I purchased this beauty a little while ago and recently had some fun taking my own photos of the gun. This gun is on the unique side, in that it is the only Model marked 27 Special Engraved Pinto that I am aware of. All of my other engraved pintos are pre-27s...

It shipped to Oshmans in Houston, Texas in October 1959.





A few closer-ups...



















Thanks for letting me share,

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Absolutely Beautiful, great photos too!
So, educate me. Was the engraving done at the factory or after it left?

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Paul
SWCA #2864

When clicked on the thread, I thought I was going to see something special...

Seriously,that's sweet!

Wow! Thanks for sharing.

Your photos are as great as the revolver. Thanks for sharing.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Oh my! That is stunning! Thanks for sharing it with us here.

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America First

Wow. You certainly have a museum-quality collection.
Do you ever allow visitors??? I'd submit to any background checks necessary!!!

I have to admit, that gun makes my knees knock. Best

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

The gun letters as factory engraved - before it left the factory.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Awesome!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

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SWCA #3713

That is one scratched up 27. It's a beautiful piece, I would love to see it in my safe. Thanks for sharing.

Lived in Houston all my life and vividly remember looking at the guns in the display case at Oshman's when I was very young. I might have even seen that very gun.
Wonder what the price tag would have been on such a gun back in 1959 when I was 7 years old?

Spectacular! I think you have the market cornered on the engraved guns! I always like your posts because I know I am going to see something awesome!

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

How does it shoot?









Just Kidding.
What a Beaut!

Very interesting and thanks for sharing!

While it's certainly not my "cup of tea", as long as it makes you happy, I am very happy for you!

It would be a very boring world if we were all the same, and only liked the same things.

Zing!...Bong!...Bang!...Zonk...Wow!

Man, I like that. Nice purchase.

Cory

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Cory
SWCA #3015 SWHF #465

I forgot that I was going to post some of the features found on the factory two-tone guns ("pintos"). Here's a few iPhone photos of the cylinder underneath the extractor (notice the "N" for nickel)...



...and the grip frame (notice the "B" for blue)



Although not unique to pintos the yoke frame shows a much less common engraved pinto designation - "MOD-27"



Thanks for your likes and comments,

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Do you who did the engraving?

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Fabulous engraving. Love the bold, deep cuts. Wonderful pattern, I'm with H Richard, do you know who did the work?

Thanks again for sharing.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Beautiful gun!

Very neat revolver thanks for showing us.

Wow! Awesome and great photos!

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Linda
SWCA #1965, SWHF #245

Yes that's definitely a beauty, and I beleive it is in the right persons hands/collection. I remeber seeing this gun and wanted to try and purchase it as well, but I remember the letter on it never did say two tone on it... it's what steered me away . I one day hope to aquire a two tone engraved myself maybe you can share some knowledge on the letter so I will know more about these in the future if there any available or ever pop up ... Beautifull eye candy, love the two tones thanks for sharing

That is one of the things that attracted me to the gun. Also, it is less common to find the "background" treatment used on the above. On many well engraved guns, the background is "treated" with a dot punch, sometimes a very fine one that leaves a "frosted" look and allows the rest of the engraving to shine and sparkle and sometimes a larger dot, giving the background a uniform look that also highlights the un-dotted cuts and flats.

In the case of this gun, the background was cut with a liner tool and the engraver used engraved lines to de-emphasize the background and make the pattern "pop".

Good Question. When I purchased the gun I was fairly certain that it was Russ Smith who did the work. I thought it looked similar to the engraving on this 1959 model 29 (that also shipped to Houston): Classic R. Smith Engraved Model 29 PINTO in the House

I thought it was a no-brainer that Russ engraved it. In 1959, I believe the factory engravers were Russ Smith and Sigfried Rentzschke (who I understand only engraved for the factory in 1959). But a good source showed the photos of the gun to Russ and he claimed that he did not engrave the gun (however, Russ is not young and I do know that as we age we don't always remember everything that we did almost 70 years ago). The engraving does not look like the the three confirmed Rentzschke engraved guns that I own (for comparison here is a link to one of the three: SPECTACULAR Engraved 357 Pinto - S. Rentzschke Style)

So... I'm at a bit of a loss as to who engraved it. But if I had to guess, I would guess it was: 1) Mr. Rentzschke doing a different style, or 2) Russ Smith from a long time ago.

It sure makes me wish that S&W would have allowed its engravers to mark their work...

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Thanks for pointing out the cross-hatch in the "background" areas. I would not have noticed it and have not seen that before on an S&W.

As is usual for you, great looking revolver and nice photos! Thanks!

Absolutely stunning !!!!!!!!!

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John

Thanks for the information, Richard, your collection, (at least what we've seen here on the forum) features so many stunning masterworks that it makes the head spin. What I find fascinating about beautifully engraved guns like yours, though, is that someone once commissioned them to be produced, probably not as a future collector's item, but as a handsome functional item.

I am not wealthy, but if I were, I could see myself commissioning a 3 1/2" .357 Magnum not for its potential as an investment, but simply as a beautiful gun to carry and shoot!! I have seen photos of nicely engraved Colts and Smiths which show the effects of loving wear, with the raised portions of a blued gun naturally wearing to patina or bare steel, and the engraved portion retaining the blue, and the difference lending a nice contrast.

It's probably a good thing I can't afford guns like this, because they would accompany me on trips to the range and probably be carried frequently as well, and that would probably depreciate the value.

Just some random thoughts on viewing a beautifully engraved firearm!!

Thanks again for sharing it with us.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Many of the letters on my engraved two tones have cryptic designations of their two tone status and more than one does not specifically identify the gun as a two tone. I am not sure that the factory records are super great on these guns. My thoughts on the letter is that either the records are incomplete or whomever requested the letter was incomplete in his description of the gun in his request and therefore the letter overlooked the two tone nature of the revolver.

This gun had all the markings that my factory two tone guns have, including the "N" on the rear of the cylinder, underneath the ejector star. I also discussed the gun with several of my friends who own and collect engraved guns, all of whom thought the gun was correct. The real thing that pushed me to continue bidding on the gun was that I loved the engraving - it "spoke to me." That is my number one requirement when purchasing any engraved gun.

The last thing that caused me to overlook the fact that the letter does not identify this as a two tone is the fact that it was shipped to Houston's J.S. Oshman Co. in 1959 and I own three other engraved pintos that were shipped there in that same year: 1) a 5-screw pre 27, 2) a 4-screw pre 27, and 3) a model marked 29. Therefore, purchasing this one gave me three different engineering designated, 3.5" barreled, special engraved .357 pintos that shipped to the same store, in the same year! Quite the set!

5-Screw Pre 27 engraved by Sigfried Rentzschke, shipped to Oshmans in April 1959:






4-Screw Pre 27 engraved by Sigfried Rentzschke, shipped to Oshmans in July 1959 (full photo spread here: SPECTACULAR Engraved 357 Pinto - S. Rentzschke Style):






... and a Model 29 engraved by Russ Smith, shipped to Oshmans in October 1959, two and 1/2 weeks before the Model 27 that is the focus of this thread (full photo spread here: Classic R. Smith Engraved Model 29 PINTO in the House):






Here they are all together - the 1959 JS Oshman Co. Houston, TX Pinto Quartet...

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Lordy lord...I'm speechless...! That is an amazing ensemble of fine art! Wow++

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My Daddy was a pistol..

I only have one word to say....DAYUM!

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Wonderful collection of fine revolvers. I can't help but wonder who might have been the original purchaser once they hit Oshman's. By 1959 these guns would have probably shipped to the flagship store in the 900 blk of Main Street (downtown Houston). I can vision the likes of Glen McCarty, R.E. "Bob" Smith, Red Adair, Roy Hofheinz, Bud Adams or a host of other Houston notables and notorious of that time consigning for those guns. hardcase60

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You want me to do what?

I am generally not a fan of pinto guns, however, I do think the ones you have are beautiful. They are works of art. I guess I flip flopped, I can now run for public office.

thank you so much for the info, yes I have a few guns that just speak to me and are priceless to me , so 100 percent understand ., truly glad that model marked gun found its rightfull home , now I must go clean my key board from all my drool . beautifull collection . I hope to aquire just one engraved pinto one day . thanks again for sharing and always enjoy reading your post

I know that this is way down in the thread, but in all the years of looking for and at engraved guns and pinto guns, I do not recall ever seeing a factory engraved 357 pinto with a barrel longer than 3.5". I've seen many plain pinto 357s (of all barrel lengths) and lots of engraved 357s (of all barrel lengths), but never any longer barreled engraved 357s that were pintoed. So I have to ask...

Has anyone out there seen one? Even better, do you happen to have a photo of one? I would be particularly interested in any 8.375" barreled engraved pintos...

Thanks,

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

This was shown to me a couple days ago at a pawn shop I stop at from time to time. The owner and I were talking about S&W revolvers and he said he had one and wanted to know what I thought about it. This is what he brought out for me to see.

Is this one of the longer barrelled examples you were asking about? I hesitate to say it's a factory Pinto because the engraving isn't as elaborate as the early ones but since I don't collect and seek these out I could be wrong. He did tell me that the previous owner also brought a factory letter along with the M27. Next time I'm in, I'll try to get more info(and pics).

Richard, I do remember 1 long barreled 357 'Pinto" factory engraved. I'm sure you remember it too.
Bill I need some more coffee. The RM is obviously not engraved! Sorry

Attached Images

IMG_4608.jpg (96.4 KB, 199 views)

I believe the .357 is the work the Russ Smith. Russ' style was quite variable over time. I have several examples dating from 1956 to 1965, and although they are signed by Russ, the styles are different.

Bill

Bill:

I remember that beautiful RM very well. I have vivid recollections of sitting at my desk in front of my computer, on the phone with an auction rep, watching and listening to the auction price blow past my maximum bid fairly quickly.

That gun is a beautiful piece and I am glad that it was purchased by a fellow forum member, who if I recall correctly has added a bunch of the "extras" (box, tools, brochure, letter, Historical Foundation docs...). He's taken a beautiful gun and turned it into an outstanding package - it is a "one gun collection".

Edited to add a link to Bill's thread on this gun - one of the more informative threads on the Forum I might add: Registered Magnum 'Pinto'

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

I have a question for the owner:
Did you perhaps bring these engraved examples you own to the Antiques Roadshow the last time it was in Phoenix? If you didn't someone with half a dozen really spectacular S&Ws did so.
Jim

Jim:

I did not, but I would love to see the S&Ws that you described. Do you remember how long ago it was?

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Whenever I see this question in a post it always reminds me of the line from Dances with Wolves when Kicking Bird gets a pipe from Lt. Dunbar and then asks.... How does it smoke??????

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James Redfield
LM #497