I have a 1905 need ship date

[walter o]

I have a 1905 m&p all matching with target sights 38 special,stocks deep medallions and numbered to gun S/N585787. 1 line address on r .side
small logo below Cyl. release gun has no bluing wear 99% ,alas no box or paper work. would like a ship date .Book is vague 1915-1942 also can anyone approximate a value?

[Absalom]

Originally Posted by walter o

I have a 1905 m&p all matching with target sights 38 special,stocks deep medallions and numbered to gun S/N585787. 1 line address on r .side
small logo below Cyl. release gun has no bluing wear 99% ,alas no box or paper work. would like a ship date .Book is vague 1915-1942 also can anyone approximate a value?

The serial puts it around 1928. The stocks are 1910 to 1920, so not original. I won't vouch for the finish either, but that could be the lighting.

Value-wise, the target feature puts it outside of my expertise such as it is. There are others with more experience.

[hkcavalier]

Looks terrific. Going to guess 1930. Value? No idea right now, but I’d pay $1k for a Target that nice.

[Targets Guy]

I saw s/n 5791xx, a 6" barreled Target model, shipped 12/27. 1928 is probably the year.

Re the grips.

Here is a 1926 5" barrel with correct grips.

royal baby boy names 2018

and a 1914 change 3 with matching grips
google find the nearest gas station

[merl67]

Can we have a picture of the the other side? The side plate seam will help, I could be wrong but I suspect a reblue on this one, and that would effect the value..

[rct269]

Here are some targets, not real close, but in the ball park to help with the guessing games:

#594161, shipped August 23, 1928

#594451, shipped March 8, 1929

#640816, shipped February 8, 1932

#646192, shipped March 20, 1934 (Note this is a .22 Outdoorsman). It is numbered in the M&P series, but I don't know if frames are selected for .22's as they come, or if dedicated blocks of numbers are set aside. The next thing I don't know is if they did it both ways. The last thing I don't know is regardless of what they did, did they always do it the same way?

These things I don't know are pretty much the same things none of us knows. That helps to explain why so many of us get letters for our guns. Once you have a letter, it doesn't matter what you know or don't know----the answers are in the letter. The letter on this gun for instance tells you it was a special order-----a two gun order (paired up with a 38-44 Outdoorsman)------that the trigger pulls for both guns were lightened and matched, that the King Cockeyed Hammer on this gun was not installed by the S&W folks, that the steel for the 38-44 Outdoorsman was heat treated, but the steel for the .22 Outdoorsman was not----and why not, and what the tensile strength for the steel was (before and after the heat treating)---and on and on----and on.

Ralph Tremaine

[walter o]

picture of r side added to original post

[DWalt]

Agree with others that 1928 is the most probable shipping year based on my SN list. It is unlikely to be earlier. At least to me, it appears to have been refinished.

[daddio202]

Nice gun but looks to be refinished by me. If you look at the pictures of targetsguy guns the seams around the sideplate are nearly invisible but the op gun has clearly defined edges around sideplate. The egdes of the frame and cylinder look rounded or not as sharp as should be. The shine also looks a bit dull to me. Collector value disappears with a refinish but as a shooter the gun should still be worth around $400 to$500 in my humble opinion but I am no expert of values nor finish. I say take it out and shoot it as it's meant to be enjoyed. I spent $450 on a slightly older but more worn original finish .38 1905 M&P Target to shoot so my pristine versions can remain safe in the safe. The OP gun would serve that purpose perfectly.

[glowe]

Well that is the fifth confirmation of a ship date that is only an estimate at best, so I will concentrate on the gun! One reason why the gun has a high percentage blue is that it has been refinished in my opinion as also noted above. The joints and seams have slight rounding, which means it received metal prep work that would not have been done at the factory.

On another thread, there is a discussion of original finishes, and while it is true that lighting can affect the color perception, photos cannot cover up metal prep. It is a very nice gun and a good reblue, but not original. I will add an original finish 32 WCF Target for comparisons. Seam around the sideplate is very evident and the rear target assembly also appears to have a rounded seams. Overall, edges look slightly soft.

Last question is for the sights? The rear sight is set up for a very wide front sight, but your front sight looks unusual? Could you add a picture?

[walter o]

gary ,the front sight is .116 wide .After the post I looked at the gun closer and i now think it has been refinished .A GOOD JOB BUT STILL RE DONE .Grips do not have any numbers and i wonder about the small barrel ejector rod knob but barrel#match the frame and cyl.

[handejector]

It has been reblued. I concur- non-medallion grips would be correct.
The order to abandon the mushroom knob was issued Jan 22, 1927.

[handejector]

and yes, the color is off on that one.

[Keith Brown]

1905 Targets are my favorite S&W, your looks like a solid shooter so don’t let yourself be discouraged. A huge plus is they left the hammer and trigger alone, nice old subdued case color.

[hkcavalier]

I guess I need to take back my guess and my soft offer

No more on-the-fly suggestions from my cell phone.

[RKmesa]

Originally Posted by walter o

...1 line address on r .side
small logo below Cyl. release gun has no bluing wear 99% ,alas no box or paper work.

Walter:

One more indication of a refinish is that the rebound spring pin (to the above left of the grip in the above photo), on prewar guns protrudes and is domed on the left side. As you can see from the photo, it is flattened on this gun, indicating that someone buffed this side without concern for the domed, proud pin.

Still a very fun gun and like Keith above, the M&P targets, along with their smaller caliber K-22 O/Ds, are some of my favorite S&Ws.

Thanks for sharing it with the rest of us!

[hkcavalier]

Good point about the rebound spring pin. I posted my all-original (except for the T-grip of course) M&P for comparison.