This shipped on a Triple Lock October 30, 1916
(The photo is worth expanding to see the detail)



Please tell me about gold medallions on early Hand Ejectors

What is the base metal
What is the "gold" finish
Will the gold finish rub off with oil
How were they made
Will they rust
How to clean (I am going to leave the above alone)
How to preserve

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Best recollection (without looking)----so don't tell anybody unless I'm right.

1. Brass

2. Gold

3. No clue----seems unlikely.

4. Don't know.

5. Seems (HIGHLY) unlikely.

6. I'd like to know that one too! (I've heard pencil eraser does a nice job??)

7. Don't know---wax?---lacquer?

Ralph Tremaine

Brass will oxidize

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They are stamped.

I clean with Q-tips and alcohol or acetone.
If any gold remains, tread lightly.

Some folks use metal polish. I don't. It will remove some of any gold remaining. It makes the brass shinier than the gold ever was. A mild patina is more desirable than an unnatural "bright & shiny".

Oil lightly with a Q-tip.

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Lee Jarrett

• Gustave Young is the S&W engraver that designed the S&W monogram logo that we all know and love today.


The recessed gold was first used in wood ~1910 thru ~ 1920.

There were other gold plated medallions for short periods. This is the sequence of events:

Order dated 2/11/1929 for Recessed Gold plate over brass medallions reinstated BUT in 'convex' wood stocks,

Changed 3/18/29 to flush mounted, flat gold plated,

Then changed again April 1929 to flush mounted, flat chrome plated over brass. All round top stocks convex from then on except for the much later “Classics” models.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I have a M&P Hand Ejector that S&W says was made between 1920 to 1923. Haven't decided on their letter yet. But, these stocks came on it and they appear to be numbered to the piece. The seller, Cherry's Fine Guns in NC, called them "S&W Deep Dish Monogram Medallions."

If they're not the original grips, any idea what they are worth? Or, what I can expect to pay for originals if they can be found?

Many thanks!

There are a few issues here:

1. What type of hand ejector is it? What caliber?

2. Who is "S&W says .."? If you called customer service to ask about the gun, they rarely get the age right on older guns.

3. The "deep dish" stocks as shown in post #1 are only correct for the 19-teens, so if they're numbered to the gun, either the age or the stocks are fishy.

4. For useable info, you need to post the serial number from the butt and pictures of the stocks, preferably both inside and out so the number is visible. There are folks here who will then be able to tell you what you want to know.

I have attempted to upload images. So far, nothing loads.

Will give it another try this morning.

Thank you!

Aha. The serial 334811 would explain that The good S&W people were only 3 years off. Based on others that shipped around that time, yours most likely is indeed from 1920, at the very end of the deep dish medallion use. I don’t know where they came up with 1923, as by then they were shipping much higher numbers; I have 450345 from May 1923.

The closest M&P SN on my list to yours is 3353xx which shipped in 3/20. But I also list other SNs nearby, all of which shipped sometime during the first half of 1920. It is possible that the deep dish medallion grips are original, just earlier grips S&W still had in factory inventory. Regarding a letter, they are $75. It's very unlikely a letter will give you much more information than already provided, except for the original shipping location, which is most often to some gun distributor or possibly a retail store.

Absalom and DWalt, Many thanks!

(Still can't get images to post.)