Hey all.

I don’t know much about the gorgeous, and highly sought after, Model 27 with the 3 1/2 inch barrel except that I would LOVE to own one.

I see some of them with very large grips and others with a smaller kinda rounded off grip. I much prefer the smaller grip. The ones that have the big size grips don’t appeal to me nearly as much.
What I’d like to know is if all of them have the same size and shape grip frame where if you found one for a deal that had the large grips you could swap them out for the smaller ones. Did they put the large grips on some and the small grips on others or were there certain years where only large gripped models were made or vice versa?

I hope I explained this well enough for you all to know what I’m asking about. If I need to post pics to show what I’m trying to describe, I’d be glad to.

Thanks everyone.
Larry
Can you clear this up for me?

They all have the same grip frame. The larger grips are called "targets" and the smaller ones "magnas". You can switch the grips. Target grips are seldom numbered with the serial number of the gun. Most guns that came from the factory with magnas had those numbered to the gun. But, you could always just store the original grips as many do. The real early guns had "service" grips that went no higher than the emblem area.
Service

Magna, These are on a smaller K frame. They were made and come on N frames, I just have no pictures of any of my N frames with magnas, as I have huge hands.

Targets


N Frame guns like the model 27 and earlier 357s can also wear the large "coke" grips which are a specific type of the larger targets. Very desirably to the collector types

Mine came with the larger target stocks but I like shooting it with magnas seen here ....

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Pass it on.
Mark

Below pics are Pre 27 with Magna's, 27-2 Blue with smooth Targets, 27-2 Nickle with football Targets, Model 28 with Magna's.

All the stocks interchange on these guns and the fit is very good on all, however the "feel" (in my hands as shooter) is radically different with full load magnums aboard.

With the stocks shown as they came from the factory on these very guns, the Magna's are fine, especially the Model 28 for me, but the Targets give me better control it seems. The smooth stocks on the short barrel do become a "return to point of aim" issue for me after 4 or 5 cylinders of maggies.

With 38 Special in any......no problemo senore!

Attached Images

	Pre 27 a.jpg (34.9 KB, 27 views)
	M27-2 B full size.jpg (51.6 KB, 39 views)
	27-2 N18.jpg (65.1 KB, 30 views)
	Model 28-G.jpg (57.5 KB, 33 views)

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

Thank you all for helping. That’s exactly what I was asking. Glad you all deciphered my ramblings...

I would really like to get a 27 in 3 1/2 inch with the smaller grips and add a nice shiny Tyler’s to it. I think it would make a gorgeous revolver. Heck I think those Tyler’s make any revolver look better.

In the event I can’t find a 27 like I want or the price is just too high, I might just get a 28 in 4 inch. Those look great too but the prices in those are climbing up and up. Millions out there so a good deal might not be that tough to find. Might have to take a 6 or an 8 inch version, if they made one.

Have a good weekend all.
Larry

All the N frame guns can share the same grips (called 'stocks' in S&W parlance). The targets can cost you, to find a nice set of factory ones, but there are many manufacturers of aftermarket stocks that are very nice and not as expensive. The stocks are the least of your worries if you're shopping for a M27 of any dash (engineering series). You mentioned the 3-1/2 inch barrel, which will drive the price up, they are very desirable and bring a premium (20% on all dash models, according to the Standard Catalog). Barrels from 3.5" to 8-3/8" were available, the 3-1/2" and 5" were the original lengths and were d/c'd in 1979. Trigger and hammer widths will vary between models, too, but you take what you can find if the rest of the gun is what you're looking for.

If you can't find a really nice M27, you can get a M28, which is identical except the finish is a matte blue instead of a highly polished blue and there weren't as many options. It's called the 'Highway Patrolman' and was designed to be a less expensive model for law enforcement use. They are becoming more desirable, but can still be had for a little less than an equivalent M27 (barrel length and stocks)

Have you got your eyes on a particular one, or just shopping to see what's out there?

Many of us are big fans of the 3 1/2" model 27

The Magna grips by themselves are too small for my hands. So that is why we have grip adapters. I actually like the feel of the older style target grips

That is why grips are interchangeable, so that we can each fit our own hand and personality. On the 2 1/2" Night Guard revolver, I like the Pachmayr Compac grips the best, but this i a deep concealment firearm

Another interesting issue, the Model 27 which up until 2000 was a traditional 6 shooter, can also be found as an 8 shooter. These four blue steel and two nickel revolvers all carry 8 rounds of 357 Magnum ammunition.

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