Just out of curiosity how many of you guys carry and use your pre 1961 guns out in the weeds?

I have a 38/44 Outdoorsman and Heavy Duty that both see regular trips afield when I’m hunting pigs or deer, or when I’m just out kicking around mushroom hunting or going to the fishing hole. I also have an original finish 2nd Model Hand Ejector Target 44sp that I pack quite frequently on the same kind of adventures. I carried my 4” Heavy Duty stoked with 38/44 level hand loads once on a brown bear hunt on Admiralty Island in SE AK.

I carry my newer Smiths from the 60’s through the 80’s too but I really enjoy using them all. Countless snakes, porcupines, pigs, and other varmints have met their demise when one of them has spoken. My future goal is to kill a deer with the 2nd model but the stars haven’t aligned just yet.

Just nothing like a good revolver in a good piece of leather when you’re out in the hills.

I have everything from the turn of the century forward....

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On the Oak Savannah

Got an M&P with a 1904-1905 born on date that goes in the woods with me on occasion. I also have a Winchester pump .22 made in the '20s that I take out alot. One of the most accurate rifles I own. I also sometime carry my Stevens 16GA external hammer double barrel. But my favorite gun that fits your timeline is also the one I use the most. Pre-64 Mod. 70 in .270. Used to be my dad's and then my brother's but now it's mine. Counting back, we figure it's taken about 130 deer. You tell me I have one chance to make a shot at 100-400 yards, this is the gun I'm grabbing.

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The best I can with what I got

I have a very nice, not pristine but pretty close considering it’s age, Remington M30R in 30/06. It’s never been drilled for a scope and I prefer it wears just it’s factory peep. It makes it out on nice days during deer season. Haven’t shot a deer with it yet, could have just wasn’t the right situation, but I did kill a pretty big pig with it a couple years ago.

One of my favorite hunting rifles is a 1949 production Savage 99 EG in 300 that my wife gave me for our anniversary one year. It too hasn’t been drilled and wears a Redfield peep. I’ve taken many blacktails on Kodiak island with it.

I’ll admit that when the chips are down and I feel pressured to fill a tag, IE high dollar out of state hunts, I’ll grab a more modern scoped rifle or my Bisley Super Blackhawk. But for most of the time when I’m just out enjoying the hills I enjoy carrying my more collectible classic firearms.

I have a Model 1917 that I installed a 4” barrel and used as an EDC.

Kevin

Attached Images

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Well my deer rifle is a sporterised 93 Mauser in 8mm. I have hunted squirrel with my Savage 311 12ga. I also carry a S&W Military & Police 38 spl. From around 1910 if I am hiking.

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Randy

How about some doves with one of my Prewar Ithaca 37s, a 16ga of course.
A pig that met the M30.
Firewood cutting revolver.
M99 still hunting in a fresh snow in the Mtns of Colorado, sadly the biggest buck we crossed paths with that day was a forkie so he got a pass.

Judging from the small rims visible, a Heavy Duty?

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Yes sir, a transitional gun. Sadly the week I bought it I had a chance at a 6.5 HD and passed as I liked the 4” better and already had it. Now I’m wishing I’d have bought both.

All my guns get carried in the woods .Most of what I own is pre 1950 and most before 1930. I see no sense in owning things and not using them.

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun

With exception to few, everything I own is pre-number and gets moved around in the vehicle or on myself. The real nice stuff just gets a trip to the range but a couple are my favorite carry pieces. I have a 24-3 L.H. Special that is probably my favorite and gets the most mileage, this cut down 1917 is my second favorite. I had my original Remington Rolling Block down to the range today putting it through its paces. I shoot three days a week and run just about everything through a box of cartridges in the course of a year, black powder stuff sees more action. I cast and reload just about everything I own and am slowly but surely cleaning out all of my jacketed bullet rifles.



I picked this old girl up awhile back, 1863 Aston Martial Pistol...first percussion Army piece, last smoothbore. Took it to the range and let the crew try it out, everybody shot it reasonably well, good horse pistol.

Yep, the small rims, old hammer but lack of hammer stud had me guessing transitional. Everytime I come to this site, I learn something.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Great post Kid, I took my 2nd Model 5" HE 44 Spc. to the farm Tuesday, and had to shoot a stump. Mine has been reblued about 25 years ago and locked away until last year, it is a good shooter. No safe queens here, all shooters. Thanks for posting yours!

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"Mountaineers Are Always Free"

Here’s my 2nd model out sunbathing next to the full flap that it rides in most of the time.

Only my stainless ones!!!!

Now the rest of the story....................

I only have a few...... my Dad's duty guns and a couple of big $$$$$ , 99% collectable ones.......

So no..... why would I , when I have stainless 60s,66,686s in various barrel lengths.

Same here!
Kid, would you please share the first few digits of the serial number of your transitional HD? I examined five transitional .38-44 HD/OD's in my possession and all but one have a threaded and beveled hammer stud. That one is a 4" HD, S72xxx, shipped 4/28/49. I've been shooting and collecting S&W's for a long time and never gave a thought to the evolution of the N frame hammer stud. Now I know.

Here's a post by 1Aspenhill (Bill, our resident HD expert), from a 2014 thread (Flat Hammer Stud Question) discussing hammer studs:

"The first N frames shipped were in late June/early July 46 and they have the beveled hammer stud. It is not until later that you see the flat hammer stud. Our theory, unsubstanstiated, is that there was a problem with the hammer studs on these guns-loose, broken etc, that prompted their return and we have noticed that the specimens we have seen have the flat hammer stud and that the blue matches the rest of the gun, which indicates they had someone really good to match the color of the gun. The range of serial numbers on these is from S65K to S71K. I have an idea on when they went to the new hammer stud but do not have my notes with me."

Thanks for sharing your vintage Field Guns, everyone! Pictured is my 1926 .44HE 2nd Model 5". It's actually lighter than a modern 4" .44 Mountain Gun!

.44HE 2nd 5-inch Ken Driskill Elk Magnas_a.jpg

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

I'm assuming you mean S&W revolvers, so in that case- no.
All of my hunting guns are older than that, though.

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Because of the metric system?

I’d be happy to post the serial number on my HD as soon as I get home this evening. I’m always amazed at the variations and of the knowledge of them on this board.

Just checked and my HD is serial S75186.

Same here. If you can't enjoy them. Why have them?

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S&W Accumulator

My 6" 1954 ..357 has killed deer and I like carrying it. I just got a killer new bullet mold for it (and my other favorite .357, am old model Ruger flattop 4 5/8") - a Mijec 170 gr Keith style with hollow point pins and gas checked. Two cavity mold.

Any of you guys who were curious about the serial on my HD have a guess as to born on date? I had always guessed 49 and it looks like it almost has to be judging by the other 49 numbers posted above.

Oh yes, yours is a late transitional, probably June-July-August 1949, just before the change to the short action four line address 1950 Model. My long action single line address 1949 HD S72878 shipped 4/28/49.

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

This old .44 Special spends a lot of time on my belt while hiking in the mountains. My little pre-Model 45 .22 gets holster time sometimes out on the desert for blacktail jacks.

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Bill Bates

That’s a really cool 44 Bill. Back in time that very well may have been about the best fighting handgun a guy could have, especially if he loaded it with some kind of flat nosed bullets instead of the puny factory 246 RN load.

I have carried my 1955 k32 for squirrels, carried my 1940s Simson Suhl 16 gauge SxS for quail and pheasants, and my Hunter Special 12 gauge for pheasants as well....old guns love walks in the woods...heck, I might even carry my triple lock for deer this year....

Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Raljr1, the K32 makes a fine small game getter. Mine doesn’t fit the old gun classification since it’s a 6” 16-4, but it has brought many a grouse to bag when I lived in Alaska. I shot a turkey with it a few years ago too and it worked perfectly. If you’re a hand loader the little Lee 90gr SWC mold that makes a bullet that resembles a crayon is a wonderful small game bullet. It’s scary accurate and doesn’t tear up birds and rabbits.

Sadly, I don't get out into the woods as much as I used to, but my go to guns in the last 20+ years were M686s. I suppose I could carry my pre-War .38-44 but it just doesn't occur to me. I don't carry pistols in the field, either. Everyone has tastes that differ from everyone else.....

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Come and take it!!

No field carry for us folks up here in Kanada, but the wife's Model of 1953 22/32 Target gets a trip to the range and a good workout a couple of times a year.