Thanks for the info guys. I was mainly bragging about my favorite target gun and the custom grips and ammo pouch I made. A lot of the discussion on the presence of the lanyard ring was covered in a 12/21/14 Model 1950 thread by DrDan314. The consensus was it is indeed a target model. The lanyard hole is smooth, no threads and with an adjacent pin tunnel. The hole is in a large space between the "S" and the numerals, suggesting the hole was tapped before the s/n was struck. This exact layout was confirmed on a 1953 Model 1950 .44spl which came from the factory with the lanyard ring as documented in a S&W letter. So even though some literature says the factory ring was discontinued after 1950, we know it was still alive and well.
The real question is whether it is a "military" model. The family story is that it was issued to an Army officer in Korea who brought it back. I guess the only way to determine for sure is to spring for a S&W factory letter. In any case, I'm just happy I was the recipient.