A customer just brought a number of Smiths that were his duty weapons as a California police officer. All had the single action notch removed to make them double action only. In order to replace the hammers I need to know what frame was the Mod 145? As far as I can tell it was a special run just for CA officers.

Could the model be a" 14-5 "? I have never heard of a model 145

It is a model 145. I have pictures of the frame. It was made special for CA police. I just need to id the frame size to order replacement hammer. Just cuz you never heard of it does not mean it does not exist.

Mod 145 picture uploaded

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choperro,
does that Mod 145 look like this?
Is it chambered in 38 Special...?
I'm guessing your gun does not have these grips, but that's not an issue, most law enforcement people put their own grips on....



If not, can you post a pic of the gun, it would help us help you....

__________________
.............SmithNut

Post a few pics of the entire gun. People would most likely be able to identify it. I tend to think it is a 14-5, without the dash being stamped. Bob

It's a K frame. Hope this is helpful.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The whole pistol as you requested.

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A few years ago, I purchased a revolver that had been used by a Police Officer in CA and it too had the single action notch removed from the hammer. It was a Model 14 K-frame with a 6" barrel.

Thanks for the picture, and the confirmation that you have a Model 14-5, which is a K frame for reference purposes.

Smith and Wesson is famous for mis-stamped guns, or putting the dash in the wrong place, or - as with your revolver - missing it altogether.

This is a Smith-Wesson forum, and as you should expect, there are many folks here that are dedicated S&W enthusiasts, appreciators, and also collectors... and as been noted, there is no such thing as a Model 145...

Your gun is not only a noteworthy model (as any standard M14-5 is), but if there is any confirmed lineage to a CA police department, that would be a plus. You are looking for a hammer to turn this back to SA/DA, have you given any thought as to the originality?? If it truly was a "special edition" for a CA Police dept, wouldn't you think the double action only feature would benefit the originality??

Not denigrating the owners story, if it was original and could be verified, the gun would sell for more $$ than modifying it to another configuration.

BTW - what California Police Department would that be?? As I recall, as a CA native, there wouldn't be a CA Police department, but specific departments by City... or maybe some things have changed since I left..

Either way, as noted this is a forum for S&W enthusiasts, appreciators and collectors, who have spent lots of years studying these fine firearms, so coming on strong with your below statement is a bit rich, no? After-all, you came here for info and help didn't you??

If you want to stick by your guns and say this is a very special model 145 as per the Police Officer, who wants you to sell it says, then the following statement should be considered....

"Buy the gun, not the story..."

For reference, here is a bit of history on the K38 Masterpiece, or Model 14 as it was also known after 1957.. Pics included..

Informal Pictorial Essay - K-38 Masterpiece (and Model 14) variations

__________________
.............SmithNut

As a follow up, another way to confirm what you have, feel free to call the Smith & Wesson factory and get their input.

Call 800-331-0852, hit the selection for customer service, when you get a live person, give them your revolver's serial number and ask for both the product code and model number, they will be happy to give you that information.

Good luck

__________________
.............SmithNut

That's definitely a Model 14-5. I have one just like it, except mine has normal SA/DA trigger function as it came from the factory.
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Dave Brown
SWCA #3279

I remember the 145..Born right in the middle of the

"Great Dash Famine".. Hope l NEVER suffer thru another..

It's interesting that a department was issuing a six-inch barreled revolver during that period. While I saw a six-inch model 14 in a San Diego cop's holster in 1981 (we were talking guns and he had put new wooden Hogues on it), most ISSUED guns by then were in four-inch. I'd like to know more about this model. If you HAVE to have a DA-only, this looks like a pretty good one to have.

Edit to add: just re-read the OP - not necessarily an issued gun, could be any department that allowed private six-inch barrels as long as they were DA-only.

Thanks for all the input. I will return the hammer to the customer when I replace it for him. If he ever wishes to sell it he will have it. I've asked about what dept. he worked for. I'll update later. Will any K frame hammer work? I have found listed mod 10, mod 10-15-19, and K frame. I have worked on many S&W since my days at Colorado School of Trades in 1976. I had a long time with Numrich Arms also. Just never thought much about the variations of parts within a frame size.

One more question. The mod 36-1 hammer is the hardest to find of the mans collection. Any place come to mind on who might have one?

With proper fitting, any forged K frame hammer should work. The model 14-5 probably had either a .400 or .500" wide spur and any K frame hammer that resembles the one on the gun currently should do the trick.

Posting a Wanted to Buy here may get you a J frame hammer. Hope this is helpful.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Calling the 800 number was no help. Smith has passed off the requests and info to the historical foundation
Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation - Letter Process - Insuring that the rich history of Smith & Wesson will continue for generations to come that first requires a letter of authentification here are the instructions.

• The SWHF has partnered with Smith & Wesson to issue letters of authenticity on S&W firearms. Click on the link provided to access a PDF file of the Letter of Authenticity Request Form. Print the form, complete the information requested, and mail the form with your payment to the address indicated. You will receive your letter via return mail.

Apologize as I should have been a little more clear/precise on what to ask....
If you call and talk to a customer service person, tell them that you "have a serial number and would you kindly tell me the model number for this revolver", or ask them the SKU/Product code, they will usually tell you that information, on rare occasion they just may give you the year/month that it was produced, but you just need to chat them up some. Any other requests about the gun, it's features or history will always get you the above re-directs. I've done this several dozen times over the years, up to about a month ago, so you should be able to get the model number confirmed (Mod 14) and the sku/product code. As was shown above by D Brown, the product code should come back as 100338, which is what your gun will turn out to be.
Sending for a history letter may get you additional information as to where your gun shipped, but if the gun was a personal gun that the officer was authorized to carry, you will likely get the name of the distributor who S&W shipped it to. If you are lucky enough to get more, i.e., a department name, then you would be ahead on the information.

The Model 14 in the -5 engineering change was made from 1991 til 1994 when the -6 engineering change was introduced. The -5 version was purportedly made in a quantity of 2000 revolvers.

Good luck

__________________
.............SmithNut

A K-frame is a K-frame... sort of...

If you end up with an actual M10 hammer, being an M&P, the hammer spur will be the same width as the hammer body, and while it would work, it would look out of place on a target quality gun. Yes you might see M10's with target hammers, but normally that means they were replaced sometime in their life. You would be further ahead with a M15 (or M14), or M19 hammer, but there are several spur widths, so to keep the gun looking original you'd want to have the same width target style that came on it.

Can't help with a J frame hammer, you might want to put a Want to Buy ad on our Classifieds forum, someone might be able to help with that and a K frame hammer as well.

Good luck.

__________________
.............SmithNut

If this forum hasnt ever heard of it, it most certainly does not exist.

Some additional information on My Model 14-5. The Hammer is a Target type, .500" width. The Trigger is the Smooth Combat type, .325" width. This gun is factory original.

I hope this is helpful.

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Dave Brown
SWCA #3279

I finally got a .375 wide hammer for the gun from Numrich. The problem now is the rebound slide won't return without retracting the hammer just a little. I've tried a heavy rebound spring with no change.

The customers 68-2 is the LAPD issue gun stamped on the barrel. The single action notch is very nicely ground off, where as the Mods 36 and 14-5 were crudely done.

choppero,
Please, please, please.... leave the M68-2 as it is, the gun was provided as a DAO model, so modifying it will only decrease it's value. It's nicely done because it is the original configuration as manufactured.......

__________________
.............SmithNut

Solved the problem. Hard stone on the angled edge to allow rebound slide to glide, and Brownell's action lube plus on all surfaces. Then work the hammer until it freed it self.

The customer has the original hammer, and IF he sells it I can return it to as issued condition. His request.

Oh Ya, no original grips. That is probably a price reducer.