Interesting 5" Pre-27 357 Magnum

[RKmesa]

A few weeks ago, I bit on an auction for a "Smith and Wesson model 19, custom 357mag". Looking at photos that were not very clear, the gun was a 5-screw, had 1970's target grips on it, a trigger shoe, a bobbed hammer and a 5" tapered barrel with proud front sight pins (it also shipped with an early 1980's presentation case for a 6" gun that was in need of a refinish and re-flocking). The hammer was not a big deal, as I have other hammers without the bob. I'm a sucker for the proud pinned 357's, so I bid what I thought was a fair price a 5" pre-27.

I ended up winning it for $1K plus taxes and shipping. Subjecting it to the RKmesa initiation (cleaning, light polish, and Ren Wax), I discovered some cool/less-common features:

1. the bobbed hammer looked to be factory (perfect color case, with no signs of cutting).
2. the trigger shoe was one of the nicer ones with the built in trigger stop (I usually remove all trigger shoes, but I think that I will leave this one - for whatever reason it just looks "right" on this gun).
3. the biggest surprise was the U shaped main spring. I have seen this spring on some 44 spls, but I think this is the first time I have seen one on a 357 - I'll have to go back and look at some of the threads on this spring anomaly of the 1950's.

Here are a few quick iPhone photos after I added some late 1950's/early 1960's smooth GA presentation stocks.



















... oh, and by the way, the double action only trigger pull is AMAZING - smooth and clean.

[Edited: Photos of the Internals in post 27 below]

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this gun.

 

[Truckman]

That is a special find, Richard...I would closely investigate the lineage of this one before making any decisions about it...And I am becoming more and more in favor of trigger shoes whenever I find them on a gun...But I have never seen one made with an overtravel stop...that's cool......Ben

 

[two-bit cowboy]

5", DA, 1950s, what could be wrong with that?

Great find, Richard.

Congrats.

 

[Model19man]

I bet all the mods were performed by a gunsmith to make it suitable for some sort of DA competition. It needs a factory letter.

 

[spin132]

I like it Richard! My favorite barrel length on the .357, balance is fantastic. I have many choices to take to the range and the 5" 27 wins more often than not. I have not seen a U-shaped spring before, intriguing. I'm guessing it attaches to hammer in the normal fashion? Since it's not under tension from the strain screw, I wonder how you remove? Took a quick look in the Kuhnhausen Shop Manual and didn't see anything like it.

PS - The stocks look great on it too!

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[quinn]

What, Richard? You bough something that wasn't all scratched up?

 

[sophie]

I like that gun. I’ve never seen that style mainspring before. That trigger shoe is the 2nd one I’ve seen with the trigger stop on it. The 1st one being on a pre Model 27 with 8 3/8” barrel that I believe someone on the forum bought a couple of months ago.

 

[lestert357]

Interesting piece Richard. As you know, that style trigger shoe was attached to my 8-1/2” .357 Transitional…..

 

[Rusty parrot]

Richard,
Congratulations on the new stepchild. The gun appears to be in great shape and I really like your choice of grips.
You gotta get a letter on this one. Curious about the U spring (I’ve only seen the W variety and the red ramp/white outline sights.
Best to you and keep us posted on this one.
Jake

 

[Jack Flash]

Very good find! Amazing that someone thought it was a K-Frame, and a Model 19 at that.

It does cry out for a letter (keeping in mind that it's easy for the Peanut Gallery to spend other people's money!)

 

[H Richard]

Those U shaped springs were factory, experimental. I've seen them mostly in 44's. I believe it was an attempt to make a lighter smoother trigger in double action. Not many were ever produced.

 

[TheTinMan]

Richard - thank you for sharing that intriguing find with us. The potential factory bobbed hammer begs for a letter!

Interesting piece Richard. As you know, that style trigger shoe was attached to my 8-1/2” .357 Transitional…..

Really details on that trigger shoe. Does anyone know who made those?

 

[Jim Watson]

I have seen trigger shoes with simple stop screws but this is a more elaborate device.

Does it have a rebound spring or just the front side of the "U"?
Elmer Keith said he added a clipped rebound spring to his W to speed up trigger return.

 

[Model29-26.5]

It looks amazing. That old bluing that seems silver in some photos.
Great find. I’m all new to this stuff. Bobbed hammer? Hadn’t heard of this until your post.
Now… do I need every model, barrel length and finish again in “bobbed hammer”?

 

[fdover]

Great new stable mate! The bobbed hammer looks factory. The case color is the same on all of the hammer I can see.
Congrats!
Fred

 

[boykinlp]

Those U shaped springs were factory, experimental. I've seen them mostly in 44's. I believe it was an attempt to make a lighter smoother trigger in double action. Not many were ever produced.

I remember reading about those U shaped springs before.

Richard, had you seen the U shaped spring before you bought it, or was it a pleasant surprise?
Larry

 

[RKmesa]

Richard, had you seen the U shaped spring before you bought it, or was it a pleasant surprise?
Larry

Larry:

It was a total surprise when I removed the grips. And a fun one at that, as it makes it a unique entry in my collection of 357 Magnums.

 

[sodacan]

An interesting revolver, no doubt, but to me, a bobbed hammer looks ridiculous.

 

[RKmesa]

What, Richard? You bough something that wasn't all scratched up?

Hey Randy - this is exactly how some of my scratched up guns started (well-used, but no major cosmetic problems)... and I don't have an engraved 5" barreled 357...yet. Now I have more options.

 

[rct269]

WAY BACK when I was a shooter, and thought serious collectors were a bit around the bend, the U mainsprings were a VERY popular accessory buy----and worked like a CHARM!! (It is my very dim, but pretty certain recollection they are, in fact, the mainspring AND the trigger return spring!)

Ralph Tremaine

And now I'm trying to remember if the W springs weren't the same(??). Maybe one of them was, and the other one wasn't?

And guess what?!! At exactly 4:20 A.M. this morning I sat bolt upright in bed to the sound of a voice that said, "There's a Glossary in the Standard Catalog you DUMMY!!"

And guess what else! Neither one of those springs is mentioned!

Now it's a bit later, and I'm going back to bed----sadder but wiser---not much wiser---just sadder.