When I took possession of this gun, I had no idea what it was, other that it was a high condition, target sighted 22. I thought that the front sight had been modified and I had never seen grips like the ones on this gun. Come to find out, it is a relatively rare, transitional Kit Gun and the front sight is a factory USRA sight.

A while later, one of the members of this forum agreed to sell me a gold box for a 8.375" pre-27 and threw in the narrow pointed SAT - a post war adjustment tool for a pre-war sight. I picked up the red box at a later date. All in all I think it makes a great package.









Something kind of fun.

I know that there are several of you out there who also have one of these, but I think that many of the transitionals are different in their configuration (e.g. front sights, roll marks, grips, etc...). I'd love to see your transitional Kit Guns...

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Neat gun Richard.
Do you have a ship date on it ?
Could I trouble you for a top down picture of the rear sights as well.

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

Wow, super nice and unusual! What is the barrel length?

I wish that I had one!
Have never even seen one.
Super nice gun!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Richard,

You have a real screamer there and a nice package! These post war Transistionals are scarcer than the pre war Kit Guns which are not plentiful!

The rebated grip frame with extended square butt stocks was originally introduced on the I frame .32 and .38/32 Regulation Police models in 1917 and subsequently used on the .22/32 Heavy Frame Target and then some of the Kit Guns when introduced in 1935.

After the Model of 1953 New I frame Kit Gun was introduced with the 1st coil main spring for the .22/32, occasionally one like yours was shipped to dealers to fill an order. Some were returned by the dealer because they were expecting the newer version.

More details about its evolution here: THE POST WAR I FRAMES EVOLUTION http://smith-wessonforum.com/blogs/h...evolution.html

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Jim
S&WCA #819

That is one great package. Thanks for posting.

The Kit Gun pre wars and post war Transistional models were all 4".

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I'm hoping Hondo's work is not done.
Should have a letter very soon on this anomaly

If it does letter I'm choosing to call it a 32/38 Regulation police target.

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

Hi Paul,

I would call it just a .32 since the original I frames are all .32s, hence a .32 on a 32 frame.

The rear and front sight blades appear to be King Sights. If installed by customer special order at the factory when originally sold new, they will letter. If installed by King or owner after market, they will not letter. I hope they letter. Custom sights installed on I frames at the factory are
extremely rare.

Is it a pre war Target with 6" barrel which are uncommon? Or one of the 1957 vintage 196 Post War Transistional .32 Reg Police Targets in the low 657XXX serial range with 4" brrel?

Does this describe yours?

Post War Transitional .32 Reg. Police Target 'I' frame, 4" barrel, 6 screw, non-Model #’d with small trigger guard and leaf mainspring (pre Improved 'I' frame). This model still has the smaller pre war cylinder diameter and frame window.

Frame serial# stamped on front grip strap above the strain screw matching all other #'d parts including stocks, 9 locations in all, including rear sight and both front and rear sight blades.

Pre war/early post war rebated rear grip strap with post war type 16 lpi checkering, round cornered border on round top stocks with curved nickel plated brass post war medallions. The pre war sights are obvious, supplied w/special modified post war blue all steel sight adjusting tool (SAT) to fit tiny sight screws. Pre war/early post war hammer with sliding bar hammer block safety, post war grooved trigger, and 3rd type post war (and post 1966 after I frames became J frames) non-sculpted thumb piece, while all other I frames of the period still had the third type flat latch.

Most features totally out of character with the non-target Pre Model 31 guns of the 1957 period! But it has the 3rd and last style straight ejector rod with left hand thread, no patent dates on barrel and 4 line address. A very convoluted transition model for sure. Brief details of these 196 guns are on page 128, 3rd edition, Standard Catalog of S&W, Supica and Nahas, pictured pg. 127.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Paul:

It shipped in December 1951. I don't have a photo of the rear sight handy. I'll try and get one up shortly.

Thanks,

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Hi
Richard neat gun most of the Transitions I have seen are Round top grips or the standard grips you will have to letter it to see if the grips are correct. I have two Transitions one complete with original box and all the tools the other one I have a box and a Sat.
the complete one is 98% and the other one is about 96%. I will post pictures of the box and tools.
Jim Fisher

The serial numbers of the two are.
5816xx shipped 1951
6016xx shipped 1952





Number box to Gun



This gun was one of the last shipped it shipped Nov of 1952



Here is a picture of the top of the gun.

Jim:

Beautiful guns and packages that you posted. The depth of your collection never ceases to amaze me.

The gun that I posted is SN534617. I do have a letter on it, but if I recall correctly (I don't have the letter with me) it is an old letter that does not have much detail, other than the ship date, which was 12/13/1951. Also, if I recall correctly, the grips number to the gun and the grip frame has the rebated stepped back that these grips are made to fit.

I'll try and get a couple more photos and a copy of the letter up tomorrow.

Thanks,

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

If I did things right when I inquired on the ship date of mine it was September of 63......

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

Two screw pre-war rear sight.


Photo of Grips and stepped Grip Frame - I think that they are correct:

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Two screw sights uncommon on Kit Guns.

Rebated stocks and grip frame exactly correct.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

"Uncommon" is putting it mildly. I would go further and say, "Two-screw sights are not observed on Kit Guns before this one." I have observed about two dozen prewar I-frames with adjustable sights, and not one of them has both an adjustment screw and a lock screw at the rear. I have never had a chance to observe a postwar transitional KG directly, so I don't know how often the two-screw arrangement might be seen on this model.

The thought crossed my mind that this might be a later prewar K-frame rear sight whose width and length were reduced to allow mounting on an I-frame revolver. Does that sound reasonable to anyone?

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David Wilson

david
measurements would have to be taken if a K Frame sight was used I think the holes are in the wrong place to be used on a I frame. So if one was used it would have been a unfinished sight with out the mounting hole.
Jim
Jim
do some measuring with a K frame sight to see if this is possible.

Jim, I agree. I had a blank in mind, not a sight base that was first fitted to a K-frame revolver.



I-frames have a top strap .54 in wide and with a channel/sight base width of .21 in.

A couple of postwar K-frames I checked have a top strap .65 in wide and with channel/sight base width of .28 in.

On the I-frame sight base, the mounting screw hole is 1.67 in from the rear face of the adjustable leaf. On a couple of target K-frames from the postwar period, the distance between the mounting screw and rear face of the leaf is 2.03 in.

Looks like the same sight assembly was used on both K and N frames, though the distance of the anchor screw from the sight leaf increases to 2.18 in on a Pre-26 I checked. On a transitional OD it was 2.04 in.

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David Wilson