I have no doubt it was a pre-17 cut down before the Combat Masterpiece was readily available negating the need for such surgery (you know I want to say butchery but I'm trying to be nice). I wonder why 3.75"? A 4" tube would have made more sense. A 5" barrel would have been more interesting.

I think it unlikely (but not impossible) S&W did the work. Date stamp for service work present? That's always the story from sellers. Much more likely the original owner had it cut down by a smith and the 90 year old thinks he bought it new. Many, many times new members post on the forum that they swear they bought a gun new in XXXX year but the serial is from several years earlier or later. Memories get faulty over time. I can understand a 90 year old not recalling the details of this acquisition completely correctly.

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