not addressed. Well, this gun is there. You have bare metal. That will want to rust. If this were my gun I would have it nicely reblued to protect the metal from corrosion.

__________________
No life story has happy end.

Interestingly, this whole experience taught me a lot about pre-war rear sights.

In my digging I've now seen 3 pre-war target sight variations. The Triple Locks, and early rear sights seem to have 1 screw to the rear, the later ones have 2 screws, the Registered Magnum rear sights were like the later ones with the addition of the horizontal grooves to the rear.

I don't own an early triple lock, but I did find one triple lock or possibly early 2nd model rear sight for sale.

This is the RM rear sight grooving:



Here's the rear sight on my 38/44 OD without the grooves:



This sight will fit on the registered magnum, and would work, but it is wrong.

I can't find a good picture of the rear sight on a triple lock, I expect someone can supply one.

As an interesting side note, the K frame rear sights appear to be exactly the same as the N frame, with the difference that the tang is of a different length.

All of the pre-war sights I have come up with are numbered.

I have two factory original TL targets. Unfortunately the only one I have a photo of has an added U notch to go
with the gold bead front sight and the super fine checkering you see. But I can tell you from
comparing them, the factory original sight is identical to your 38/44 sight shown
(with sq notch and smooth rear area), except for one elevation screw, not two.

Factory TL target rear sight but with U notch rear and super fine checkered surface
and Redfield Gold bead front blade (out of focus in this photo):


Edit: Fototime no longer working. I heard they had a fire.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

It's finally done in my book.








Beater, completely molested and mutilated Ropers complete the gun for my purposes. They fit my hand perfectly and despite how butchered they are they are still nice right side palm swell Ropers made for someone with hands of my size. I'm extremely keen to get it out to the range with these puppies on there.

What do you guys think?

A very fine old warrior!

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

Love it

__________________
Jorge

That's quite a find. I've got to start loitering around gun shows again...

That gun is great, the grips and holster compliment the ol war horse. Very neat shooter, Larry

Congrats........ had not seen this thread before........... great story and cooool gun!!!!


My RM from 1939 spent most of it's life in a "sock drawer" it's still at 98% or better just missing it's grips....... it's heritage long forgotten by the original owner's son and/or grandson...........who put it out on consignment for $325.

LOL even my Dad's 1938 Colt New Service in .357 w/ King's sights; that he carried on duty for over 25 years has a " " of a lot more bluing left than that baby!!!!

I would be proud..... being the owner of yours...........

My thought.........if it could talk!!! I bet it could tell some stories.

__________________
Miss My Buddy crsides!!

One of my favorite threads on this forum. Great job!

Jim, could you remove the picture in this post by any chance? One of the things I did back when I posted all this was to have overly large pictures. The forums make them small until people hit reply, which then offsets the reply window to sort of the middle, which is confusing.

I've repaired all the pictures in the thread, so when you remove that one it should not be so difficult or confusing to use. Or result in any bug reports.

This gun is totally awesome. Without your RM, those Ropers would be junk but as it is they are perfect!

Wonderful follow up with your find.

I love these kind of challenges.

God there is hope, there are fewer and fewer of us blind hogs out here looking for that acorn.....

Reading through this thread again was kind of interesting, given that I started it over three years ago. There's actually a couple points which might be of some interest.

I have kept ren wax on the gun in storage and have not had any further rusting. The gun doesn't look like it has finish, but I think at actually does have something still on there. I'm fairly certain now that the lack of finish isn't wear so much as something that took the bluing off.

Looking it over I noticed one thing I didn't know about when I first got this gun. The pin that should be loud and proud (that I always forget the name of, the one covered up by magnas or target stocks) is in fact a bit flat. It's not right I don't think.

Making me wonder if this gun's current finish is actually the result of an attempted reblue that didn't hold for some reason. Like maybe they used something to take the original blue off, blued it (without much polishing, just that pin really) incorrectly.

The only thing better than a gun with character, is a gun with character that makes you happy when you shoot it!

An interesting point, though...

In his letter, Mr. Jinks used the word "grips" and not "stocks"!

Hush now... That's not a topic for polite company.

Very cool and fantastic gun and rig. Those Ropers are the perfect finishing touch and found a very appropriate place to live. I remember seeing this thread three years ago and I'm very happy you updated it.

__________________
Rick
SWCA #2727 , SWHF #435

Love the grips Sixgun!

__________________
Even older, even crankier....

Awesome story, excellent photography. Learned a lot. Thank you for this very interesting thread!

It looks perfect!! Nice leather too!!!

That is the coolest gun I have ever seen.

Great ending to the story Caleb!

I find guns with some use and love far more interesting than ones that sat in a box for 60+ years.

Now, we just need a full range report

__________________
On the Oak Savannah

You know. A good gun story never really ends. i was looking up this thread because this forum is my memory now, and I know I can always just send someone an old thread of mine to explain something or another.

I wanted to update it with three things. First:

I don't think I have ever really done a proper range report on this gun, because of the whole getting hitched, and having a baby thing, getting out to the range hasn't happened in a long time.

I do have a very clear memory of the last time this gun was out at the range though. My friends, having heard the legends of the Registered Magnum, were only too excited to shoot it. Over on the rifle side targets were set up, and my buddy jumped at the chance to shoot it, loaded some of whatever cheap .357 I had, pointed it down range and let one go.

I heard a distinct *THUNK*. I asked him what the heck he just hit and he said; "Uh, just wait a minute". Shoots again; *THUNK*. Ok man, what are you shooting at?

He points to the steel plate, at the 200yd limit of the rifle range. His first two shots ever with a registered magnum hit a 2 foot wide steel plate at 200yds. He then only missed one out of the rest of the 4 shots, because he held too far over the plate and overshot it. Everyone had to try. No one at the range that day failed to hit the plate, after a brief explanation of hold over (just point it right at the top of the plate), everyone could put 6/6 on the thing.

Honestly, after that, every time I haul the gun out it's only when I can shoot at or over 200yds. It's just so dang fun, and whoever is at the range is just stunned when you consistently hit at that range with a mere hand gun. Which it most assuredly is not merely, even beat to heck and appearing as though it's been through a few layers of hell before it came before your eyes.

Second:

With some gun collection downsizing to pay off physician student loans (insanity, momma's don't let your babies grow up to be doctors), I have been giving some serious thought to what I really care about when it comes to guns. I came to a decision regarding the stocks that this Registered magnum should wear:





I snapped a few shots of it wearing these good looking but (when I bought them) dinked up Ropers, on a bed of good Montana River Rock. Which, when they arrived in my hands were so warped they were unusable. After years of tightening down the screw on them once in a while on a gun, they eventually seem to be back in shape. They fit my hand great.

I wanted a set of appropriately worn Ropers (or Kearsarge) for this gun, but I have never been able to find a set that fit my hand right (when shooting), and are properly worn. The ones I posted previously, when I shot with them, just weren't right for my hand.

So the other day I decided something. I thought; 'Why not just put the stocks on it that *I* like to shoot it with, even if they are "too good" for this gun'.

So here they will stay. Only being supplanted if I happen across another, more worn, set that fits my hand as nicely.


Third thing:

I've said it before, but I'll reiterate: this gun will never be refinished. That would be a crime against humanity. This gun is what it is and it will continue to be shootable by anyone who comes by and wants to shoot it. It will continue to look this way as long as the renwax keeps it exactly like this.

That said however, original pre-war .357 magnums were finished in such an insanely beautiful way that the desire to possess such a beautiful gun might overwhelm a fellow's good sense and move him to make the mistake of re-bluing the gun.

Fortunately God also thinks that this would be criminal, and has provided me with two more pre-war .357s at very good prices (the Non-Reg Mag I purchased right before Trump was elected and the gun market was holding it's breath, and the Reg Mag from a gun store that didn't know what they had).










Before I drive the grandmother of my little bundle of energy who doesn't let me do anything on the computer to the airport. Where she will depart and I will no longer be able to do much of anything on the computer with out this little critter being incredibly disruptive... I'll finish out with two more things;

The first is a huge thank you to all the incredible people who make this forum, hands down, the best gun forum on the internet. Where I have learned more then I ever dreamed about not just S&Ws, but about all fine firearms. Even when I can't post you folks make this a great place to come by read in the spare seconds I have between diaper changes and keeping this little suicidal drunk I call a year and a half old daughter from taking a nose dive off of the bookshelf she can now inexplicably climb (it was like..yesterday that she couldn't even roll over!).

The second is to those that don't have their own Pre-War .357; don't look at my luck and think; "That guy is just lucky! I'll never be that lucky!" Look at my good fortune and realize it can happen to you too. Never give up looking.

The most exciting thing about buying pre-war .357s is the fact that even though they are rare, when they do pop up in a pawn shop...odds are they have no idea what they actually have. There are still many great deals on RMs and NRMs to be had, and you can be the one to get that deal.

Keep an envelope stuffed with some cash, and get out there and pound the ground for yours! But when you find it, do me a favor? For the love of fine old revolvers; don't have it re-finished unless it was previously buffed to death. Any old RM that wasn't previously messed up should stay in it's current condition, preserved forever with some renwax and love. Even the best of the shops that could do the job can never make it quite right, and it's forever. Plenty of us will find money to buy your character rich RM so you can buy your perfect one. So many of us will thank you.

Oh my, that's purdy right there, congrats!

__________________
Pass it on.
Mark

I think you made the right decision on the reblue. If someone else wanted it done I don't think it would be all that wrong. The thing is, to find someone who could do it right, on a reasonable timetable, might be impossible.

Better to keep it as is than have someone do a botched up job. Good to know it still shoots fine.

__________________
You're shy a few manners.

Sorry It would have Gone to Fords in Fla for a Bluing. Med School Humm .... Retired from the VA 2014 Medical Officer RN/NP and have a story or 2 on Med School. Ive seen a Bill out for 320K and Another for 220K and One for 0 dollars...they pay you 2300.00 a Month while in school and your Housing.... Upon Grad/Boards 6 Year in Uncle Sams Club...thats what my Wife Did... She Did the UnderGrad on her own...they paid the rest. Military Med is SOOOOOO much the way to go. Best of Luck.

Caleb,

Thanks for the update. I think that some guns have a spirit and that they align with our own and then become part of us.

Good shooting - 200 yards is way far out there.

__________________
On the Oak Savannah

Sixgunstrumpet: If the Ropers you have on that magnum are a bit to fine for the gun you could always "age" them a bit on that "Montana river rock".
Seriously that is a fantastic S&W and an excellent thread. Well done sir!

__________________
shrade

It has the look of one spent time on horse back, tucked in a belt sans holster by some hombre who traveled fast and light.

As for which side of the law it served on, well, we can always hope. 🤞

__________________
You're shy a few manners.

That's a great project with the ideal outcome. I like the "better" Ropers on it. Your decision not to have the revolver refinished is solid.

I have a 5" Triple Lock in excellent mechanical condition but well-worn exterior finish. Your RM reminds me of my TL. I put a pair of KB Ropers on my TL and have no intention to refinish the metal.







Congratulations on your RM!

Curl

While I share your style of pairing worn guns and grips together in this instance I like the better Ropers. The nice grain and common shape on them betters the overall appearance of your RM

It is now your duty to shoot this gun enough to put your own wear pattern on them.

Maybe a vintage holster might really complete the journey on this gun.

You scored a real beauty OP, thank you for sharing! Nothing more enjoyable than working on old guns and trying to make them whole again, a labor of love.

The patina on that RM looks incredible to these old eyes, enjoy!

__________________
Danny
SWCA #3370 - SWHF #672

I actually have a well worn carved Heiser for this gun I think. I believe it is in some of the past shots here somewhere. Or maybe I just dreampt that?

Edit: I guess I need more sleep. I was completely confused about this new gun, sorry for any confusion. Disregard me




So, I was sorting stuff out, cleaning up my gunroom, taking stock of what is what in an effort to answer a question in another thread, and I thought found something. I didn't, I was just crazy.

I recently traded for this Registered Magnum:





Uninterestingly, the sights on it are actually the sights that the registration certificate notes as it having shipped with. I also have a receipt for it that confused me and I thought that the RR was "round", it's not, the post indicates Square! Which it is!



...if you will look closely at the sights sitting on the certificate...

...and dig into your old King Catalog...



Edit: you will see that I was absolutely confused about everything and now I need to get some sleep!

Superb thread. Elegant guns and excellently done prestorvation (newly minted noun?) with unusual insight and modesty. Bravo to OP and responders.

Got back from the Symposium, and straight out again on a 2 week vacation with the family. Kind of a hard one because my Grandpa here just passed a month before we were scheduled to visit, very sudden cancer.

At the Symposium I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a set of stocks directly from the master. A set I have long wanted but with his backlog never felt I should actually order. But as it turns out, one of the benefits to the symposium (among many many others) is that he makes some stocks throughout the year just for the attendees there.

Now, back from vacation, I finally snatched 10 minutes to myself from the kids and unpacking and pulled these out. Looked over the stable. Honestly, there was only one place this glorious pair belonged:





Been a crazy...uh 12 years? Since I bought this gun. Good gravy I'm old. Maybe I just feel that way because I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old and sleep is only something I remember having.

Great grips on a wonderful RM!!! Sorry to hear of the passing of your grandpa... and yes, I love the smile on his face as he lights off that old workhorse. I also noticed that in that photo of your grandpa, the gun was pre you finding the correct rear sight. Fond memories.

__________________
Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Love the grips, and perhaps you'll remember I was lucky enough to get Keith's K frame oak leaf targets. Enjoyed talking with you at the Symposium and I'm sorry to hear about your Grandpa's passing too. Great though that you have the Reg. Mag. and your memories of times with him.

Hope to see you in Tulsa next year.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Caleb

Is the barrel on the well-used RM 6", as reported in the letter? It looks a little shorter, but maybe I just can't tell!

Regards, Mike

Yep it’s 6”, my pictures are usually just at odd angles.

Best thread I've read in a long time 😀
Thanks!

I started reading the first post and glanced at the original post date. Good gosh, my first though was who keeps dragging up these old posts? Then I continued reading the first post. Certainly glad that I did. A guy can sure learn a bunch of obscure info just reading a random old post on a firearms forum.
Thanks for sharing and keeping us informed over all these years.

__________________
"Tastes just like chicken"

I don’t think anyone else mentioned this, but this RM, aside from having factory King sights, also has a “cockeyed” hammer. Appears to be for a left hand shooter. Is the hammer stamped either side with a name? Possibly King or Micro?
Loved your 10 yo story btw!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk