1905 -Shoulder stock? Or Bubba's work?

[thadheth]

This 1905 has an odd cut in the backstrap. The machining was either poorly done, or it has been gouged over time (however, if gouged, I would expect the stocks to show some damage along the edges). Any idea what this might have been designed for? Shoulder stock of some type?
Thank you in advance.

 

[Arik]

Someone tried to make a square butt out of a round one

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Looks like a rebated backstrap on the .32 & .38 Regulation Police. Perhaps someone wanted an extension, round to square conversion grip like the RPs.

 

[thadheth]

Thank you Arik and Wiregrassguy...... your explanations certainly seem plausible. Nice revolver - too bad it got butchered. Thanks again.

 

[Lee Barner]

judging by the marks it was not machined, it was done with a ******* file and not properly finished by a finer cut file. nice gun. shoot it. lee

 

[Wiregrassguy]

it was done with a ******* file

I thought maybe a bench grinder.

 

[SAFireman]

judging by the marks it was not machined, it was done with a ******* file and not properly finished by a finer cut file. nice gun. shoot it. lee

I thought maybe a bench grinder.

Either option = Bubba

 

[gmborkovic]

Is it not amazing what some people do to a nice gun. Files should be registered.

 

[DCWilson]

Do those stocks number to the gun? Is there a screw in the frame directly in front of the trigger guard? Does the trigger return mechanism use the slide plus small internal coil spring mechanism or the leaf spring/rocker assembly that preceded it? If you could tell us the serial number (or all but the last two digits, if you prefer), that would help us date it more precisely. Right now all we can say from what we see is "Before 1922".

I ask because this might be a Model 1902 first change. (Even with a serial number in the 1905 range, some would call it a 1902 under any circumstances because of the round butt.)

 

[thadheth]

Do those stocks number to the gun? Is there a screw in the frame directly in front of the trigger guard? Does the trigger return mechanism use the slide plus small internal coil spring mechanism or the leaf spring/rocker assembly that preceded it? If you could tell us the serial number (or all but the last two digits, if you prefer), that would help us date it more precisely. Right now all we can say from what we see is "Before 1922".

I ask because this might be a Model 1902 first change. (Even with a serial number in the 1905 range, some would call it a 1902 under any circumstances because of the round butt.)

There is no discernible serial number on the stocks.
Serial numbers match on barrel, cylinder, extractor, frame.
Yes, the front screw is there.
I haven't opened the side plate to check the trigger return mechanism (necessary to do that?).
The Serial Number is 353666. (I was guessing 1921 or 1922).
A couple of additional photos...

 

[DCWilson]

Thank you. No need to check on the trigger return mechanism; it is necessarily the slide with internal coil spring that was adopted in 1906 and is still used.

That serial number says 1920 to me, essentially the same as your estimate. The stocks (dished top service stocks) are from 10-15 years earlier.

 

[DWalt]

On my list is SN 3535xx which shipped in 9/20. At that time, S&W would have advertised it as a Military and Police Model, round butt. Original factory stocks would probably have been black hard rubber. S&W did not use the Model 1905 and Model 1902 terminology that late, and never used the first, second, third, and fourth change terminology. Those "changes" are collector conventions, not S&W.

 

[Hondo44]

That's a shame, otherwise a very nice condition 38 HE.

Someone clearly filed the notch (and didn't know to clean the file between strokes which caused the gouging), and likely either ruined the original grips or made an attempt to attach some other, probably homemade stocks.

Then a subsequent owner attempted to replace with original style rd butt stocks, but with the wrong vintage stocks.

 

[glowe]

Most likely shipped in 1920. The stocks are very nice and quite valuable to an early K frame collector. They would have been issued before 1910 and could be from a Model 1902 originally.

Here is another option. The I frame Regulation Police revolvers had extended stocks and there was a step in the rear of the butt-frame. There were a few early K frame extended stocks that have been attributed to the factory that might have had the same design with a step in the rear of the butt-frame. What is unusual is that the chances that a gunsmith or previous owner having access to a set of those stocks would be nil so why make the modification in the first place? Could this be a quick factory modification to allow a set of extended stocks to be installed for a customer??

Anyway, here is an example of what others have posted. Below are a few pictures of an I frame 32 Regulation Police revolver from a similar era with extended stocks.

 

[thadheth]

Thanks to everyone for the help with this mystery. The depth of knowledge on this Forum and the willingness to share it is terrific and appreciated.

 

[Hondo44]

The factory would not crudely file the rebate, they would have machined it on a milling machine. The notch in the OP's gun is not milled.

The scarce K frame extended stocks did not require a step or rebate of the backstrap. They covered the entire backstrap.

The K targets are almost identical to these I frame targets: