Here's a few photos of a 100% unfired condition Model 1905 38 Special. I also have it's brother in 32-20 which was purchased new by my great granddad. I take my guns out every now and then to wipe them down with a heavy coat of break-free so disregard the lint/oil swipes. Man I just love to look at these things. Anyway, I hope yall enjoy these photos.

Here's a few photos of a 100% unfired condition Model 1905 38 Special. I also have it's brother in 32-20 which was purchased new by my great granddad. I take my guns out every now and then to wipe them down with a heavy coat of break-free so disregard the lint/oil swipes. Man I just love to look at these things. Anyway, I hope yall enjoy these photos.

WOW, very, very nice!

what is that.. about 1939 or 1940?

thanks for sharing!

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Linda
SWCA #1965, SWHF #245

You have a good eye, per serial it would fall around that time frame.

Thast's special. Do yourself a favor and keep that break-free off of the grips. Over time it will darken and degenerate the wood.
DW

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"NUTS"

That is sweet and look at the hammer and trigger. I'd love to see those case colors in person. Thanks for the photos.

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Pace

Nice guns. Your great grandfather had good taste. I'd wipe them down quite often to enjoy them. Larry

I was basing that on the "patented" stamping on the back of the hammer.

It really is good looking!

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Linda
SWCA #1965, SWHF #245

Wow, what a beauty.
Those LARGE medallion grips are killer. Are they numbered to it?

I'm afraid that "patented" stamp won't help date one much- it is seen from the late 20's on through the 30's. I think wartime speedup is why they dropped it.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Nice looking 1905.

I'd trade you a Glock for it. The Glock has 32 rounds with a clip change.

What! You don't care?

I thought I was being generous offering the Glock for an outdated sixshooter.

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To be a rock and not to roll

Stunning, Smith & Wesson as Art.

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OGCA Member.

I didn't know K frames had large silver medallions like that. I feel unknowledgable (which usually fits me well). I was thinking they were only extant on the N's.
Awesome revolver by the way. You should be very proud. Thanks for sharing.

Roger

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Eph 2:8-9

That's an exquisite example of the classic Double Action revolver, S&W's bread and butter gun for over 100 years.

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John

John

Just so we can have some fun between us, I don't think that model made it for 100 years.
Its a square butt, so its a 1905. I think - meaning I'm not quite sure - that the
square butt was discontinued more than 2 years ago.

What did survive, however, for mor than 100 years is the model of 1902. Those are the
round-butt guns, and they are what is still being made today !

Just for fun, Mike Priwer

Mike, I was referring to the Military & Police Model in general, made since the late 1800's. Fair enough?

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John

BEAUTIFUL. Thanks for sharing.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Auh man-o-man-o-man. I'm nearly speechless and that's hard to do. Put them things in a saftey deposit box in a big bank. Puffffff, Those are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!! The old fellow surely had some insight.

g17, outstanding gun! I am always amazed by gun that survive in like new condition over all the years. Here is another that shipped in 1919 and has managed to avoid even a hint of a turn line. John

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John. SWCA #1586

I'm usually a shooter, but that is just such a great legacy.....wow.

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Always bet on stupidity.

g17, Simply beautiful!

Now, how about some pictures of the 32-20. I just recently aquired my first one and would enjoy seeing more.

John, your gun is a knock-out. What a super package!

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NRA Life
OGCA

Here you go. I took these awhile back and will take a few more when I get a chance. Not nearly the condition of the 38special but still nice.
[img]http://www.****mat.com/sw/sw1.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.****mat.com/sw/sw2.jpg[/img]

John

Fair enough !

Later, Mike Priwer

Here's is my $100 pawn shop find. Serial number is 350xxx. I did not get the original grips. I think I did OK and it shoots just over 1 inch groups at 15 yd s.

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Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!"

Benjamin Franklin

I have a few of them myself





These old guns are GREAT, Later John

npd136, I have some very worn concave grips on the way that I believe would be correct for your pawnshop gun. If you would be interested in them, email me! i love those pawnshop finds!

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Always bet on stupidity.

Here's mine - a 1905 1st change. I had a few extra photos that I posted Here.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Finally took the grips off and the right panel is numbered to the gun.

not to hijack the thread on a very nice revolver, but, Bullseye, whats the deal on that chunk of fire wood you are using for a prop in the 4th pic?

I've had this old gun a long time, but I still like the looks of it.
M 1905, .38 M&P Target.
Shipped in 1911.
Don

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OGCA Life
NRA Life

Thanks for sharing! q17, Wow, a post to drool over. Here's my contribution to the photos with my 1905 M&P circa 1920. Shot it for the first time today and found it still will group around 1.5" at 25 yards from sand bags. Greg

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After you die, who's to blame?

I have a few, but this is probably my favorite. Shipped as a nickle gun in 1920, it has a star on the butt, probably a factory re-nickle.

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John

John,
+1 for the grips and adapter!
Don

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OGCA Life
NRA Life

So that's what they looked like brand new. Wow! What fine revolvers and great photography. Glad to see them. The old M&P is a special favorite Smith & Wesson to me. These photos make a good reference for an interested collector.

Here's a couple out of my bunch of M&Ps. Nothing special like these above though. The top gun was a last minute bargain at the close of the Dallas Market Hall show years ago. Grips are likely too early for a gun with a serial number in the 506,000 range which I'm thinking is from the mid 1920s.

Bottom gun is from circa 1915 with it's 296,000. Found it at an estate. Sure did like Mike's treatment on the round butt 1902 frame that I found here.

BMC

Did you letter the round-butt ? That serial number should be closer to 1919, than 1915.

I assume its a 4" - I can't tell from the picture, but I don't see any patent-date
roll-markings on the side of the barrel. I presume they are on the top ?

I like the GM grips on the round-butt. You don't see them that often. The square-butt
grips are nice, as well, but the square-butt walnut grips were much more common.

Glad you liked the piece.

Regards, Mike Priwer

Thanks, Mike. I've not lettered either of these yet but your estimate intrigues me and makes me want to letter the round butt sooner. Yes, the round butt is a 4-inch with the patent dates on the top of the barrel. I'd assumed that the gun was closer to the advent of the 4th change, perhaps before WWI.

Of all 20th century S&W grip variations the gold medallion grips from between 1910 and 1920 are my very favorites and the round butt variation is especially nice.

I have a round butt 6" 1905 M&P, serial# 284704, shipped in June, 1918.

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John

Mike,
What do you mean by GM grips regarding the roundbutt?
Thanks, Jim

Jim

GM is just a shorthand notation for Gold Medallion.

Usually, the round butt guns were shipped with the black hard-rubber grips.
This gun has the checkered walnut, which were probably special ordered.
As I indicated, they are not rare, but they are seldom seen, making them
scarce. Pearl and ivory were also special-order available, but are seen
much less than the checkered walnut.

John

The 1917 to 1919 period was very out-of-order, due to WW1. My 286xxx is
Sept 0f 1917, and then 291xxx is mid-1919. Because of the war, dates and
serial numbers do not line up, at all.

Later, Mike Priwer

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John

Thanks Mike, makes sense, just didn't last night to me. Without my glasses on I didn't even notice they were GM.

Also, I am really enjoying this thread, lots of great pictures of an American classic. They are all beauties irregardless of condition. Some of the original condition really amaze me, not that thats hard to do.

Jim

John

Two more nice round-butt GM grips makes them just that much less rare !

Its interesting to see the left side of the frame on that nickel gun. The pin above the trigger,
and the one just forward of the frame cutout for the top of the stocks, are showing clearly as
pins. Typically, but not always, when these guns get refinished, those can get filed off flat.
That is always one thing to look for, when examining these guns.

Later, Mike Priwer

Well, I am jealous about all of these nice M1905s and therefore a bit petulant so I am going to spoil the thread with my two uglier M1905s, a Target from about 1937ish and a five incher from about 1919.





I consider the S&W revolvers made before WWII the most interesting revolvers ever made from the technical standpoint alone, not counting their beauty and quality. The hand-fitting and workmanship necessary to produce these handguns is just amazing. There is neither the talent, desire, or money available today to replicate them.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

My most favorite S&Ws are from the inter-war period, and especially those made during the FDR Depression.

Nice guns all.

Going back to g17's original post, I think that gun would date a little earlier than the posted estimates. The small logo on the sideplate points to manufacture in 1936 or earlier, the cylinder-shaped ejector knob suggests 1928 or later, and the large medallion stocks, if original to the gun, suggest 1931 or so. Those stocks are known to exist on K-frames only in the 611xxx-612xxx range, if I recall correctly.

ADDENDUM: I was close but off by a thousand. The correct range seems to be 610xxx to 611xxx (with a few possible outliers).

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David Wilson

David, You are on your game....Very observant! I purchased this gun from the OP last fall. It shipped March 1931.

Pre War Large Medallion K Frame Grips


Chad Gripp