The ejector itself is blue but, of course, the push rod for the ejector is nickel. Just like the other member's nickel one. No "N" under the ejector though. Trigger spring is blue along with the trigger itself, etc. just like his.
S&W K22 17-3 in nickel. Help! needed.
- Thread starter BigG-n-Tn
- Start date
Nframe_is_no1
Member
Remove the grips. There should be an N on the grip frame under the grips. If there isn't, then it's a refinish.
I'm going to flip a $50 coin and let S&W tell me for sure. That removes all doubt. All of the screws and pins are flawless without any marks. I need something other than an "N" to convince me. I want to know for sure beyond any doubt.
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K-22 masterpiece nickel
I bought a K-22 masterpiece for $98.00 when I was 12 years old, 50 years later I still have the pistol. I is a nickel K-22 and It came in a silver box which I no longer have. I went to Jinks a few years ago and discovered
.
gun shipped from factory on 16 july 1952
serial # K150xxx, shipped to J.L. Galif & Son NYC NY a firearms dealer
1 of 25 K-22s blue, 6"BARREL AND walnut magna grips
.
nickel was not original and was completed after it left the factory
Galif must have had it plated and had silver boxes made
gnpittsburgh
I bought a K-22 masterpiece for $98.00 when I was 12 years old, 50 years later I still have the pistol. I is a nickel K-22 and It came in a silver box which I no longer have. I went to Jinks a few years ago and discovered
.
gun shipped from factory on 16 july 1952
serial # K150xxx, shipped to J.L. Galif & Son NYC NY a firearms dealer
1 of 25 K-22s blue, 6"BARREL AND walnut magna grips
.
nickel was not original and was completed after it left the factory
Galif must have had it plated and had silver boxes made
gnpittsburgh
YeshuaIsa53
Member
Say a salesman asked for one made in nickel. If it was "destined to be blue and turned into a nickel gun" as you said, wouldn't it be possible it got stamped as a refinished gun? How would a salesman's gun show on an invoice? If he were to pick out a gun at the factory already blued and ask for modifications, would the shipping date and other information show it as such? Have there been those in the past shown as such?
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
They would not refinish a complete gun. They would make one in nickel on special order.
I note the OP didn't come back. I wonder if he lettered that 17?
I note the OP didn't come back. I wonder if he lettered that 17?
YeshuaIsa53
Member
I would still be interested if invoices in the past from Roy state "salesman sample"?
I just sent him an email to inquire as I found one a few hours ago.....no box....yet.
If I'm reading the book right, it should be made in about 1975.
Interesting I bought a 17-3 8K Serial Number Range Today, It also is Stamped MCD 17-3 like this 8 3/8th gun was, is it possible it was a special order? It is Not Stamped MOD, Clearly MCD & All Lettering is Perfectly Crisp , Pins Are Not Knocked Down Or Buffed. The 17 I picked up today is nickel , 6" barrel, pinned , recessed cylinder, Case hardened hammer & trigger, Black Adjustable Rear Site, Ejector Star Is Blue, The Serial Number Is On Cylinder, There Is No "n" on cylinder. I have not removed grips yet, i own over 150 smith and wessons and this guns finish is identical to many of my other nickel smiths. Is it possible it was special ordered in nickel, or sent back to the factory for nickel finish. I Paid Good Money Because The Gun Is Beautiful So Either Way Im Happy.
Sorry to say, your mistaken. I have and sold a number of Smiths that started out blue. Employees wanted nickel and a blued gun would be pulled and nickel finished. I have a Md 53-2 in nickel, letters as blue with RN on frame. I had two Md 27's with 8 3/8" barrels, both were blue and are now nickel. Both pulled from stock and replated. I live near the plant and have know a large number of employees. The stories they have, or had, could fill a book.
Model19man
Member
Unfortately, the pistol was stolen before I could apply for the letter. It's taken me a long time to even talk about guns since the theft of several so I don't want to get into the story but now you know why I never updated this thread with the results.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Club Gun Fan- Well, that strikes me a stupid way of doing it. Much cheaper and easier to build a new one. But if they want to do it the stupid way, that's up to them. Like I keep saying, I am no expert. I just apply common sense and sometimes that doesn't work when they prefer doing it a stupid way.
Yes, they would refinish a complete gun. My BIL has a nickel 17 with RR front sight. It was blue with patridge front sight. He sent back to Smith in the early 80's and they changed it for him.
I have a nickel mdl. 18 that was given the same treatment by Smith abouth the same time..........So.......It did happen. At least back then.
Many blued guns were refinished in nickel. I have a friend who used to have it done regularly back in the late sixties and early seventies. He was particularly fond of nickel guns and if he could not find a nickel gun in the model he wanted, he bought a blued one and sent it back for refinish ("change of finish" was S&W's term) in nickel, along with his "trademark" preferred yellow-ramp front sight. There were a few models that S&W would not offer a change of finish on. The Model 28 comes to mind, but I can't recall the others. May have been the various aluminum-framed models.
I'd think it hard to classify S&W's methods of producing special items as "stupid." Without knowing all of the intricacies of their process, how would anyone know? I would bet that however they did it, they had good reasons for doing it that way, and it was the least costly way for them. When one alters an established manufacturing process it is not unusual to find that what might seem obvious frequently works out to be a great deal less than as simple as one thinks. I'm sure they did it often enough to know what they were doing.
I'd think it hard to classify S&W's methods of producing special items as "stupid." Without knowing all of the intricacies of their process, how would anyone know? I would bet that however they did it, they had good reasons for doing it that way, and it was the least costly way for them. When one alters an established manufacturing process it is not unusual to find that what might seem obvious frequently works out to be a great deal less than as simple as one thinks. I'm sure they did it often enough to know what they were doing.
In 1974 while stationed at Ft Polk, LA I sent a 6" blue 17-3 to Tampa, Fl to the S&W regional repair facility. I got back an 8 3/8 nickel 17-3. The gun is long gone so maybe it's the one you have.
A letter will tell for sure. By the way if your's is a re-finish by S&W it will have this stamp on the grip frame along with the date of re-work the R-N indicates a refinish in NickelChuck
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I'm not talking about having a gun refinished in nickel. Of course that happens all the time. I am talking about S&W shipping a new gun in nickel by taking a blued gun and stripping it of blue and then plating it. I'm told they do that. Sounds like the stupid way of doing things to me. Wouldn't it be much faster/easier/cheaper to simply plate a new gun?
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Saxon Pig
What makes you think it's "stupid". Have you ever worked in a factory, or a firearms factory? From you "stupid" comments, I think not. When Smith & Wesson tools up, a factory term, to run J frames, they run J frames until the order is complete. That may take a week or more.
The next frame to be run maybe N frames. If someone wants a KT 38 in nickel and there are only blue in the vault, guess what, one is removed from inventory. It goes to OSR, another factory term, and completely disassembled. It is then taken to the plating room where it is stripped and waits for a batch of J frames to be plated. Once it is plated, it goes back to OSR where it is reassembled and sold. This whole process in man-hours may take 3 hours. So instead or breaking down and retooling to run one revolver, it's done by hand and doesn't interfere with production, another factory term. Sorry for my "stupid answer. If you have a better way, let me know. I will put you in touch with Production at Smith & Wesson, they'd love to hear from an "expert planner".
You might want to work thru a real machine shop first
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