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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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Old 05-01-2016, 01:19 AM
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38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist  
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Smile 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist

Several recent threads reminded me of a modified snubbie M&P that photographed, but I hadn't posted yet. I think it is a Fuzzy Farrant (or one of the other guys doing this mod).

I put a bid on this one without scrolling all the way down through the auction photos... Low and behold it had the Farrant front end grip adjustment. As it turns out, I was the winning bidder took possession of my first "Farrant-style" modified gun... I cannot not see any markings on either the gun or the grips. It has definitely been refinished and someone went crazy on the hammer and trigger, but it is an interesting reflection of a period modification. Another M&P snub shooter is always welcome in my safe - even if it has lost a couple of sharp edges. BTW - the grips are very thin and very comfortable. We'll have to see how she shoots.













I would love your thoughts and any photos of your similarly modified guns.
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Old 05-01-2016, 10:10 AM
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Interesting piece that somebody set up as a working gun.
I haven't seen Farrant grips with the double borderline before.
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Old 05-01-2016, 10:41 AM
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I'm wondering if they are Walter Stark and not Farrant. I have seen grips attributed to him that look similar


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Old 05-01-2016, 11:14 AM
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38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist  
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Nice snubby. I agree, those are not Farrant grips. Checkering's different and so is the screw and screw inserts.
I see the hammer and trigger polished but I don't see where the gun is refinished.
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Old 05-01-2016, 01:00 PM
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I'm glad you have that crazy contraption. I love the dang thing.
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Old 05-01-2016, 01:15 PM
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I would be awfully tempted to shoot targets at 25 and 50 yards with it 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist
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Old 05-01-2016, 03:43 PM
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Default Walter Stark gun belonging to LAPD Chief Ed Davis

Any discussion about LAPD grip makers should start with a picture of some of them !



Walter Stark was an armorer with LAPD, and he is generally given credit for being one of,
if not the one, pioneer of the style of cutting the front corner off the grip frame. Other
LAPD Officers became grip makers, and there were quite a few of them.

Walters work is outstanding. I have two of Chief Ed Davis's gun, and the workmanship is
nothing short of wonderful. I know Stark did these grips, because Chief Davis told me
that in a note.

While the grips on the snubbie are in the style of LAPD grip makers, I doubt they were
made by Stark. The quality of the work is just not the same.

Here are some pictures of the K-38 belonging to Chief Davis. The serial number is
around K90000, and is one of the first guns to have the "low spar" hammer, as its
named in the literature.













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Old 05-01-2016, 03:57 PM
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But man, the hardware is the same. And I've never seen it anywhere else


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Old 05-01-2016, 07:19 PM
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Kris

The screw and escutcheon are the same, although they are on opposite sides of the
grips from one pair to the other. The other pair I have is for a later S&W, and does
not have the cut frame corner. They are checkered, and the checkering is very very
fine, whereas the checkering on the snubbie is much coarser.

To me, the pair on the snubbie just don't look like other grips that are attributed to
one or another of the LAPD gripmakers.

There are quite a few members of this forum who have a strong interest in the LAPD
gripmakers, and they know a lot more about them that I do. Hopefully one or another
will lend a helping hand here.

Regards, Mike Priwer
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Old 05-01-2016, 09:15 PM
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The snub grips look like early Hurst. The upper right side curve is the main distinction from similar suspected Blackford grips. Check the picture from the 1961 Cooper book. The checkering might be a later addition.

Thanks for the additional pictures of Chief Davis' revolver with the Stark grips. The right side and rear profile are distinct from the usual Farrant.

Davis must have had huge hands.

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Old 05-02-2016, 04:06 AM
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My mistake on the Fuzzy screw, never seen the big Phillips head before. Maybe those were a really early pair?
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Old 05-02-2016, 09:45 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moosedog View Post
I see the hammer and trigger polished but I don't see where the gun is refinished.
I know nothing about the creation of the grips and only a bit more about the LA Police who made these mods popular (thanks to all who have increased my understanding significantly). But I do know that the snubbie has definitely been buffed and refinished, but nicely so. One of these days, I may throw in a new hammer and trigger, if I can find where I put that extra "fishhook" hammer.
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Old 05-02-2016, 09:55 AM
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Default 38 M&P Snubbie with a Farrant Twist

RK, that fishhook hammer won't do you any good, that gun is still a long action you need a Trans hammer


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Old 05-02-2016, 10:13 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 410bore View Post
RK, that fishhook hammer won't do you any good, that gun is still a long action you need a Trans hammer.
Kris:

I don't know a lot about the transition period on these M&Ps. The SN is S969279, which I thought might be late enough for a short action hammer? Sounds like it's not so. This is only my 2nd M&P in that S SN range and the other is a King modified Super Target with a replaced/modified Cockeyed hammer. I had it in my mind that these shipped in the 1946-ish time frame?? I also know that I will not be finding a transition hammer with the safety cut-out, so I may have to modify a pre-war hammer to fit...
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Old 05-02-2016, 11:00 AM
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Richard

One thing you can do, for the hammer and trigger, is to have their plating removed, and
then have them case-colored. Even though the contour of the hammer has been changed
somewhat, they will look more like factory than they do now. Fords can handle the
whole job - they can remove the plating, and then they use a place that does the
case coloring.

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Old 05-02-2016, 12:34 PM
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I don't think a Trans hammer would prove hard to find. There are lots of Trans m&ps out there and with attrition , I'd think there would be some parts


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Old 05-02-2016, 08:34 PM
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Default Hurst grips

From one of the best grip threads ever ...Mystery grips

I think these are grips by Joe Blackford - from online pension info - also LAPD.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DCWilson View Post
Larry identified these as Hurst.
Quote:
Originally Posted by larry21556 View Post
... I can attest to the provenance of these three sets of grips as I personally purchased them at the LAPRAC store. ...

Left is by John Hurst, Right by Hogue



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Old 05-03-2016, 03:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moosedog View Post
My mistake on the Fuzzy screw, never seen the big Phillips head before. Maybe those were a really early pair?
Hardware store replacements, maybe. Slotted filster head 4-40 screws used by Farrant are special order items (As are 5-44!!), but I've found Phillips head 4-40 off-the-rack.
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Old 05-03-2016, 09:01 PM
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A later probable Hurst, confirmed by OIF2, with more rounded finger grooves.

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Old 05-04-2016, 08:12 PM
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Default Maybe not ...

Bob hasn't posted yet, but by PM he expressed skepticism of the checkering and the screw.

I inferred he agreed the grips are in the Hurst pattern - but maker unknown.
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