Smith & Wesson N Frame Stocks / Grips

Iggy · #1 02-05-2018, 03:53 PM

Great reference material.. Thanks for posting.

Shark Bait · #2 02-05-2018, 03:59 PM

Wow! You put some work into this. Thank you!

Doc44 · #3 02-05-2018, 04:06 PM

Lots of good information in your post.

Bill

Usmc5811 · #4 02-05-2018, 04:28 PM

This is some great info. Thanks a lot. I learned a little about my non-relieved targets. I will definitely mark this page for future reference.

mikepriwer · #5 02-05-2018, 04:37 PM

The seminal work on K-frame grips is an article in the Vol 20 No 4 Winter 1986
S&WCA Journal by Dave Damkaer, subtitled K-frames from 1899 to 1970. Its an
outstanding resource for everything about K-frame stocks.

An earlier article is about I-frame stocks, and it is Vol 19 No 3 Fall 1985 by Dave
Damkaer. It is a very complete reference for I-frame stocks from 1896 to 1961.

He had intended to do J, M, and N frames as well, but that did not happen.

Regards, Mike Priwer

walter o · #6 02-05-2018, 04:52 PM

wouldn't this be appropriate to put in Notable thread? it is too valuable to be lost with all the work that went into it

steelslaver · #7 02-05-2018, 05:07 PM

Thank you for this well laid out information with photos.

RKmesa · #8 02-05-2018, 07:02 PM

Great Job!!!! A ton of work to pull this thread together.

Thanks for sharing,

GF · #9 02-05-2018, 07:04 PM

This is the kind of info that was posted up back when I first joined the forum!

Well thought out and well photographed, thank you.

GF

lkabug · #10 02-05-2018, 07:25 PM

A wonderful and educational article. I learned much from your knowledge. Great job.Thanks for sharing.

handejector · #11 02-05-2018, 07:19 PM

NICE work!
Looks like you need a pic.
Feel free to use this one on this board, please.

//////////////////////////
2-10-18 Edit to add data:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoosier45

P.S. I’m still learning so please excuse my errors and politely comment below or PM me with suggestions or evidence/documentation to assist with this thread.

As we discussed via PM, I think I can add some good data and suggestions that you are certainly welcome to incorporate into your text if you wish. Any suggested edits I make are made in good faith for the benefit of all. As I said above, you've done some NICE work here.

Serial Numbers:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoosier45

1929 – 1938: Checkered Diamond Service Stocks; Large Silver Medallion (*First Style of Stocks to have the serial number stamped on the inside of the right panel).

I agree with you because I can't recall seeing non-medallion grips with a stamped number. But, I've seen so many N silver medallion grips without numbers I have to think the earliest ones were written in pencil.

Magnas:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoosier45

Directive issued September 5, 1935 that Magna Stocks be used on Registered Magnums (*unless ordered otherwise).

Quote:

Originally Posted by rct269

UH-----the September 5, 1935 directive I'm looking at treats with making Magna stocks---doesn't seem to instruct their use on .357's.

As Ralph points out, I think you could state this more clearly. Here is the order, which says to make magnas for the 357:

The order form for the 357 continued to let the buyer choose Magnas or service stocks with grip adapter. They even wanted the buyer to state whether he wanted the grip adapter attached, or just shipped with the gun!

Stock Circles:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoosier45

These early washers were steel/metal in color and generally had Patent date information on them, although examples without patent dates have been observed.

They are plated steel. Probably chrome plated like the medallions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rct269

And the unmarked Magna metal stock circles are the early version---those stamped with the patent dates the later---and I have no idea when the change occurred. I reckon a quick glance at the patent paperwork would more or less answer that question.

Here is the patent- Patent US2081438 - Pistol - Google Patents published May 25, 1937.

In the pic above, we see serial number 54310 has the date.
Here is serial number 53347 (963 numbers lower) without a patent date. It shipped Oct 9, 1937.
So, I'll GUESS patent dates appear in very late 37 to early 38.

I also have magnas that do NOT have patent dates with numbers:
48022
49440
49559
52229
There is almost certain to be some mixture of numbers with and without dates between 53347 and 54310 seen above.

Walnut-
You ever thought about this?
On the commercial Triple Locks we have beautiful Circassian Walnut. This continues all the way through the 455 TLs and 455-2nds. Then BLAM! We get the 1917s with the plainest American Black Walnut ever grown.
Can you imagine how WW I must have depleted the supply of walnut worldwide? Tons of it was used for rifle and handgun stocks. Many, many trees were probably destroyed by the war through shelling and just common use like building trenches. Much was probably burned for firewood.
After WW I, we see that same plain American Walnut used on the commercial guns.
Walnut was probably in short supply after the War, and S&W took what they could get. The earliest post-war stocks can do anything! I have seen them warp. I have seen them shrink and become slightly smaller than the grip frame, most likely because it had not yet been properly dried. I have seen them swell, and stand proud (hang over) the grip frame, probably because it had been overly dried in a kiln and later soaked some moisture back in. Gunstock wood is always traditionally AIR dried for years to stabilize, but after the War, I would not be surprised if they simply could not wait that long.
The wood again improves by the 1930s.

Coming later:
Fancy Grips-

Numbered Target Stocks-