.44 Wolf & Klar 3rd Model Hand Ejector

MRJ · Sep 4, 2011

Hello All -

I just acquired a .44 Special 3rd Model Hand Ejector and will shortly be requesting a factory letter on it. This revolver has a 5" barrel and blue finish. Serial Number is 37502 with no PD markings. Right grip is numbered (stamped) to the gun. No lanyard loop threaded hole is present. From SCSW it is a 1931 gun. Two questions:

Is 37502 listed as an HPD revolver?
Did HPD ever polish off backstrap numbers?

This revolver was found in a small gunshop where it had resided in a display case for at least a year! Thanks for any additional information.

Art Doc · Sep 4, 2011

I believe that gun may have shipped earlier than you think, like mid 1928. I have one 300 higher and it shipped July of 1928. No info on HPD (Huston?).

handejector · Sep 4, 2011

Neat gun.
It has a Hump Back Hammer that was added somewhere along the line.
I have never seen an HPD gun with the markings ground off.

Maverick1950 · Sep 4, 2011

SaxonPig said:
I believe that gun may have shipped earlier than you think, like mid 1928. I have one 300 higher and it shipped July of 1928. No info on HPD (Huston?).

I have one numbered 34XXX, which my letter from Roy Jinks says shipped in February 1930.

handejector · Sep 4, 2011

SaxonPig said:
I believe that gun may have shipped earlier than you think, like mid 1928. I have one 300 higher and it shipped July of 1928.

SP,
Might want to double check that.
I have a July, 28 gun in the low 32,000 range. There were 100 Mod 1926's in this shipment, so I don't think many frames were laying around for a long time.

Art Doc · Sep 4, 2011

Eeep. It's a 1 and not a 7. As in 31800. Disregard previous comment.

JP@AK · Sep 5, 2011

handejector said:
There were 100 Mod 1926's in this shipment

Hi Lee
Just trying to understand your comment. Did you mean to say there were only 100 .44s shipped to the HPD? I was under the impression it was approximately 300. I recently inspected one that had the issue number of 309 on the backstrap.
Jack

Muley Gil · Sep 5, 2011

I believe Lee is stating that his .44 was one of 100 that shipped to Wolf & Klar in a July 1928 shipment and wasn't commenting on the HPD revolvers.

I have a .44 that was one of 75 shipped to W&K in January 1927. All 75 were 5" nickel.

opoefc · Sep 5, 2011

Not all .44HE, 3rd models, went to Wolf & Klar, so until you letter it you can't be sure. Ed.

handejector · Sep 5, 2011

Muley Gil said:
I believe Lee is stating that his .44 was one of 100 that shipped to Wolf & Klar in a July 1928 shipment and wasn't commenting on the HPD revolvers.

I have a .44 that was one of 75 shipped to W&K in January 1927. All 75 were 5" nickel.

Correct.

opoefc said:
Not all .44HE, 3rd models, went to Wolf & Klar, so until you letter it you can't be sure. Ed.

True, but you'll seldom see one that went elsewhere between 26 and 35-36.
I'll bet on W&K every time, and win WAY more than I lose.

OFT II · Sep 5, 2011

I have 328XX that was shipped to W&K in March, 1929. All the HPD 3rd models that I've seen have 5" barrels and are marked on the backstrap.

pilgrim6a · Sep 5, 2011

handejector said:
Correct.

True, but you'll seldom see one that went elsewhere between 26 and 35-36.
I'll bet on W&K every time, and win WAY more than I lose.

So that would make mine what? I dug through as many threads and post I could find on the Forum about the 3rd model. I thought I had narrowed it down to 1928 and now I'm not sure. The ser. # is 298XX. I always assumed it was a W&K.

sw357nm · Sep 5, 2011

W&K 44s

31774 was shipped July 25, 1928 to Wolf & Klar.
John

Hondo44 · Sep 6, 2011

Those matching grips with flat silver medallions usually indicate post c. 1930 production/shipping. But we all know there are no clear cut transition dates and could go a year or so either way, maybe more.

Muley Gil · Sep 6, 2011

"I thought I had narrowed it down to 1928 and now I'm not sure. The ser. # is 298XX. I always assumed it was a W&K."

A number of 3rd model .44s in that range shipped in April 1927. About a hundred SNs later, S&W shipped a number of 2nd model .44s.

.44 Wolf & Klar 3rd Model Hand Ejector

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