What info can anyone tell me on this 44 Special CTG, S/N 27016 on butt and 61595 in swingarm?

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Well, no doubt those in the know will soon tell you a bunch about it, and no doubt you could get a bunch of offers on it here, but with my limited knowledge and not being near a SCSW the only thing I can tell you is it's very nice, it's likely a re-finish ( or had some other work done to it at the factory, hence the star by the serial number) and a much sought after model. The CTG simply means "cartridge".

That's a .44 Hand Ejector, Second model, from about 1926-1928. The star next to the serial number means that it was once returned to the factory for repair or refinishing. If you take the stocks off, you may see a date code for the return like 11.37 (November 1937) stamped on the left side of the grip frame. Those stocks are not original, but they are prewar magnas and valuable in their own right. Possibly they were added to the gun when it went back to Massachusetts to be spruced up.

Ignore the number exposed when you swing the cylinder open; that's a temporary assembly number that has no meaning outside of the factory. And CTG is an abbreviation for cartridge. It's just chambering information for the gun's owner and is not a model name.

Nice specimen; I bet it is a great shooter.

ADDENDUM: And I should have said this first: Welcome to the forum.

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David Wilson

Additionally, it appears to have a diamond near the serial number on the flat of the underside of the barrel. This would indicate a probable factory replaced barrel. Kinda hard to see in the picture posted, but it sure looks that way.

Randy

Welcome aboard.

What I see stated quickly-
Mid to late 20's gun.
PROBABLY shipped as a 6-1/2", but maybe as a 5".
Refinished at factory and rebarreled and grips added in the late 30's.
Diamond on bottom of barrel indicates replacement.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Those grips are very valuable.

Thanks for the info folks. It belongs to a friend that had it handed down to him through his family. His father kept real nice care of it. He had asked me if I could find out about it and what it may be worth.

If that was all original it would be worth big bunches. Since it is modified, less, but the mods appear to be all factory done and very well done indeed, so probably could still fetch a handsome sum. I ain't an expert, far from it. I am just a guy willing to guess. I would say 8-11 bills.

A factory letter could shed some serious light on this situation. Look at FAQ to see about factory letters.

I have a 5" 2nd model .44 Special, serial number 26378, that shipped in May 1926. The one shown probably shipped around the same time; however, the only way to know for sure is to request a factory letter from the S&W historian. The letter will indicate the shipping date, as well as the destination. It may have shipped to an individual, but more likely, it shipped to a dealer.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Hi
It is irreplaceable unless your friend is in the street starving I would not sell it. That pistol is family + money in the bank.
Regards
Bob

That's a handsome old revolver. If your friend values the family connection, then, by all means, they should keep it. If they have no interest in handguns, then advise them to sell it to a collector who will preserve and appreciate it. Thanks for the post & pictures,

Jerry

I'm looking for info on my Smith and Wesson 44 special 6.5 barrel. What year it was manufactured and ball park value. I believe it's a 2nd gen. with target site in mint condition. S/N 19474 Also I don't know if it's original grip, because there's no diamond in center where screw is? Thank you for any info.

Nice 2nd Model, NRALIFE88, the magnas are a nice late 1930's addition. Even if it's a factory refin/rebarrel it is a keeper. Thanks for sharing.

baddawg, start a new thread and post some pics of your .44. There is no such thing as too many .44HE threads with pics!

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

Baddawg, welcome to the forum. I'll answer you here, but never hesitate to start a new thread for a different gun. Sometimes people just don't look at older threads and might miss something of interest to them.

Your gun sounds like a .44 Hand Ejector, second model that probably dates to 1922. The adjustable sights are desirable in a gun of that era, when most revolvers came out of the factory with fixed sights.The stocks you describe (no diamonds) would not be original, but if they might be either later mass produced stocks or some form of custom wood. Can you post pics?

The mix of high condition finish and possibly much later stocks raises the question of a reblue. Even a highly capable refinish will be worth less to collectors than a gun with a worn original finish.

I'd hesitate to put a value on it without some pics, but even in the worst case it is probably worth at least several hundred dollars. In the best case, it might be worth close to $2000.

EDIT: While I was hammering the keys the representative from a neighboring state got in some similar thoughts. He's undoubtedly right that it is best to start a new thread and post some pics of the gun as well.

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David Wilson

Just a quick FYI... the understock rework dates mentioned by Dave in his early post on this thread will look like those shown here on my factory converted .455 HE from .455 to .45 Colts.



The star may or may not appear with the date on your friend's example.

Also, the origional stocks on your friend's revolver probably looked like those on my 5" .44 HE2nd shown below, except that perhaps if it was closer to the 20's than the 40's (as mine is) his stocks may not have the S&W medallion.



Drew