I am buying a model 1950 44 Special in 6 /2 barrel length and the gun is in great condition. Been a safe queen for years. Any expert advise out there? I will post pictures when I can. Has anybody seen a 4 inch model ever? I heard they are in shorter suppe.

Do you have a specific question about it? To start off, they are rare (the 4" more so than the 6.5") and the comments about jealousy are sure to follow. We need photos!

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

1950 44 Target , 4-inch, bright blue, smooth rosewood Magna stocks, TT, TH, wo and red ramp. click on the photo for a better look.

Bill

The original Model 1950 .44 special target revolvers were great guns. They were re-issued by S&W in 1984 in limited quantities and distributed by Lew Horton. These were called the Model 24-3s. The main difference was the lack of a pinned barrel. For these 24-3s there were 2,625 made with 4" barrels, and 4,875 with 6.5" barrels. A very few were made in 5" and 5.5" configuration. Here are mine, one each of 4" and 6.5".

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Fixed sight guns are even less common. Still no photos?!

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Hello Rock, congrats. Are you going to shoot it?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Roy Jinks' book HISTORY OF SMITH & WESSON says that there were 5,050 1950 Target .44 Specials made, scattered between pre-1957, Model 24, 24-1, 24-2 (maybe) variants, mostly 6-1/2 inchers, some 4 inchers, a few 5 inchers and a very few 5-1/2 inchers, but I don't know of anybody who has a 5-1/2 incher, has seen one or even seen a photograph of one.

Any 1950 Target you find is a treasure.

I've got a 6-1/2" that someone shortened down to 4-1/2". Not collectible, but a sweet shooter anyway...

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I tend to be a bigger fan of large bore revolvers myself and am currently engrossed in the .45acp bug. I wouldn't pass up a good deal on a fine pre-model 24 and was close to winning the bid on one a couple months ago, it just got away from me and went for more money than I was willing to part with. They are beautiful revolvers and have that terrific feel in the hand. I'm currently working with a couple of 4" model 25s and a 6.5" pre-model 25, so far they are my favorite large bore revolvers, .45acp in a heavy revolver is a *****-cat to shoot.
I've been told that the .44's have better rifling for cast bullets and will outshoot the .45acp caliber revolvers.

Maybe I'm missing something, but ignoring probabilities suggesting a target model under consideration, for clarification are you speaking of fixed or adjustable sight 1950 models? It makes a difference!

A questioning take

Those stocks look like coke's to me. If you bought it for $750, you stole it.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Yessir, they are cokes. Not in perfect shape but in pretty decent shape (sharp checkering, a few little bumps and dings).

Though you are right on with your guess for the asking price ($750), I actually got it for $675 - without even having to wear a mask

In the 1950 .44 Military ( fixed sights ) the 6.5" barrel is the rare one , 5" next & then 4" ones .