Smith & Wesson Forum

Go Back   Smith & Wesson Forum > Smith & Wesson Revolvers > S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961
o

Notices

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


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 05-12-2017, 10:03 PM
DWFAN's Avatar
DWFAN DWFAN is offline
US Veteran
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Connecticut Yankee
Posts: 2,386
Likes: 744
Liked 3,575 Times in 789 Posts
Default Lighted sights

Another posting that I did not want to highjack mentioned Lighted sights on early N frames. I posted this gun a few years ago but got very little on it.
It's an early 4 inch five screw. The work is so seamless you have to look hard to find how it was accomplished.





The wiring extends from the butt stock cavity to the front sight.





On/off button.




Look under the rear sight and there is a wire there.



You can barely see where the wire goes from the rear to the front.



I think it's pretty cool considering the time frame of the gun. This gun is in really nice shooter condition. I confess to not shooting it just because of the oddity.



DW
__________________
"NUTS"
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 05-13-2017, 12:12 AM
JP@AK's Avatar
JP@AK JP@AK is offline
US Veteran
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Palmer, Alaska
Posts: 14,477
Likes: 5,111
Liked 18,981 Times in 6,862 Posts
Default

That is one interesting Highway Patrolman. Someone went to a lot of trouble to modify it without tearing it up. A fascinating innovation! Probably done long before Tritium sights were available, I would think.
__________________
Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #3  
Old 05-13-2017, 12:45 AM
Hondo44 Hondo44 is offline
SWCA Member

Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: California
Posts: 19,208
Likes: 11,814
Liked 20,511 Times in 8,548 Posts
Default

It's unique! May be a home made light system but no collector interest except maybe to a niche group. So shoot and enjoy it!!
__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 05-14-2017, 10:07 PM
DWFAN's Avatar
DWFAN DWFAN is offline
US Veteran
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Connecticut Yankee
Posts: 2,386
Likes: 744
Liked 3,575 Times in 789 Posts
Default

I failed to note a couple of things.
The serial number. S115719. May very well make it a first year gun.
I call it shooter grade. Kind of misleading. I use that term because of the alterations. In reality the gun shows as ANIB. Except for a barely visible turn line there are no imperfections at all. Sometimes I feel like I have some kind of prototype.

DW
__________________
"NUTS"
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-14-2017, 10:47 PM
jebstuart's Avatar
jebstuart jebstuart is offline
SWCA Member
Absent Comrade
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Foothills (Phoenix), AZ
Posts: 624
Likes: 256
Liked 1,229 Times in 338 Posts
Default

I'm trying not to be really stupid here, but I see a pressure switch on the right grip panel that pushes only a fine wire/solder point to the assumed, stored battery in its compartment. Then I see two conductors travel up and through the frame, on the side plate side, under the adjustable rear sight and then to a "channel" from the front of the rear sight, to the front sight? So does one conductor drop off some place? What's lighted, the front sight only & if so, why exit the grip frame with a second conductor instead of grounding it locally at the grip frame? Is the rear sight lighted too? My head hurts.
__________________
Jeb
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 05-14-2017, 11:59 PM
dkonrai dkonrai is offline
Member
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 84
Likes: 183
Liked 72 Times in 36 Posts
Default

That is the coolest. O my better than night sights.
And no I'm not gonna try and figure out the electrical. Plumbers hate electrical...

Sent from my LG-M210 using Tapatalk
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-15-2017, 12:42 AM
BUFF BUFF is offline
SWCA Member
Absent Comrade
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SLC, Utah
Posts: 5,062
Likes: 739
Liked 3,271 Times in 1,282 Posts
Default

One of my first area partners (1981) had a Model 66 with this system. He had bought the gun from his brother-in-law, a deputy with the same agency. Even then, there were no batteries available, but with the internet and custom electronics now, I bet something could be done. He had switched out the grips for Pachmyrs. The fellow who installed them was a craftsman, I could not see where the wire to the front sight was hidden in the barrel rib striations.

I would imagine that tritium night sights pretty well nailed the coffin shut on these battery powered sights.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-15-2017, 02:51 AM
JP@AK's Avatar
JP@AK JP@AK is offline
US Veteran
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Palmer, Alaska
Posts: 14,477
Likes: 5,111
Liked 18,981 Times in 6,862 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DWFAN View Post
The serial number. S115719. May very well make it a first year gun.
I agree that is possible.

I'm sure you already know this, but for the sake of others who may read this thread, here are some details:

The first postwar .357 Magnum (later named the Model 27) was serial number S75514, assembled on December 5, 1946. It was not, however, the lowest serial number on the postwar .357 Magnum. I believe the lowest numbers were in the S71,000 range. Production was slow at the beginning and by December 31, 1949, only 142 copies had been made.

As for the Highway Patrolman (a less fancy variation of the same gun), the first one was serialized at S103500 and it shipped in April, 1954. That would allow plenty of room for S115719 to have shipped in 1954, especially considering the fact that other models were sharing the S prefix numbers on the N frame guns.
__________________
Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 05-15-2017, 07:09 AM
ImprovedModel56Fan ImprovedModel56Fan is offline
US Veteran
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MA
Posts: 7,330
Likes: 7,502
Liked 5,556 Times in 2,547 Posts
Default

Probably done by Cap Cresap, out in CA, IIRC. Excellent work. I seem to recall very early seventies as when he started doing that.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 05-15-2017, 09:40 AM
Jim Watson Jim Watson is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Florence, Alabama, USA
Posts: 2,333
Likes: 40
Liked 1,381 Times in 766 Posts
Default

I recall an article on the system in a 1970s Gun Digest Annual.
I think the ferrule in the butt is really a plug for a battery charger.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 05-15-2017, 04:20 PM
Troystat Troystat is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CA
Posts: 1,529
Likes: 790
Liked 678 Times in 436 Posts
Default

Neat, I would consider removing the old battery as those old batteries can leak nasty chemicals and could damage the finish on your very cool revolver.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 05-16-2017, 07:49 AM
clang444 clang444 is online now
US Veteran
Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: IL
Posts: 1,854
Likes: 1,023
Liked 3,573 Times in 954 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jebstuart View Post
I'm trying not to be really stupid here, but I see a pressure switch on the right grip panel that pushes only a fine wire/solder point to the assumed, stored battery in its compartment. Then I see two conductors travel up and through the frame, on the side plate side, under the adjustable rear sight and then to a "channel" from the front of the rear sight, to the front sight? So does one conductor drop off some place? What's lighted, the front sight only & if so, why exit the grip frame with a second conductor instead of grounding it locally at the grip frame? Is the rear sight lighted too? My head hurts.
It looks like the gun is negative ground.
__________________
My sgntr is mor thn 30 chrctrs
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 05-16-2017, 08:14 AM
elpac3's Avatar
elpac3 elpac3 is offline
Member
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Mpls, Minnesota
Posts: 867
Likes: 87
Liked 967 Times in 398 Posts
Default

I remember seeing those "back in the day", early '70's when I was on the streets. It was about the same time Julio Santiago came out with the tritium night sight. Night sight was an easier install.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 05-16-2017, 09:38 AM
BigBill BigBill is offline
Absent Comrade
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Planet earth
Posts: 13,869
Likes: 2,079
Liked 13,352 Times in 5,549 Posts
Default

Funny with the high tech stuff we have today I'm surprised no one offered battery powered micro mini sights yet. There's lazer dot sights.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 05-16-2017, 01:07 PM
DWFAN's Avatar
DWFAN DWFAN is offline
US Veteran
Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights Lighted sights  
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Connecticut Yankee
Posts: 2,386
Likes: 744
Liked 3,575 Times in 789 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jebstuart View Post
I'm trying not to be really stupid here, but I see a pressure switch on the right grip panel that pushes only a fine wire/solder point to the assumed, stored battery in its compartment. Then I see two conductors travel up and through the frame, on the side plate side, under the adjustable rear sight and then to a "channel" from the front of the rear sight, to the front sight? So does one conductor drop off some place? What's lighted, the front sight only & if so, why exit the grip frame with a second conductor instead of grounding it locally at the grip frame? Is the rear sight lighted too? My head hurts.
Both front and rear are lighted. The frame is actually drilled out to accept the wiring. I've toyed with the idea of finding a battery to replace the old one and see if it works

DW
__________________
"NUTS"
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Do Trijicon HD Night Sights shoot a bit high vs. Stock Sights? Llando88 Smith & Wesson M&P Pistols 22 09-28-2014 11:03 PM
SPF: Millett Sights for 3rd Gen Smith & Wesson Factory Fixed Sights Slide RangerDoc275 Accessories/Misc - For Sale or Trade 3 03-03-2014 08:01 PM
Anybody Lighted their Safe? TAROMAN The Lounge 34 02-16-2012 06:32 PM
Lighted Keyboard windjammer The Lounge 2 01-15-2011 05:49 PM
SOLD Burris 3x9x40 ballistic plex lighted reticle executioner Accessories/Misc - For Sale or Trade 0 09-26-2010 03:12 AM

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
smith-wessonforum.com tested by Norton Internet Security smith-wessonforum.com tested by McAfee Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:49 AM.


Smith-WessonForum.com is not affiliated with Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: SWHC)