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08-04-2017, 11:03 PM
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Yes - I bought the gun to get the stocks
Small Friday/Saturday Gun Show about an hour from the house this weekend. One of the Loins Club members put this out on his table first thing during set up this morning. 1956 vintage 357 magnum 8 3/8, no rear sight just a very cheep scope and mount (at least it is a no drill mount), had a trigger shoe on it, and quite a bit of rust form storage in a leather holster. Asked how much ------ $500 ---- I could not help myself but I offered $450 -- He came back at $475 and I bought it. I know it was a great deal at $500 but I just have to dicker at gun shows. The Cokes that were on it are numbered in the high 166xxx range and the 357 is numbered in the 163xxx range. So both are 1956 vintage and the Cokes should be from the very last part of the run of the 5 screw 44 Magnums. Probably would have purchased the 357 even if it had not had the Cokes on it but I did not even open it up, cock it, or look at it closely prior to purchase. .
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08-04-2017, 11:22 PM
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Nice!!...What are Cokes selling for these days, probably more than you gave for the whole deal.......................................M*
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08-04-2017, 11:23 PM
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Very nice!!
I frequent a few local gun stores & have come to know to owners as well as the staff. No matter how good the price is, I haggle. If I didn't, they'd figure that they had priced the gun too low.
Best,
Charles
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08-04-2017, 11:48 PM
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You got a gun for free.
DW
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08-05-2017, 12:05 AM
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Bought the stocks, and they threw in a free gun.
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08-05-2017, 07:16 AM
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While many will be thrilled at your acquisition, I can only be again amazed that there are two more S&W's out there without their original wood. The longer that I am in this hobby it never ceases to amaze me how many S&W's don't still have their original numbered stocks. I guess that is what makes finding one with matching wood so special.
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James Redfield
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08-05-2017, 07:33 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSR III
While many will be thrilled at your acquisition, I can only be again amazed that there are two more S&W's out there without their original wood. The longer that I am in this hobby it never ceases to amaze me how many S&W's don't still have their original numbered stocks. I guess that is what makes finding one with matching wood so special.
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Getting the right grips are like finding the right shoes..... very personal and they must fit right.
Few buy new guns with the idea of their collectors value in 50 or 60 years...................they buy them with a purpose; duty carry, hunting,range shooting or as a "kit gun" ...... maybe; it's just to keep it in their sock drawer.
The last are the one's I love to find!!!!!
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08-05-2017, 10:47 AM
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You just paid for the stocks, the gun was free.
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H Richard
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08-05-2017, 10:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSR III
While many will be thrilled at your acquisition, I can only be again amazed that there are two more S&W's out there without their original wood. The longer that I am in this hobby it never ceases to amaze me how many S&W's don't still have their original numbered stocks. I guess that is what makes finding one with matching wood so special.
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James. Like you I have been doing this for almost 50 years. I have know many employees at the factory and I'm convinced more guns left the plant with mismatched stocks then their correct ones. I had that conversation with a former shipping room clerk.
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Don Mundell
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08-05-2017, 11:43 AM
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I Did The Same Thing
I bought this "S" serial numbered Model 28-2 because of the grips for ($400). The revolver didn't shoot due to a broken firing pin. I had to send the gun out of state to get the hammer replaced with a correct vintage one (total cost $98), but now the gun is a great shooter and I have a nice pair of grips in case I find the right gun that needs to have a pair of "Cokes" added to it.
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08-05-2017, 12:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OldK22
Small Friday/Saturday Gun Show about an hour from the house this weekend. One of the Loins Club members put this out on his table first thing during set up this morning. 1956 vintage 357 magnum 8 3/8, no rear sight just a very cheep scope and mount (at least it is a no drill mount), had a trigger shoe on it, and quite a bit of rust form storage in a leather holster. Asked how much ------ $500 ---- I could not help myself but I offered $450 -- He came back at $475 and I bought it. I know it was a great deal at $500 but I just have to dicker at gun shows. The Cokes that were on it are numbered in the high 166xxx range and the 357 is numbered in the 163xxx range. So both are 1956 vintage and the Cokes should be from the very last part of the run of the 5 screw 44 Magnums. Probably would have purchased the 357 even if it had not had the Cokes on it but I did not even open it up, cock it, or look at it closely prior to purchase. .
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Congrats on great purchase.
Please show us a picture of the inside factory serial number.
(very rare feature for Coke's)
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08-05-2017, 12:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSR III
While many will be thrilled at your acquisition, I can only be again amazed that there are two more S&W's out there without their original wood. The longer that I am in this hobby it never ceases to amaze me how many S&W's don't still have their original numbered stocks. I guess that is what makes finding one with matching wood so special.
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Yes, I have a nice 1950 Target 45 that came with a set of Cokes, bittersweet because the grips were so beautiful but it bugged me they weren't original. But recently I was at my LGS and the dealer told me he had an old set of N frame grips that he'd come across. He was disappointed because the finish was so much darker than what he was used to. He was thinking about refinishing them.
I got the shakes as soon as I looked at them. I told him that from the serial number in the 80xxx range they were early 1950's and were valuable. He said that he would swap them to me for a set of Magna's that were lighter. On the way home with them that serial number started to bug me, could they be for my gun? Naw! When I got home, guess what? I had authoritatively told that dealer he would never find the gun those grips shipped with. I had to eat my words.
The guy that sold me the gun had given my local dealer the originals.
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08-05-2017, 12:18 PM
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There may be a support group for people like you.
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08-05-2017, 10:28 PM
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VM: As requested here are some very poor pictures (best I can do with my little box camera) of the numbers stamped into the right hand stock on the Cokes. The numbers are in two lines with three numbers per line. The serial number of the Cokes and the Serial number of the 357 Magnum are 3229 apart. Like I stated in the original post, I believe the Cokes numbered 166914 (if they were originally for a 5 screw 44 Magnum) should be toward the end of the 5 screw run.
The 357 Magnum is not IMHO in good enough shape (rust, pitting, loss of blue, missing the rear sight) to warrant a letter. And I would doubt the letter would state that it was shipped with these specifically numbered Cokes.
I acquired a 4 screw 44 Magnum close to a year ago that was wearing a set of Herrett's Stocks. I removed the Herrett's and installed a set of football relief diamond targets as I did not have a set of Cokes to go on it and now I do. No they will not number to the gun (mine is a 2477 higher number) but definitely will make the gun look better to me.
I agree with the purists that we should not be splitting up matching guns and stocks on collectible pieces but I see no foul in separating miss matched guns and stocks. Especially if one or the other is heavily damaged or trashed.
Last edited by OldK22; 08-05-2017 at 10:56 PM.
Reason: Correct errors
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08-06-2017, 03:49 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OldK22
Like I stated in the original post, I believe the Cokes numbered 166914 (if they were originally for a 5 screw 44 Magnum) should be toward the end of the 5 screw run.
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OldK22,
Should you have interest...Those Stocks belong to a 44 Magnum shipped as a 4" Blued Revolver on Jan.14th,1957!!
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08-06-2017, 06:22 AM
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Quote:
I agree with the purists that we should not be splitting up matching guns and stocks on collectible pieces but I see no foul in separating miss matched guns and stocks. Especially if one or the other is heavily damaged or trashed.
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Even as an almost purist collector I see no harm in the above. Once the gun is no longer wearing its original wood, the whole matching thing goes out the window. Unfortunately, many S&W's that passed through either armorer's in the military or law enforcement had their stocks removed during maintenance and no care was taken to get matching wood back on a gun.
One of the things that I have proposed here several times was a S&W stock exchange. There would be an area to list your extra numbered stocks as well as a wanted area where you could list your gun with missing originals. The hope would be that matching stocks might be reunited with their original iron or at least a closer numbered pair could be located. Trade or payment details would have to be worked out but the thought was to expand ones ability or chance to locate their original wood.
This could also work for folks with numbered boxes without guns and those looking for their missing box.
Apparently it is too difficult to set up or the viability of such a system is deemed low.
Quote:
James. Like you I have been doing this for almost 50 years. I have know many employees at the factory and I'm convinced more guns left the plant with mismatched stocks then their correct ones. I had that conversation with a former shipping room clerk.
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Don, while I don't doubt the information that you received, I find it somewhat contrary to the whole stock fitting process and the attempt by the company to keep mated stocks with their gun. If this wasn't deemed important, then why number the stocks in the first place?
On the flip side, I have always wondered how far off could the frames be that any N frame stock wouldn't fit any N frame???
Ahhhh, the things that keep us old time collectors up at night.
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08-06-2017, 07:40 AM
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Great stock purchase ya made. Beautiful set of Cokes and a free revolver and scope thrown in as part of the deal
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John
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08-06-2017, 08:40 AM
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S166914 is a 44 Magnum with a 4-inch barrel shipped on January 14, 1957.
Bill
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08-06-2017, 07:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mojave30cal
There may be a support group for people like you.
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There may be a support group for people like "us". It's called Smith & Wesson Forum!! best regards, hardcase60
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You want me to do what?
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