Identifying an orphan...

Truckman

Truckman

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I found this poor neglected little orphan hidden in the corner of a pawn shop...I had seen the little darlin' before, but dressed in rags (read simulated plastic stag grips)...Today the foundling had been redressed in K-frame stocks which were obviously too small for it...I couldn't stand it, I paid the necessary fee, signed the adoption papers and took it home to love...

Trouble is I have no idea what to call the little sweetheart since I am relatively new to the mystical world of S&W...Therefore I'm begging some help figuring out what I brought home...There was no box or identifying papers...It is an N frame with 4" barrel...Forged half-round front sight and square notch rear sight...38 Spl. caliber, 5 screw frame and all numbers on ejector housing, frame and cylinder match...Separate matching numbers on frame and yoke...

Bad stuff: Sideplate screws - some panhead some flat...Copper (?) plated hammer, trigger, ejector rod and cylinder release...Sideplate is uneven with frame...Has horrendous trigger pull, and yet also has push-off...Mainspring arch looks to my eye to have far too much curve...

Finish may be original nickel because the factory markings are still sharp and not polished away...But that's just a guess on my part...Serial number S87XXX...I'm guessing a post-war .38-.44 HE, but that's as close as I can get...Can anyone assist?...:confused:...Ben
 

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It is a .38-44 Heavy Duty from about 1952. The gold/brass plating is aftermarket. Not sure about the nickel, but it seems to be non-original to me. The sideplate doesn't seem to fit properly, which is usually a dead giveaway. I would defer to others who may see it differently.

The flathead screw in the rear sideplate position is correct for an early 1950s Heavy Duty.

This gun won't win any beauty contests among collectors, but once you get the functional problems corrected, I suspect you will find it to be a good shooter. The N frame .38 Special revolvers are rather cool. I only own one and it was made in the 1930s. But they are a joy to shoot. Sort of like shooting .38 Special ammunition through a 4" Highway Patrolman.
 
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Yeah the oddball plated parts are definitely not factory, and the more I look at it the more I agree it's been refinished...There are polishing marks in the frame even though the stampings are intact...I'll get the innards fixed, see if I can get the sideplate to fit...SCSW dates the S/N to 1952-53 as you suggested...At $300.00, I don't think I'll get hurt...:cool:...Ben
 
I would be dying to get the extractor star plated the same copper color as the hammer, trigger, thumb latch, and extractor rod! (Assuming it wouldn't jack with the tolerances too terribly much.)

Instant $300 BBQ gun assuming it won't cost you much more to get the action ironed out.

Since you live in Conroe you need a nice looking prison guard rig for it................and some white longhorn bullhead stocks. :cool:
 
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Yes a Heavy Duty, it is gaudy Heavy Duty but I see that you are up in Conroe, this may have come from down South, they liked to jazz these up a bit. I have two post war HD's, 4" and not as flashy as yours, they are great shooters. Personally I would put some attractive grips on it and call it my Tex - Mex Barbacoa gun, find a cool holster for it and have fun!
 
tenntex32 said:
Since you live in Conroe you need a nice looking prison guard rig for it................and some white longhorn bullhead stocks. :cool:
Click to expand...
I am going grip hunting this weekend, and as luck would have it in your neck of the woods, the gun show in Canton...

Glashaus, The extractor might even look better in copper, but then almost anything would improve the looks of my orphan child here...What am I suppose to do when a gun speaks to me - I had no choice but to give it a home...In the case next to it was a set of grips that I think would have looked good, nicely colored sambar stags...But they were attached to a S&W 29-3 in nickel with a price tag of $1450!...

If I don't find anything in Canton Saturday, or Belton Sunday, there's always the Houston Gun Collectors show in December...There's always a wide selection of overpriced grips there...:(...Ben
 
Truckman said:
If I don't find anything in Canton Saturday, or Belton Sunday, there's always the Houston Gun Collectors show in December...There's always a wide selection of overpriced grips there.
Click to expand...
Stop in at Collectors Firearms in Houston, on the off chance they have some N frame stocks hanging around. Before I retired, I was in Houston frequently on business. I would always try to pay a visit to that shop in company with a Houston friend who is a Winchester collector.
 
Ah, I miss the shop on Richmond Avenue. I always thought of it as a museum for me, since the prices were often very high.

I have a strange attraction to this gun. To me it has kind of a chrome appearance and pretty sure the other plating is copper, which is quite unusual. I would be proud to take it to a TX BBQ, but no longer travel in that direction. Put some N frame cow horns on it and it would be even better!
 
I knew you lived near the Mexico border. Popular look with our amigos down south. Either the gun spent some time in Mexico or it fell into the hands of a pistolero immigrant.
 
Hey Truck: it seems some folks don't understand the meaning of "Heavy Duty". Get the mechs right...may be just gunk inside or may need a little gunsmith attention. Heavy Duty never had anything to do with pretty...had to do with getting the job done the first time 'round. Get some pretty grips for Sundays and some nice leather for the cookouts. Go to work the rest of the week. As you know, that is the Texas way...
 
Good buy and a nice project.

1. Check for a B in front of the barrel shroud serial #. If no B it was originally nickel plated from the factory, although it has been redone. However the factory protocol was followed by not nickel plating the hammer, trigger, and extractor star. The thumbpiece and extractor rod should be nickeled.

I suspect the sideplate doesn't fit flush because of the two layers of nickel plate; on the edges of the side plate and on the edges of the frame opening. That's fairly simple to fix by careful sanding. The gun may also have been copper plated before nickeling which the factory doesn't do but some aftermarket platers do.

I would take all the copper parts to a plater and have the copper removed by reversing the polarity of the electrolicis process. Brownells also sells a kit to do that. Then have the extractor rod and thumbpiece nickeled. Leave hammer and trigger natural.

2. I also suspect the mainspring has had a longer tension screw added to make it stronger and overcome the push off, which of course it didn't. If you need a replacement hammer and/or trigger, and you find replacements with some case hardening coloring on them, that'll solve the missing finish problem on the ones you have.

Have fun and let us know how it turns out.
 
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Hondo44 said:
I would take all the copper parts to a plater and have the copper removed by reversing the polarity of the electrolicis process. Brownells also sells a kit to do that. Then have the extractor rod and thumbpiece nickeled. Leave hammer and trigger natural.
Click to expand...

I rather like it as it is. :o
 
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All good thoughts from all who responded...I'm grateful for the comments and suggestions...I bought this with a fast flip in mind, but the gun is starting to grow on me...I'm beginning to think of a BBQ gun in a nice leather crossdraw holster...But first I'll attend to the mechanicals, and find some grips...As I've mentioned before, some guns just speak to me...:)...Ben
 
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Hondo44 said:
There's something for everyone.

Since the finish is no longer original anyway, I'd kinda like the copper parts blued, except hammer and trigger of course.
Click to expand...

The closest thing I have to anything remotely being considered a BBQ gun is a bone stock factory nickel 10-5.....so I found it appealing from a conversational standpoint. Any oddity is destined to be a conversational piece.

You know when visitating with others while sampling what yer a grillin'............

But he's gotta get the stocks just right. ;)
 
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I have a set of factory S&W N-Frame Magnas from 1969, walnut with black washers with screw that I would sell you for $35.00 shipped. There is some finish (not wood) wear on the right grip above and around the S&W medallion. Other than that they are pretty nice and matching.
 
Sounds Interesting

I can't quite visualize the nickel & copper description. Sounds a bit gaudy! If a "barbecue gun"; perhaps "pimp on the barbie?" :)

As five inch barrel guns seeming about the standard in that model, your four inch a bit unique bonus itself! Acquisition price sounding really good too! Thanks for your pawnshop "rescue & adoption"!

Have fun with that worthy sounding bit of restoration candidate!
Best & Stay Safe!
John
 
sbrmike said:
I have a set of factory S&W N-Frame Magnas from 1969, walnut with black washers with screw that I would sell you for $35.00 shipped. There is some finish (not wood) wear on the right grip above and around the S&W medallion. Other than that they are pretty nice and matching.
Click to expand...
Sold!...I'll PM you...Thanks...:)...Ben
 
Im with Hondo44 on repairs. Short action Case colored .375 Hammers and and stock nice .265 triggeres and mainsprings are plentiful on ebay. You can remedy the lock work for not much moneys. Get the sideplate off and clean
out the plate fitting and innards. Get a set of stainlessz frame screws polished to match.
With the afore mentioned grip buy a shooting and carry knock a round for a fun gun..
And its a throwback neat old Smith N Frame!
Edited to add🤣why cant I find 300$ 38/44
N Frames??? Lucky Dog😊
 
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