UPDATE! -- Oddball 38/44

ladder13 · #51 02-18-2010, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hastings

I will confess right up front that I am an idiot, with no experience regarding the finer points of S&W history. Now that I've got that off my chest, does anyone have one, or have pictures of one of the 45colt HD's? I'd love to see one. I'm sure they are priced way, way out of my range, but it would give me something to dream about.

You're not an idiot, just someone who wants to learn more about Smith's, like most here do.

ElToro · #52 02-18-2010, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hastings

I will confess right up front that I am an idiot, with no experience regarding the finer points of S&W history. Now that I've got that off my chest, does anyone have one, or have pictures of one of the 45colt HD's? I'd love to see one. I'm sure they are priced way, way out of my range, but it would give me something to dream about.

i beelive doc44 has one. he has posted about it before and its history. it might be in his photo album

Leland, that is a very cool & rare HD variation and a great find. hopefully a foto will be in SCSW # 4 ?

1Aspenhill · #53 02-18-2010, 04:15 PM

Jim Fisher owns it now and is pictured in his picture album on this site.
Bill

kennyb · #54 02-18-2010, 08:41 PM

yepper...and this is the place to learn....

H P Bushrod · #55 02-18-2010, 10:35 PM

Talk about a rarity! Congrats on your find LelandRay and thanks for sharing the pics. I'll probably never see another .38/44 like that.

shawn mccarver · #56 02-19-2010, 12:18 AM

This is one of the neatest looking and rarest N frames I have ever had the pleasure to see. Thank you for sharing it with us. Good show!

Shawn McCarver
SWCA 765

Jimmymac46 · #57 02-19-2010, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaxonPig

Lowriderfxr- I did not, in fact, have the gun right in front of me. I had a photo of it. I once saw a photo of Bill Clinton talking to a Martian on the cover of a magazine. Does that make it real?

You mean that wasn't a real picture?

Always good to learn more and more about Smith's and their respective variations. Just about the time you think you have got it together, you discover there is more to learn. For the record, my late 30's/early 1931 HD has shroud and round front sight and until now I believed that to be the case with them all!

handejector · #58 02-19-2010, 10:27 PM

I love this board.

I had never heard of these. GOOD for you Leland!

(now, everybody play nice, or no Happy Meals all weekend

)

Buford57 · #59 02-19-2010, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Aspenhill

Frank/SP,
You have a good eye as the barrels were regular HD barrels and they milled the shrouds away. You are not an idiot and please keep asking the questions.
Bill

Thank you for clarifying that. I was wondering whether the factory took that approach, bored a blank from a .44 or .45 HE to .38. or set up a whole new process in hopes the idea would take off.

tommy F · #60 02-21-2010, 10:31 PM

I have S155835 and it is the only other HD I have seen with the ramped front sight. sorry for the fuzzy pic.

lowriderfxr · #61 02-22-2010, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmymac46

You mean that wasn't a real picture?

Always good to learn more and more about Smith's and their respective variations. Just about the time you think you have got it together, you discover there is more to learn. For the record, my late 30's/early 1931 HD has shroud and round front sight and until now I believed that to be the case with them all!

I believe that little green guy was a Presidential advisor. He was off for 8 years when W was in but I understand he is back on the job. Where else do you think all the "out of this world" ideas come from? They are certainly not from this planet!

Art Doc · #62 02-22-2010, 01:23 PM

tommy F- Are you sure that's original?

charlie sherrill · #63 02-22-2010, 09:31 PM

I talked to Leland a few minutes ago. He sent for the letter today. He is going to post a copy here when he receives it.

tommy F · #64 02-23-2010, 08:40 PM

was not sure until seeing another with same contour

LelandRay · #65 02-23-2010, 10:22 PM

Well, the letter, the photos, and the form from S&W have been in the mail for something over 28 hours, and I'm already getting antsy. While I know in general what I'm going to find out, I'm really interested in hearing the specifics on this one.

Good thing I noticed that there might be something unusual; I was thinking about chopping the barrel by an inch and making it into a round butt. (Now I go into the S&W Butcherers Protection Program for that remark.)

LelandRay · #66 02-23-2010, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommy F

was not sure until seeing another with same contour

Your serial number is less than 1,000 below mine, so the guns are about the same age.

BruceHMX · #67 02-23-2010, 10:27 PM

Better yet Leland I know that gun would be a whole lot nicer in 44 Special or 45 Colt. hhhhaaaaahhhhaaaaaaa

Let's send it off to Bowen I bet he would make a good Fitz special out of it any of those calibers......

LelandRay · #68 02-23-2010, 10:30 PM

Let's not and say we did. :-)

Or I could get a Fitz out of my Uncle Mac's Army issued 1917 that he "liberated" when he mustered out in 1945.

ARMinSC · #69 02-23-2010, 10:43 PM

congrats on a nice revo. I think it looks like a fat M&P.

LelandRay · #70 02-23-2010, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ARMinSC

congrats on a nice revo. I think it looks like a fat M&P.

Please be PC when you speak of the "heaviness challenged."

I wonder if they make steroids for guns? Mark McGwire meets Colonel Wesson at Dr. Feelgood's home pharmacy...

rburg · #71 02-23-2010, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hastings

does anyone have one, or have pictures of one of the 45colt HD's? I'd love to see one. I'm sure they are priced way, way out of my range,

No photos. And I have no idea about your finances to know if you could or could not afford one!

The one I saw was at David Carrolls tables a few years back. A well healed Ohio buyer was writing a check for it, right in the $20,000 range. I think that one later moved on to Jim when the Ohio guy had some health problems. It was a very nice gun, in nearly mint condition.

There exist a small universe of odd ball guns. Like the 22 cal RM, or the known Triple Locks in odd calibers. I'm thinking LeLand scored a similar gun. I'd hold off suggesting its worth as much as one of the .45 cal guns. But if I where him, I'd not be selling it anytime soon, either. With rarities, its sometimes better to allow the market to develop. The first offer isn't usually the best one, either. Unless its from someone with money to burn.

ElToro · #72 02-26-2010, 04:56 PM

is it me or is that barrel profile the same as in the SCSW photo of the .30 carbine HD ?

LelandRay · #73 03-22-2010, 04:28 PM

See update in first post.

max · #74 11-17-2012, 10:45 PM

I thought I would bring back this old thread as there are pictures and an article on this gun in the current SWCA Journal.