|
|
04-08-2014, 05:06 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Missouri
Posts: 3
Likes: 3
Liked 3 Times in 1 Post
|
|
38 spl hand ejector w/ Target Sights - date + barrel question
Picked up this gun about 5 or 6 years ago at the local gun shop for $150. Someone had spray painted it black. Removing the paint via Citrus Strip revealed this:
6 inch barrel Serial # on the frame and cylinder = 43708X
Serial # on underside of the barrel between the frame and lug = 515454
The gun came with an older rotting leather holster and looks like it was a cop gun from all the holster wear & scratches on the finish.
Wanting to know date of manufacture and wondering about the miss-matched barrel # ?
Lastly, do you think this would be worth getting a letter from S&W?
Pics:
|
The Following 3 Users Like Post:
|
|
04-08-2014, 05:36 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: South Texas & San Antonio
Posts: 33,479
Likes: 236
Liked 28,940 Times in 14,012 Posts
|
|
At least the frame is an M&P target model, ca. 1923. It appears from the mismatched barrel SN, the barrel has been replaced. Its dating would be about 1925. Are there any stampings on the frame under the grip or on the barrel flat indicating a trip back to the factory? The factory usually stamped the SN on the barrel to match the other SNs when they replaced a barrel. Not a collector-grade revolver, but the price paid was certainly right. And it could be a very excellent shooter. Target revolvers are not that common.
Last edited by DWalt; 04-08-2014 at 05:39 PM.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
04-08-2014, 05:50 PM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: AL Wiregrass
Posts: 7,201
Likes: 34,555
Liked 10,739 Times in 3,659 Posts
|
|
Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! Nice work on cleaning her up! They are great shooters. I had one for a while that had some finish blemishes but was otherwise original. I wouldn't get a letter since the barrel has been replaced.
__________________
Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
04-08-2014, 10:40 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Missouri
Posts: 3
Likes: 3
Liked 3 Times in 1 Post
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by DWalt
At least the frame is an M&P target model, ca. 1923. It appears from the mismatched barrel SN, the barrel has been replaced. Its dating would be about 1925. Are there any stampings on the frame under the grip or on the barrel flat indicating a trip back to the factory? The factory usually stamped the SN on the barrel to match the other SNs when they replaced a barrel. Not a collector-grade revolver, but the price paid was certainly right. And it could be a very excellent shooter. Target revolvers are not that common.
|
Just took the grips off. On the right side of the grip frame just to the right of the main spring is a letter "B."
On the left side of the grip frame just below the main spring is "24." Just below the post (probably not the right term) is a "4."
Going to the flat of the barrel, I just noticed there is also a letter "B" then that 515454.
I'll take some additional pictures of those markings tomorrow in the sunlight.
|
04-09-2014, 12:27 AM
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Pikeville, Tennessee
Posts: 6,025
Likes: 910
Liked 9,879 Times in 3,632 Posts
|
|
The letter 'B' typically denotes blue finish. The '4' and '24' are likely fitter's or inspector's stamps simply noting they had done their thing during the course of manufacture.
Given the mismatched barrel and the rear sight (which came into use in 1932---possibly late 1931), your gun would appear to be a "put together" or "frankengun". A letter will speak to the primary serial number (on the frame)----shipping date/recipient/anything else of an unusual nature. It is highly unlikely a letter will disclose anything about the circumstances of the mismatched pieces----and "highly unlikely" translates to next to impossible----even if the work was done by S&W (Service Department). If you get a letter, and include the serial numbers found on the barrel (and the number likely found on the bottom of the rear sight) in your request, Jinks will sometimes identify the shipping date of the guns carrying those numbers-----which may or may not be of interest to you.
Ralph Tremaine
You note the possibility this may be a "cop gun". That is certainly possible----and a letter would indicate if it was shipped to a police department----or to an individual officer. (I have/have had several shipped to both departments and individuals.) Given that it was a police gun, that could explain the mismatched pieces. Police department armorers were not noted for assembling guns with the proper parts----more like anything that fits and works. With just a little imagination, I can weave a tale of a gun that came to have its barrel and rear sight damaged----and was put back into action with whatever fit and worked. It would take a little extra imagination to envision a target gun being used as a duty gun (unless it was owned by an individual rather than by a department), but who's to say? I wasn't there!
Actually, if you can take the time to teach it how to talk, you'll get the whole story. And after that, I would certainly appreciate learning how you managed that----I have several I'd like to talk with!
Last edited by rct269; 04-09-2014 at 12:56 AM.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
04-09-2014, 08:09 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Missouri
Posts: 3
Likes: 3
Liked 3 Times in 1 Post
|
|
I'm tempted to see where they (barrel and frame) were shipped to.
Otherwise looks like a shooter.
Thanks All.
|
04-09-2014, 10:35 AM
|
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: West Central IL
Posts: 22,758
Likes: 18,437
Liked 22,313 Times in 8,245 Posts
|
|
I'm going to make a guess, being a target model, it was used in some police competitions, and the user shot handloaded target loads, and naturally got a squib load and followed it (in rapid fire) and bulged the barrel. The dept armorer got a new barrel, or took one off another gun to mount on this one.
__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244
|
04-09-2014, 10:49 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Illinois
Posts: 5,658
Likes: 15,661
Liked 7,682 Times in 2,744 Posts
|
|
"Serial # on underside of the barrel between the frame and lug = 515454"
does the serial number "515454" on the barrel flat have a --diamond shape-- near it?
__________________
There's nowt so queer as folk
|
04-09-2014, 11:32 AM
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 5,499
Likes: 913
Liked 6,390 Times in 1,310 Posts
|
|
I think there is something else going on here. 437XXX should be a 1923 - 1924 gun.
The rear sight leaf, which does not look like its fits "right", is 1930 or later. My guess
is that this gun was shipped as a M&P, and later converted to target. As Ralph notes,
I was not there either, so I don't know who might have done the conversion.
Regards, Mike Priwer
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
|
|
|
|