The venerable Military & Police model was designed as a service sidearm, a role it has fulfilled for over a century. The majority of them were procured for serious use, and some were used very, very hard.

So let's see 'em. The battered warriors that you don't even want to keep in the safe because they might be a bad influence on your "nice" guns.

Here's my entry, a Model of 1905, 4th Change, shipped circa 1926, marked on the backstrap as having once been issued by the Atlanta Police Department.

When I got this gun, it actually had no grips mounted whatsoever, but it had the flat sideplate screw and a faint outline on each side that attested to its having been at some point fitted with magna stocks. A friend was able to supply the appropriately ratty ones you see here. The gun would have originally had checkered service stocks sans medallions.

Incidentally, despite its horrid appearance (and this picture is of its somewhat more presentable side), this piece is mechanically sound and remarkably accurate.

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Here's my M&P model of 1902 first change in .38 special. It was shipped in August of 1904 to E.K. Tryon Co. in Philadelphia, PA. She's not much of a looker, but it is a great shooter! The only time that I shot it from a rest it did 2 1/2" for 6 at 20 yards. Not too shabby!

Great idea for a thread! Somehow I just know that I'm going to love every gun posted in here.

My worst, vintage 1948, and..............My Absolute Favorite To Carry. I Love This Gun.

One of the most accurate .38 Smiths I own with a beautiful single action trigger.

You must have some very pretty guns. That little bit of pitting is about like Cindy Crawford's mole.

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Actually, my camera skills are so bad that I can't capture it's true beauty! It maybe a dog, but it's my DOG!

I have a few 1902's that may qualify.

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OGCA Member.

How about an ugly 36?

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I miss my 4546 the most.

I hate to say it, but I think I'm winning this thing so far, and I frankly expected to be topped in short order.

No offense intended, but some of the guns put up so far remind me of the sort of guy who wears a suit and tie during the work week and then tries to dress like an outlaw biker on the weekend. Just can't come off as really bad. Need some junkyard dog material here, if you know what I mean.

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Here's my ugliest M&P, a 1905 4th in 32-20. Someone had refinished it with what looks to be a brush on nickle finish. I picked it up past year cheap along with two boxes of ammo. The horrid brush on job is steadily flaking off to reveal a nicely aged patina. At least there is no rust and is solid as a rock mechanically. Also has a name etched onto the back strap and two others written on the inside of the stocks. She's been around. I've a mind to take her along turkey hunting this fall.
John

I'll play along. Here's an old 32-20 M&P that looks a bit worse in photos then in person.


I think that we accumulate dogs like these because of some intrinsic spark of interest that grabs us when we encounter them. In my case I wasn't looking for another 32-20, but this one was released from a local PD evidence locker and subsequently got scooped up by a LGS. For some reason it piqued my interest. Sure wish that this one could talk. Truth be told if they could talk most of mine would say something like: "mmmmph!! Get these darned socks offa me!" I guess that this old dog just has a little bit different bark to it. -S2

Here's mine, bought it for a song. Love it, give it out to friends going to the bad parts of town for piece of mind. Grandpa has it currently. Ive got several SSR IDPA matches with it, and did rather well. Its ate everything from +P+ hollowpoints to mild wad-cutters with no issues. Its one of the best "cheap" guns I have.

Is it a 10 or a pre-10? Also, did it come with those Victory stocks?

Gotta appreciate a detail like the flat magna sideplate screw in the wrong position....

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Its a pre-10 1953 or 1954 vintage. Its one of the last M&P's, I have since changed out the stocks for a set of Houges.

This is the ugliest M&P I've ever seen, but it's the one gun I'd never part with. This Model 1902 belonged to my paternal grandfather, and it's obviously seen hard service. Not a thing of beauty, but precious to me.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

My entry is also a Model 1902. .38 Special. No special story or history that I know of, but I did get it cheap.



Rob

The ugliest M & P I own, an old nickel .32-20 with the front sight filed down a wee bit.

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Vaya con Dios

What is that contraption mounted at the top of the sideplate? A sight of some sort?

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

I think that 36 above your post has you beat.

Yeah, I had the same thought, but in my defense, 1) it went up just before I posted, so I hadn't seen that one yet, and 2) it ain't an M&P!

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Great idea for a thread topic! Here ya' go Goony. It's pretty ugly. A 1904 5-inch nickel gun. Strangely enough, it has a nice bore an perfect mechanics.



Shoots decent 5-shot groups at 10 yards.


Handled +P factory loads too on a deliberate test.

Okay here is ugly!

The 36 I posted is for sale on one of the auction sites for $230 about 40 miles NE of me.

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I miss my 4546 the most.

It's a "Wonder Sight"...converts a Military to a Target.

Bob

I think this gun is gorgous. I'd climb over all the polymer guns in a gunshop to get a close look at this one.

NOPE! The grips aren't ugly enough for it!

It must come with a $130 dollars of ammo.

The rare "Humpback" revolver S&W produced. I think only a few were made, I meant modified, outside of the factory of course.

I forgot to add - How much for the stocks? Sorry, I couldn't resist!

Put that baby in a hydraulic press and square up the frame, replace the cylinder, and you're good to go with mild .38 Spl. loads.

Does anyone besides me detect a recurring theme here?

"Looks terrible, but works terrific."

(Except for that one that done been blowed up!)

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Yup, a real testament to the craftsmanship in these old guns. Heck, even the blown up one just needs some TLC and a couple parts.

I used to have this Victory Model. It was a bit of a project gun.









Few parts, little polishing... Eh.

I've got a worn one from circa 1949 sitting in the closet, but I don't have pics of it. I'm going to have it reblued. It isn't worth terribly much as is, but is mechanically fine. I have no idea the going rate for such things, ran me about 300. I missed having a K frame.

I think you just won the contest.

Definitely!

I don't know...I think the "Ugly Gun" still has to FUNCTIION as a gun or it doesn't count. Just my opinion.

Rob

They were known as Wondersights, it fit right in where the fifth screw was and allowed you to turn your fixed sight revolver into an adjustable sighted gun.

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Vaya con Dios

That thing looks like it was laying under a Saturn V rocket when it took off!

Hey, at least it still has a couple of good useable parts!

WHERE?????

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Here's my latest ugly M&P...
(don't beat me up toooo bad, it's my first 1899)

S/N: 140, shipped 17, Sept. 1899 as a nickle 5" .32 WCF to a hardware store in St. Louis, Mo.

Does it still fire? I think it looks great for it's age.

It functions well, has a pretty nice bore & chambers and the timing appears to be fine, but there's an excessive amount of movement at the yoke, so I really doubt I'll ever shoot this one.
There are a couple other functional 32/20's in my accumulation if I ever get the urge to make some noise; this revolver simply fills a gap that's been open for far to long.

And thanks for your comment about its looks; I guess beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder...Oops, I mean, beholder!

That is a shame... But again, I think it looks great. It's over 100 years old, a little wear is to be expected.

Just bought another ugly M&P today; 1905 4th, 6" .38 spl. (S/N: 259442) I'm guessing it shipped around 1916 or 17.
It's sure not much to look at, but its fit, function, bore and chambers are outstanding. I reeeeealy need to stop picking up every old mutt I see and just get a few with good pedigree, but the price was right and I'll probably always have a soft spot for an old faithful spotted dog.

That's a beauty. How much did you get it for?

This thread looks like fun! I'll try and take the prize with my ugly M&P that I've posted about here before. It is a post-war transitional long-action 4" M&P shipped in 1945 chambered in .38 special. The frame still has the pre-war single line marking "made in U.S.A". After many informative posts about this gun, my best guess is that someone attempted a refinishing job and attempted to remove rust or the the old bluing with naval jelly and left it on too long, pitting the metal. Aside from the pitting, the metal is mostly in the white with splotches of bluing still remaining. I'll never know for sure what happened. If only these old guns could talk! The grips, oddly enough, look almost new. They are not numbered to the gun, but are only a couple of hundred off. Despite looking like h--l, the bore and chambers are bright and shiny and the gun shoots just fine at 25 yards! I thought it was worth the asking price of $80 when I found it at a local haunt.

I'm afraid collector value is ruined by the fact that the gun was once refinished. Look at the flattened stud ends on the left side of the frame.

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David Wilson

Where do you find these awesome examples? Do gun stores have a rack with old ugly shooters? More often than not, I personally like the "Ole Faithful" ugly yet mechanically perfect type over the pristine or even 90% shooter. Am I alone in feeling this way?

Here's my candidate. It looks like a Victory for the British contract: 5 inch barrel, 38 S&W caliber, sandblasted finish, lanyard loop and smooth wood grips. However it's a post-war Model 10; SN S894433, one of 10,000 made for the Dutch East Indies when the Indonesian independence movement was brewing up. It's stamped KNIL on the backstrap.

It's seen hard use: the trigger and hammer are the same grey, pitted finish as the rest of the gun. The bore has light pitting, and the frame under the grips is heavily pitted, indicating it was carried a lot in the rain. It was a 5 screw; now it's a 4 1/2 screw: the bottom half of the rear cover plate screw is still tightly imbedded in the frame. The hammer pin is loose in the frame; I don't think I'll try +Ps in this one, although I've shot it with light cast loads.

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Here is my entry. A 1905 HE 1st Ch. Like Goony observed, looks bad out but good in. It's interesting that the black hard rubber grips seem to wear the same over time. Look at those in post #2 and post #40.

Anyway, I think that post #46 wins the ugliest-still-working award by far so far.

I thought mine was rough until I looked at those in this thread. Good photography by all.

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