This is another pawn shop rescue. SN is 565xxx which should be around 1927. Numbers match in all six places. The SCSW says the round butt is "scarce". Judging from the finish I would say that this one has definitely "experienced life". I would love to know the story of Doll and Barney.

Attached Images

	S&W M&P '27 a.jpg (117.0 KB, 105 views)
	S&W M&P '27 b.jpg (124.0 KB, 92 views)
	S&W M&P '27 c.JPG (130.5 KB, 102 views)

Maybe it belonged to Barney Fife Sr of Mayberry, North Carolina. And Doll was the mother of one of the "Fun girls".

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I can bracket you.

s/n 561xxx shipped 2/27
s/n 569xxx shipped 8/27

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

This remark in at least one edition of SCSW falls under the category of "errata", an error. Depending on when during manufacture of the earlier K-Frame revolvers there were more or fewer round butt or square butt guns manufactured, but neither can be classified as scarce at any time. After 1920 it is true that far fewer round butts were made, but from 1899 into 1905 round butts were all there were!

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Thanks for the info. I wasn't sure what "scarce" meant. The 3rd edition said square butts were scarce. The 4th edition says round butts were scarce. I assumed the change in the 4th was a correction.

Barney carried a Colt Official Police, 4-inch barrel, .38 Special.

I often wonder about comments made that a particular production era of M&P round or square butts were "scarce"? Looking at approximate production numbers from 1910 to 1940, over a half-million of M&Ps were made.

1910 to 1020 - 150,000
1920 to 1930 - 300,000
1930 to 1940 - 75,000

By the numbers, if for example, only 10% of 1920s K frames were round butt, that would still mean that 30,000 were made and I would not call that scarce. I have never seen any documentation on the round/square butt claims, but suspect it is a relative term and one will not be getting any premiums for either square or round butt M&Ps during those years.

If anyone has documentation or knowledge as to the scarcity of round and square butts manufactured during this era that prove otherwise, please share with us.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Neat old gun!
Are the grips numbered to it? In my observation, wood is more common on 1920s RBs than hard rubber.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Yes, the grips are numbered to it.

I too picked one up at a local pawn shop.

Round butt in nickle, 494xxx



.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I looove round butt K frames.

"Barney carried a Colt Official Police, 4-inch barrel, .38 Special."


I was talking about Barney's daddy giving this Smif & Weston to Doll.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Here's mine...

Attached Images

	2%22 M&P.jpg (141.2 KB, 16 views)
	Pre War M&P.jpg (135.3 KB, 13 views)

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Living a dream - S&WCA #2364

I got me one of them too

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Psalm 27:2

That SN would date your M&P round butt as shipping (probably) sometime in 1928. Some collectors still use the "Model of 1905 4th Change" name until WWII, but S&W did not. S&W quit using the M1902-M1905 nomenclature about 1915. Then they started calling them the M&P, square butt or round butt. Prior to 1915, the round butt version of the M&P was called the Model of 1902 while the square butt was called the Model of 1905.