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04-13-2021, 10:30 PM
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Thoughts on Finding S&W parts and Pieces
I thought Id share a nice experience I had over
the last few weeks.
My friends here..Daddio202 and Weatherby
kid me when I talk about "cultivating"
contacts on S&W parts and pieces..Im always
searching around online for interesting contacts that may be a source to find stuff.
Recently late last month I connected with a surplus seller from Greece..😁
So in discussion I asked about S & W grips
parts and items..😉
He mentioned he had a buncha surplus grips.
Some webley type ones and some S&W ones too...
So we chatted about his stash of grip stuff.
I sent 100.00 + 18 or so shipping for what looked like a N diamond target type(s) set. Not really sure I might not receive anything.
Yesterday that Greek pkg arrived😀
That guy also sent ..along with a decent old
N diamond target set..a buncha other ones
a set of 20ish gold medallion K frame type.
A set of k diamond k magna types..2 sets of
surplus 1917 wood service grips..Another
N frame later target ones w a chipped ear on one side..
All of this cosmoline covered group is now soaking in mineral spirits to degrease all of'em.
To say I was happy is an understatement.
I bring this experience up to ask about your stories on your searching these days.?
I wanna hear about your luck on the search
for Smith treasures youve had😁
Im not asking for your sources..just you luck
searching.
Please chime in if you will😁
Best Randy..
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04-13-2021, 10:58 PM
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Although it wasn't a search a such but it was some very good luck. The first 5 screw Smith I bought was a nice 3.5" pre 27 in a shop about 75 miles from my home. It had aftermarket grips on it but the price was good so I bought it anyway. I mentioned the correct grips would be nice and the shop guy says the guy who traded it in might have them. He gives him a call and catches him at home and yes he does have them but he's 20 miles north of town. Well thats the way I'm going, we meet a gas station and he hands me the near mint serial numbered grips! I'm not normally lucky but that was an exception.
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04-13-2021, 11:01 PM
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I always asked at any LGS (wherever I was ) if they had any used grips for S&W or Colts. One time (10 years ago in Md.) the fellow sent "the kid" to fetch a couple boxes out of the back. Whoeeeee !.... Lots of factory "take offs" for both. I started going through about 100 pairs and picked out 32 factory pairs. They were all in excellent condition with the screws We hadn't discussed any pricing before hand or while I was going through them. "Sooooo.... what do you want for these"? I say to him from across the room. "How many you got"? he asks me without even looking up from the paperback he was reading. "32" says I.... "$320" says he. "Visa OK"? says I. "Sure" says he, followed by "Ring 'em up kid".
N K J target and magnas plus a couple Colt Python target and service ....
We all know THOSE days are over !!
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Last edited by bigmtnman; 04-13-2021 at 11:03 PM.
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04-14-2021, 08:56 AM
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Lately I’ve been trying to establish a small stash of key parts for nine millimeter 1st through 3rd Generation semiautomatic pistols. A year ago I had pretty good luck on normal auction sites buying “parts kits” from gun takedown specialists. I had discovered this strategy earlier for revolvers. It seems now that I’ll have to look farther afield because so many other folks have discovered the parts kits. The current market situation is affecting guns and ammo, but it also has driven gun parts and reloading components higher as well.
Froggie
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05-10-2021, 04:32 PM
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Model 1950 Diamond Magna Grips
Maybe just the guy to help me find a set of standard model 1950 diamond magna grips? I crafted a new set of walnut target grips to better fit my hand and cleverly “misplaced” (OK, I lost ‘em) the originals.
Any help finding a replacement set would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jaguarman
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05-10-2021, 09:02 PM
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Parts piles have been fun to buy when I recognize special parts. I bought a group once to get the Triple Lock yoke that was present. Bought a group of barrels because one was for a Registered Magnum. Ended up sending that barrel to the current owner of the matching RM. Another time I bought a pre-18 barrel because it was wearing a King ramped front sight base and blade that was originally intended for a RM.
The search is most of the fun.
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05-11-2021, 04:01 AM
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I have been acquiring parts for the past few years as I like to piddle and fix some Smiths when I have time, I learned at a young age about the mechanics of them from my late grandfather. I have always dabbled in grips and parts but got fairly serious a few years ago when things started getting harder to find and prices started getting high on grips. I have learned that old 5 screws have really great factory actions but when they wear out require more parts to get them back "right" than the more of a drop in pets replacement of the later 3 screw guns. Some items have been quite the challenge to find. Just a few months ago I was lucky enough to buy several Kennedy boxes full of tools from a local gunsmith that I had know for years and they contained some parts foe many makes and models of guns.
This is a cheap wooden box that I shot a quick video of and screen shot a few drawers in it. Sometimes I'm not able to afford Smiths these days as the prices seem a little high or I'm getting like my Grandfather and can remember when "we used to buy those for $200 no way I'm giving $800 for it" type of an attitude.
I have also met some very nice guys over the years looking for that certain hard to find piece that I may have and have done some trading or selling to help them out and also bought some stuff from members here.
I'm still in need of the elusive hammer and trigger from a non reg mag that I own.
Last edited by JOliver; 05-11-2021 at 04:04 AM.
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05-11-2021, 05:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LLOYD17
…Bought a group of barrels because one was for a Registered Magnum…
The search is most of the fun...
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How does one identify a Registered Magnum by the barrel alone?
Yes, the search is nearly as exciting as the find!
Kevin
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Last edited by StrawHat; 05-11-2021 at 05:12 AM.
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05-11-2021, 12:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StrawHat
How does one identify a Registered Magnum by the barrel alone?
Yes, the search is nearly as exciting as the find!
Kevin
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Pre war front sight-set back from the muzzle, serial number inside of the shroud and the .357 marking on the side.
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05-11-2021, 01:48 PM
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Nothing so exotic but I got this Pre Mod 33 for a very good price, but Bubba had gotten to it and bobbed the hammer.
Started with the usual suspects with no luck but those calls did get me some leads to follow up. Following the chain of "No I don't have one, but why don't you call..." led me to a gentleman who said he's check in his garage. After some digging around -Euerka! He had one!
It was a drop in and works better than the one that was in there previous.
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05-11-2021, 02:26 PM
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Good parts for Smiths are hard to find these days. I have found that an excellent source for quality parts has always been the S&WCA Symposium. This year the Symposium will be held in Tulsa, OK from September 29 through October 3.
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05-11-2021, 02:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Muley Gil
Pre war front sight-set back from the muzzle, serial number inside of the shroud and the .357 marking on the side.
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The setback of the front sight sounds like the tip off. I am used to caliber markings on the side and serial numbers in the extractor cut.
Are the ramp and sight setback or just the sight in the ramp?
Kevin
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05-11-2021, 03:42 PM
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A few years ago I found a Triple Lock barrel on eBay. I was very surprised that there were only a couple of bids and I bought it at a very low price. My thinking was that Triple Lock parts aren’t that easily found. About a year later I bought a Triple Lock with a cut barrel for a relatively attractive price. Once again Andy Horvath put the two together and now it’s a wonderful shooter.
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05-11-2021, 05:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StrawHat
The setback of the front sight sounds like the tip off. I am used to caliber markings on the side and serial numbers in the extractor cut.
Are the ramp and sight setback or just the sight in the ramp?
Kevin
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The rib stops short of the muzzle.
Here is a thread with pictures:
Pre-War 357 Magnum Appreciation Thread
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05-11-2021, 05:22 PM
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I’ve been buying and shooting S&W model 1917 revolvers for 62 years now (bought first one in 1959). Parts used to be easy to find, but after the importation in the mid 1980s of a large group of Brazilian contract guns, many of which needed “fixin”, parts are now hard to find. The problem is that when I buy a beat 1917 for parts, I always seem to end up fixing it up to be shootable, so I have to look for another one to use as a parts gun.
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05-11-2021, 06:20 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StrawHat
The setback of the front sight sounds like the tip off. I am used to caliber markings on the side and serial numbers in the extractor cut.
Are the ramp and sight setback or just the sight in the ramp?
Kevin
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The sight base itself is also very different than post war sight bases so the pre-war style can be recognized at a glance of a small thumbnail image while scrolling. That’s how I found the Pre-18 barrel wearing a King RM ramp base.
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05-11-2021, 06:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Muley Gil
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Worth a thousand words!
Thanks.
Kevin
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