Long time lurker, first time poster. My first foray into early Hand Ejectors began today when a couple of Model of 1903s came home with me. Naturally, as I began to research them, questions arose. They're not the prettiest, but the price was right.




The blued one is serial number 9152, which I believe makes it a no change model. Is that right? I'm also a little puzzled by the pinned front sight and different shape on the hammer spur. Granted, the hammer may have gotten reshaped due to a drop or other abuse, but it looks very even and symmetrical for that to have happened.
The nickel revolver is serial number 119895, Fifth change.

If anyone could narrow down when these might have been shipped or shed some light on the front sight and hammer of the blued revolver, I'd be grateful.

Welcome to he forum. Nice catch.

9152 - 1903
119895 - late 1911, early 1912

The hammer is standard; used from 1903 to 1953 with only slight manufacturing differences.

The 1st model - Model of 1896 had a pinned front sight blade. The model of 1903 had an integral forged front sight blade after barrels for pinned sights in inventory were used up.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

You are going to like those a lot, I predict.

Tell us more about the nickeled gun above the blued gun, can't quite see it but looks intriguing!

I can add a couple of data points to amplify this:

I have 6721, shipped 9/29/03, placing your No Change likely later that year.

I also have 147703, shipped 11/01/11, so your 5th Change was at least produced a few months earlier. Shipping is a different matter.

Welcome to the forum and the world of S&W ,shooters /collectors .Warning they are addictive and we are enablers as we can come up with all kinds if reasons why you " need " just one more .Are you going to shoot yours? If so let us know how they shoot we love reading range reports .I see you have already learned the only thing better than getting one revolver is getting two. Congratulations.

Well, I tried to do a multi-quote reply to address everyone individually and the rookie in me can't figure it out.
Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge. The front sight makes perfect sense. I never even considered looking at what the previous model had. I'm definitely planning on shooting them. However, I can't say when that will be. I don't own a single gun that I'm opposed to shooting. However, I have several dozen that I still haven't fired. I tend to spend too much time working up the perfect load for each one while, in the mean time, I add several more to the safe. I'll never get them all shot at this rate.

Ken,
Up until 6 months or so ago, my oldest Smith was a 1953 N-Frame. That's when a 1 1/2 Single Action followed me home and, at that point, the bug had bitten deeply. Since it was lonely, I started acquiring some friends for it. While I was putting the Hand Ejectors in the safe, I decided to take a pic of my most recent acquisitions.