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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 07-02-2018, 08:42 PM
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Default EARLIEST 1950 TARGET 44spl

What is the earliest ship date anyone has lettered a 1950 Target in 44spl.? I know sn's started @ S 75,000 but most of those were 357s. Also some transitional (long action, ribbed bbl) 3rd models in the S 71,xxx (1947). My earliest one is April 17, 1951 S 78,xxx.
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Old 07-03-2018, 01:50 AM
Cjpetracca Cjpetracca is offline
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Mine is s/n 785xx shipped January 10, 1951. It also is satin and the barrel shroud is cut for the large ejector knob. I sent it back to S&W about 35 years ago because it didn’t quite index properly and when it came back the later style ejector rod was installed. I had requested that my original parts be returned, but they weren’t. It is my first 44 Special and is a joy to shoot.
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Old 07-03-2018, 06:11 AM
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I don't have a record of any shipped earlier than Cjpetracca's above.
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Old 07-03-2018, 06:31 AM
Hondo44 Hondo44 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cjpetracca View Post
Mine is s/n 785xx shipped January 10, 1951. It also is satin and the barrel shroud is cut for the large ejector knob. I sent it back to S&W about 35 years ago because it didn’t quite index properly and when it came back the later style ejector rod was installed. I had requested that my original parts be returned, but they weren’t. It is my first 44 Special and is a joy to shoot.
Your large extractor rod knob was right hand thread. When the factory fixes guns sent back to them, they always just replace parts, never any true gunsmithing involved.

So by the time you sent your 44 back to them, which had to be after 1959, to fix it they just installed a new cyl and extractor star but by 1959 the thread had changed to left hand and the large knob surplus pre war knob rod inventory was all used up long before the thread change. So they had to replace the extractor rod with the newer 'no knob' style as well.

If your gun was one without a barrel shroud, it would have a notch for the knob on the underside of the barrel. And in those cases the factory changed the barrel as well! I presume the factory re-numbered the cyl and extractor star to match your gun's serial #?

However, I frames switched to the left hand thread in 1946 when re-introduced after the war and when they still shipped with large knobs. By extending those, it's possible to replace large knob rods on guns that have had newer cyl replacements.
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Old 07-03-2018, 08:32 AM
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Two 1950 44 Targets were shipped to Warshals Sporting Goods, Seattle, WA, on October 30, 1950. That is the earliest ship date I have in my records (no serial numbers listed).

Some early (1950, S75000 and higher) .357 Magnums, 44 Targets, etc. have barrels made for extractor rods with the large knob, but the revolvers were made with an extractor rod with the regular knurled tip.

Bill

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Old 07-03-2018, 09:58 AM
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Well my 1950 .44 isn't even close, #S141071----September 9, 1955.

If it isn't cheating, my 1950 .45 is #S79291-----March 27, 1951; and the Outdoorsman is S93429----April 14, 1953.

And that's all the S's except for one of those fat barreled .45's, and that didn't leave until whenever in 1959.

Ralph Tremaine

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Old 07-03-2018, 09:14 PM
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Just learning about these post war 44s.

A forum buddy and I just looked at a bright finish one today in the S 80xxx area

Seemed pretty early for the bright finish but looked very legit.
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Old 07-03-2018, 10:26 PM
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Just learning about these post war 44s.

A forum buddy and I just looked at a bright finish one today in the S 80xxx area

Seemed pretty early for the bright finish but looked very legit.
LARGER B FOR BRIGHT BLUE: the bright blue finish was an option in the post war satin blue era. Always look for the large fancy font 'B' following the barrel serial #. It can be stamped sideways if in a barrel shroud. It is a larger B than the one used to simply indicate a blued part that precedes the serial #.
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Old 07-04-2018, 01:29 AM
Cjpetracca Cjpetracca is offline
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Thanks for your response, Jim. I’m traveling now, but as I remember the cylinder was not replaced; only the extractor star and ejector rod were replaced. It also had coke bottle stocks when I bought it, but at that time I didn’t know what they were; just that I really liked their feel.

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Old 07-04-2018, 04:02 AM
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The 50's guns were still stamped with the serial # in 6 locations till 1957.
One of those was the backside (front) of the star. It'd be interesting to know if they stamped it to match your gun.
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Old 07-04-2018, 10:11 AM
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Now you have me curious, I’ll check the star for the serial number when I return home. Right now I’m enjoying the wilds of British Columbia.
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Old 07-04-2018, 07:06 PM
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Cjpetracca, Enjoy the wilds of BC! When you get back and check SN's please post barrel length as well. I'm guessing 6.5" but just want to know. That's an early gun, would love to see a pic or two. Thanks
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Old 07-04-2018, 09:16 PM
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The barrel is 6.5”.
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Old 07-10-2018, 09:01 AM
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Jim, I returned home yesterday and of course had to check the extractor star and indeed when it was replaced, it was stamped with the serial number.
Thanks for that information.
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Old 07-10-2018, 06:54 PM
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Welcome back!

Thanks for follow up with that info!
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