I'm posting to see if anyone has any explanation for what happened to this 2" 64-4.

As you can see from the attached photos, in the area of the frame where the yoke closes, the edges toward the cylinder and toward the ejector rod have been filed away, ah...rather casually. The yoke itself has no file marks. Looking at the dot-matrix numbering on the yoke, I'm wondering if perhaps it is not original to the gun. Maybe it was fitted by some amateur gunjones? I'm totally guessing here because I have no idea.

The gun has no other obvious defects and fires flawlessly. And, I already bought it anyway -- it's a 2" 64-4, what's not to like? -- so no matter what issues it may have, it's mine now. I'm just wondering why anyone would do something like this.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Whisper

Attached Images

	IMG_8821.jpg (80.9 KB, 475 views)
	IMG_8823.jpg (86.2 KB, 413 views)

Possibly the yoke was bent from flipping open the cylinder and wouldn't close properly so the frame was filed to bring the yoke further inward.

My vote as well. Butch attempt at fixing "movie gun syndrome".

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Dave Brown
SWCA #3279

After they are fitted to the frame all S&W hand ejector side plates and yokes are marked with the frame's assembly number. If 600 is on the left side of the grip frame then that is the original yoke.

I'm not claiming to know for sure but I can not add another vote for this explanation.
The only portion of the yoke that is easily bent is the thin tube that the cylinder slips onto. If its yoke had S&W's normal close fit to the frame when it left S&W then filing there would not move the yoke significantly closer in.

My vote or actually my guess goes to an owner beat on that edge then filed off metal that he had moved into the yoke cut out obstructing the yoke. That makes the question why would someone beat on that edge?

Sorry to see that!

On photo #1, is that a crack at the top of the photo or a hair/ imperfection in the photo?

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

I also have a 2" M-64-4 (factory bobbed hammer) & the serial number CCH9xxx is stamped above the model # the part number stamped on the crane is the same format as all the other numbers.

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Looking at photo#1, it appears that the 4 in 64-4 has been put on after the marks were made. As if the marks were made before the model number was stamped. Anybody else see this?
Maybe I am just seeing things.

I don't think those are file marks. They look like angle grinder marks to me. That 2nd "4" does look odd, but the font looks very much like the previous "4". Looks like a factory Bubba job to me.

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NRA Benefactor

My guess is that was some hand fitting at the factory. It's an interior surface that doesn't show. And as Jinx and Tyrod wrote above, it looks like the work was done before the serial number was stamped. If we had a photo of the yoke to frame closure and it looked like a good fit, I'd be more confident in my estimation.

Thanks for the comments.

I thought of that, but the yoke shows no other signs of damage and has a close and even fit to the frame.

Interesting point, and I did not know that. The left side of the grip frame bears the S stamp for stainless, as well as the additional lettering C25, F36, and 5883X. There's not another 600 mark on the gun except on the yoke. Serial number is BEK8---.

It's a hair. No cracks anywhere on the frame or yoke.

The 4 does appear to be struck more deeply than the 64.

Thanks for the ideas. The idea of a replacement yoke does seem plausible. And, although it's unfortunate that this was done to the gun, it looks fine with the cylinder closed and fires without problems. So I will keep it and love it like it deserves.

Cheers,
Whisper

40 years ago the "bench guy" would have dressed it up. Now, the current guy wanted to "clear the ticket." joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

Congrats anyway! I love my 64-2 snubbie!

Since the yoke's assembly number does not match the frame's 5883X the yoke was replaced. Based on that here's one last guess. Something bad happened to the original yoke. Maybe it was lost. Maybe its tube was bent and the owner did not have the tools or know how to straighten it. S&W yokes, side plates and cylinders are not intended to be drop in parts, not even between revolvers with consecutive serial numbers. Perhaps the file strokes were enough to make a replacement yoke drop in and the dash 4 was over stamped. The dash 4 looks almost the same but it is taller than the 4 in the Model number. That's my best guess.

Regardless, it is only a cosmetic issue in a spot that does not show. I'll bet it is one of the easier snub noses to shoot accurately.

If the yoke is a replacement, then my guess would be that what you see is the result of the same incident that caused the yoke to need replacing. Possibly the last 4 was weak after the incident and S&W overstamped it for clarity when replacing the yoke.

Bubba has struck again!

My guess was a amateur barrel change warping the frame. The filing probably was done to get the crane to fit the warped frame. Is this a square but snub?

If it shoots good you're just fine.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Round butt.

It shoots great. These file marks, only visible when you open the cylinder, are the only flaws on the gun aside from the usual handling marks of being 30+ years old.

Like I wrote earlier, I'm happy with the gun. Just wonder why someone took a file to it.

Cheers,
Whisper

Why God why.

It's not like stones, sandpaper, and Scotch-Brite pads are expensive. It literally takes less time to clean up file marks than it took to make them in the first place.

And is the leading edge of that crane peened slightly?

Wow, whatever happened to it, it's says volumes about the bubba that did the work.

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Dave