MARBLE ARMS .32 HE Gold Hunting & Target Sight, Sheard's Patent: Production Date ?

dewey · Feb 28, 2011

MARBLE ARMS .32 HE Gold Hunting & Target Sight, Sheard's Patent: Production Date ?

I need some help IDing the date of production for this Gold Marble's front sight insert. On the package is written No.35B, for .32HE Six inch.

The sight is in excellent condition and looks like it was mounted as there is a spot of blue loss where a pin was driven into the mounting blade.

Thanks for any help.....dan

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DCWilson · Feb 28, 2011

Sheard bead sights were available from the '00s through the '30s. The No. 35 sight seems to have been used on a lot of revolvers in those decades. Here's a similar Sheard gold bead (but not identical) that is mounted on a .22/32 Kit Gun from 1938.

I assume the ".32 HE" in the envelope note means the .32-20 M&P, given the preceding printed line.

dewey · Feb 28, 2011

Thanks,David, so it might well be over 100 years old!....best Dan

SDH · Feb 28, 2011

Not as a Marbles. The Sheard Co. (or the sight patent) was acquired by Marbles years after it had been manufacturing and selling sights marked like David's. My 1940's Shooters Bible lists Sheard gold bead sight sold by Marbles and David's revolver letters to 1938, so your sight logically would be from sometime during or after that era.
Sheard was an inventor and the patent refers to the way the brass "gold" bead was installed at an angle. He was in business in Livingston, MT at one time, the moved to Tacoma if I recall correctly.

dewey · Feb 28, 2011

Steven- Thank you for the very interesting follow-up. .32HE M&P Target on the bag brings back T.V. memories of the cops being outguned by the bad guys. NO KIDDING....dan

hsguy · Feb 28, 2011

Here is another one I picked up a few years ago, I have never opened the package to see the condition of the sight.

Sprefix · Mar 1, 2011

GREAT!!!! I durn near had a stroke looking for the price of these only to realize info was wanted instead of them being for sale.

Mitch_D · Mar 1, 2011

Sheard Sights

Sheard Sights were a favorite of Ed McGivern.

Below are some photos from his exhibit at the NRA National Firearms Museum of his personal bobbed snub nose M&P and his record setting target pistol. Both with Sheard Gold Bead front sights.

If Ed preferred them, that's pretty high recomendation. I'd love to find a vintage set like those posted above. I've got a couple candidates that they would well fit.

SDH · Mar 1, 2011

Ed's homeplace was Lewistown, MT.

Mitch_D · Mar 1, 2011

Ed McGivern

Another Montana boy who made good. There's been a few pistolsmiths from here.

Ed McGivern - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ed
Elmer
Tom Threepersons is rumored to have spent some time here, too.

1-1917 · Mar 2, 2011

Mitch_D said:
Another Montana boy who made good. There's been a few pistolsmiths from here.

Makes sense with the long winters there, what better way to spend your daylight hours than working over someones old revolver!

Have a few revolvers with bead sights but none of the marbles/sheards. Pretty cool stuff. My old K22 outdoorman would look pretty good with that one pictured.. (-:}

MARBLE ARMS .32 HE Gold Hunting & Target Sight, Sheard's Patent: Production Date ?

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