Here is a .44 HE Fourth Model of 1950 Target (also referred to as a pre 24) with a barrel length of 4”. This gun shipped to Olympic Wholesale in Los Angeles, CA in January 1955. The letter from Roy Jinks states it was equipped with the red ramp front sight, and the “bright blue finish”.

The letter also states the 1950 Target Model was only catalogued as being manufactured in blue with the 6½” barrel, however S&W did make limited quantities in 4”, 5” and 5½”. It is mentioned in SCSW that the 4” version is “scarce”.

Wow Tom... not sure what else to say other than... wow.

__________________
Kevin Cowherd
SWCA #2271

Now that is a fine looking six-gun! Thank's for shareing.

__________________
Stay safe people!

A beauty! Congratulations on that one.

So now even the guns are leaving California for Arizona? Sigh.

__________________
David Wilson

Man that is Awesome! I am filled with envy.

Tom,

you amaze me with every post. Thanks for sharing this beauty

Dan

I can say with complete confidence...we hate you. Let me guess, Lee found it in his basement? Nice gun, nice wood, nice box. I've got an identical box I bought about 8 or 9 years ago from Dewey. My 6 1/2 nickel 1950 lives in it these days.

I'm starting to think 1950 Targets are a lot like k22 2nds. They didn't make many of them, but S&W forum members own every one of them ever produced! Lee has sold 2 of them like yours already this year.

__________________
Dick Burg

tom, if i ever saw that one before i don't remember it. i second the WOW. thanks for sharing. lee

Really nice,Tom. Pete in CA

__________________
NRA LIFE 1974

Gee Tom, that'd look nice between a particular pre-21 and prewar 44 Target. Nice, very nice, as always!

__________________
Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

Sir.
Very nice .44 Special. Looks very well maintained. Mine did not look that good last century.
I thought everyone in ARIZONA had one of these. Then I find out they are scarse.
Mine has had some time in the holster. Someone should identify collectible guns well before they become collectible. It would keep them from being used up. This one has years in a holster and half a career of use.




It has always been a comfortable gun. Can't say what it looked like new, was used when I found it. It was not expensive, who would want a .44 Special when the .44 Magnum was such a movie star.
Bill@Yuma

Tom,

That .44 is about as good as a gun gets in my book, ... absolutely beautiful! I'm not sure a gun that pristine would be safe with me. Most of my guns look more like Bill's - and they get shot regularly.

Thanks Much for the Post & Pics,

Jerry

Tom...nice seeing you in Tucson. Great 1950 Target 44 you have. I have its near twin that was shipped in March 1955.

Bill

Very, Very Nice. I have had one for a few years and just sent off to Roy for a letter on it. Wish I had the box and all with it.

Tom

Very ,VERY Nice. Thanks for sharing.

Tom:

Just beautiful! It would have been nice to have seen a few of your beauty's in person in Tucson. It was great to meet you there.

Thanks for sharing.

__________________
Richard
Engraved S&W fan

That is so cool I really would like to have that.

__________________
Always Stay Strong!

hi
nice gun, all the 4 inch targets were shipprd in 6 1/2 inch boxes because of the target grips.
I have two one just like yours shipped in dec 1955 and one that shipped with Magna's also in dec 1955.
Jim Fisher.

So very sweet! Thanks for the pics.

__________________
Smells like victory...

Skeeter would have liked that one.

__________________
beaver

Wow. That's a beauty! Haven't seen any myself with smooth targets on one of this vintage. A rare treasure indeed.

Here is mine, enjoying retirement in Texas:

Rookie asking, what does the 'HE' designation indicate?

Thanks,

salty

salty, it means "Hand Ejector".

As to the gun, not much can be added. Surely one of the best of the pre-Models. Only thing better would be a 5".

Dave

__________________
RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Got it. Thanks.

sd.

A very nice discovery indeed.
Box and all plus the cool historical feedback from S&W.
I remember these S&W revolvers before the collector craze
Adam

Tom,
Another beautiful gun from your stores of beautiful guns! This one is fabulous and especially love the grips. Matching box makes it the complete package. Thanks for sharing it!
Bill

__________________
38-44heavyduty.com

That is a beauty. I have never even seen a 4" pre 24 in person.

__________________
Ken

Not often do I get truly envious over a gun but a 4" 1950 will do it.

I am so ashamed...

Fantastic gun. Thanks for sharing and giving me a new screen back ground.

Dave,
If Tom will allow me this one little highjack of his thread...

I really need a 4" 1950 HE 4th Change in the remuda...
But for now I guess this ol' 5" pre-model number 44 Special will just have to do.
S978XX - Shipped 12-18-52 as a 5 inch w/ blue finish - engraved by Jim Russell - Harlington, Tex.



Su Amigo,
Dave

__________________
"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Looks all scratched up to me.

__________________
Dick Burg

Yeah Dick,
She just about all used up,



Su Amigo,
Dave

__________________
"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Some ole hillbilly taught the technique of skittering a handgun across a concrete parking lot. If you do it just right, it kind of spins as it goes. Makes all kinds of curlycue shaped scratches. It takes some time because you've got to toss it any number of times, on both sides. I've heard you can do it on a big flat rock in a stream bed, but its got to be done at the dry time of the year. I even heard a while back some good ole boy caught someone doin' that with his favorite gun. He up and kilt the fool, put him in his grave, and ever since folks spinin' guns on pavement have been called "en-grave'ers". Cause anyone up and catches you, they'll put you in your grave.

__________________
Dick Burg

CLASSIC BURG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Many thanks Dick.

medxam

__________________
Doc Garrett
Dead Man's Doctor

Nah, Dick the best and quickest way is to stick one in your beltline and then lose it at 125+ on a motorcycle. I did that with a brand new nickel 57-2 4 inch and it engraved it nicely. But to be truthful it should have had several more passes for full coverage.

BR

That's how they came up with "A", "B", and "C" coverage.

__________________
Dick Burg

hi
I guess I will have to add to this thread.
Below is the factory letter and the picture of the only
bright Blue 5 Inch Target That letters that way in all my years of collecting. it is in my collection.
Shipped in 1955 and is all orginal in 98% condition.
Enjoy the pictures.
jim

That's a rare piece in top condition. I definately like that.

My 5 inch 1950 Target has the bright blue finish, too. I lettered it in 1996, but Roy's letter doesn't indicate what the finish was when it left the factory, just that it was shipped in February, 1952 to the Salt Lake Hardware Co. in SLC, UT and that the 5 inch barrel is original.

I wonder if a new letter would have any more information, such as the stocks and sights.

I haven't lettered my 4 incher yet. It came to me with smooth rosewood target stocks.

I gotta get a camera...

hi
buff
are you sure the finish is orginal the Bright blue finish was not a option
until the late 54 55 time frame.
It would have to be a special order in that time frame. or else the ship date is wrong what is the serial number.
jim

Jim, back on the first page its stated the gun was a 1955 ship date, with an S143,000 serial. I have a nickel one with an S103,000s serial. My impression (may be wrong) is that both bright blue and nickel were made available at the same time.

__________________
Dick Burg

Jim:

The letter says it is a special order. I would guess that most 5 inchers were special orders. Original finish? I don't have the box, the letter didn't say, but it doesn't look refinished to me.

"... your handgun, with serial number S86130, was shipped from our factory on February 25, 1952, and delivered to Salt Lake Hardware Co., Salt Lake City, Utah. This revolver was a special order and was produced with a five inch barrel. The factory record do not indicate how many five inch handguns of this model were manufactured."

When is your letter dated?

My 4 incher is a bit newer, S118324. It is bright blue, as are all of the other original 4 inchers I have seen photos of.

Were all 4 inch 1950 Targets bright blue?

I just noticed that my 4 incher is only 3 numbers from Tom/230grfmj's. I wonder if mine was part of the same order? It's rr/wo, too.

Buff, I currently own Tom's gun. As stated in the letter, it was shipped January 26, 1955 to Olympic Wholesale Co. When was yours shipped?

A number of years ago, I owned S118311 which was of the same configuration. I have also seen 4" guns that were standard blue.

__________________
Dick

I haven't lettered mine. I will have to.

What date do you have for your S103000 gun? My 4" pinto with a serial number of S98034 letters as being shipped November 10, 1954.

__________________
Dick

Hi Buff and dick King
My letter is dated 2006.
I have owned 4 5 inch model 24,s over the years and I own two now
one of mine is bright and one was shipped with standard finish and is now engraved.
the other two that I owned were both standard finish.
all have been in the 140xxx to 150xxx range.
Buff your gun is the earliest serial number I have seen.
you need to get a ship date.
as dick king said they were 4 inch with standard finish.
I have two four inch and both are like toms gun and both were shipped in dec of 1955 with bright blue finish, I think all the 4 inch in this same range were all shipped in 1955.
I hope this helps.
serial numbers of 4 inch S107879 and S120190 both dec 1955
serial numbers of 5 inch s161292 shipped 11/18/1955
and s146573 shipped 6/27/1955

You guys with 5" Model 1950 44 Targets are killing me. I had to buy a cut down M24-3 to get a 5" and it pales in comparison to the ones shown here.

Apologies for getting off track from the original thread,
Dave

__________________
RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

"Buff your gun is the earliest serial number I have seen.
you need to get a ship date."

You must have missed it. My 5 inch ( S86130 ) letters as having been shipped February 25, 1952, to Salt Lake Hardware in Salt Lake City, UT. I bought it from Jim Supica's Old Town Station in Lenexa, Kansas in 1996. He had it pictured in his sort-of-monthly catalog.

I haven't lettered my 4 inch yet.

I bought my 4 inch 1950 from a retired gentleman in Florida in 2002. He had advertised it in ShotGun News. Usually, all the good stuff in ShotGun News was sold by the time I got my issue, but I thought I would take a chance and called him. He said he had bought the gun new when he lived in Pennsylvania and had hunted deer with it. He had listed the assembly number in the yoke cutout as the serial number, and when I suggested to him that it might not be, he cut me off and told me that all sorts of young whippersnappers had called him, told him he was wrong about the serial number and then tried to buy it from him cheap. I could picture him staring defiantly into the phone as he talked. He knew what he knew, and that was that, and I could take it or leave it.

The price was fair if the gun was correct, but not so fair if the gun was something other than he said it was. So, I bought it. The target stocks covered the s/n on the bottom of the grip frame, and the assembly number turned out to be just that, an assembly number, not the serial number. The gun is lovely. I was and am still pretty happy with it. It is and was my grail gun.

DaveT:

Don't sweat your 1950 being a 24-3. They are pretty sweet guns themselves. And you can shoot it all you want! I was tickled pink when S&W started making them, as the original 5,050 1950 Target .44 Specials made between 1950 and 1966 didn't go too far, and I figured I'd be unlikely to ever find one of them aound here. Who new that Al Gore was about to invent the internet and make finding rare guns so much easier!