Pre-War Target M&P Thread - Post Your Photos

[red9]

Just got this one yesterday. Condition leaves something (okay, quite a bit) to be desired, but it is a scarce 5" barrel. Serial number 139374.



Bob

[rct269]

It seems like the 5" guns were well used-----my one and only was also something other than a showpiece!

Ralph Tremaine

[Tom K]

Originally Posted by Muley Gil

Is the lanyard loop installed through the serial number? If so, is the serial number stamped on the grip frame, under the left stock? Can you post a picture of the butt?

The lanyard does go through the serial number (obscuring one digit), but the serial is re-stamped on the left side of the grip frame.

[mikepriwer]

Here is serial number 44302, a .38 round butt 1902 1st change. The first images are how it looked in the auction catalog, and as I received it. The front sight blade is a non-factory brass blade. The grips are some sort of awful plastic material, and will convert either round or square butt to target.





The next two pictures were taken at the auction house, and show a real mess. Solder was piled up in various places on the grip frame, along with lots of rust.





I gambled that the solder was probably for some sort of mounting of a butt stock, and I was right, as far as I could tell. A torch and steel wool removed almost all the solder, and some elbow grease with more steel wool, removed most of the rest of the solder. I swapped out the brass front sight blade for a period Patridge blade.

After a lot of cleaning of the rest of the gun, plus darkening the remaining bits of solder, and having Curtis Harlow work on a pair of wood stocks, the gun is back to be being very presentable. There is some blue missing on the barrel and elsewhere. The next two pictures show what it looks like today.





Regards, Mike Priwer

[RKmesa]

Originally Posted by Tom K

The lanyard does go through the serial number (obscuring one digit), but the serial is re-stamped on the left side of the grip frame.

I assume it is like this one, also a K-22 O/D with a factory lanyard, or as Roy calls it, a "butt swivel".

[RKmesa]

Originally Posted by mikepriwer

Here is serial number 44302, a .38 round butt 1902 1st change.



Regards, Mike Priwer

Nice recovery on that one!! And Curtis did a beautiful job on those stocks.

[RKmesa]

Throwing this thread to the top with the posting of 666059, one of two that I own that shipped in January 1938...





... and with the box that numbers to the gun (note the Target designation on the label)...

[bruce5781]

Here's a beater I recently fell into, and haven't had a chance to clean. 32/20, serial 6388. Not a spot of finish on it, but underside of barrel shows it to be originally nickle. Fairly clean bore, no bulges like my 5", should make a nice shooter.

Sent from my SM-G781U1 using Tapatalk

[mikepriwer]

Bruce

The admirable part of guns like this is the condition of the lock-work. Usually that is in near-perfect condition, showing very little wear. Given the manufacturing technology of 1902, the engineering is amazing. And, look at the fit of the sideplate. It's almost seamless!

On these 32-20's, the bore is often the worse part of it. What is the condition of the bore here?

Wonderful gun.

Regards, Mike Priwer

[RKmesa]

... one more... This is 667243 and it shipped in January 1938. The interesting bottle opener that was attached as a front sight does not appear to be factory original equipment (or it is a heavily modified Patridge blade).





The very nice box for this one, does not number to the gun (but per the pencil writing on the bottom, belonged to a pre-war K-32 Target with a Humpback Hammer - SN 677402).

[bruce5781]

Originally Posted by mikepriwer

Bruce

The admirable part of guns like this is the condition of the lock-work. Usually that is in near-perfect condition, showing very little wear. Given the manufacturing technology of 1902, the engineering is amazing. And, look at the fit of the sideplate. It's almost seamless!

On these 32-20's, the bore is often the worse part of it. What is the condition of the bore here?

Wonderful gun.

Regards, Mike Priwer

Mike,
Surprisingly, given the condition of the exterior, the bore is on pretty decent condition. No rings or bulges like my 5" 32-20. Sadly, it spent its life on the Gulf Coast and it shows.

Sent from my SM-G781U1 using Tapatalk

[RKmesa]

One more... With the posting of this one, I've now shared all the M&P Targets that are in my collection - thanks for letting me share and for sharing your beauties. Interestingly, this is the first Target M&P that I owned and I believe that I purchased it from an ad in the Classifieds of this Forum. It is SN 393657 and this warhorse shipped in July 1921. I also recall looking at the grips and faintly seeing the SN in pencil on the back side... No box, plenty of wear, lots of silver shining through the blue, some minor pitting here and there, very little color case coloring remaining on the hammer and trigger - almost 103... and still turning heads.

[50 target]

OP, couldn't agree more.

[Keith Brown]

Richard, some of those boxes look questionable, perhaps they would fit better added to my island of misfit toys !

Here’s a shot of a nice 32-20.

[RKmesa]

Originally Posted by Keith Brown

...Here’s a shot of a nice 32-20.

Yes Keith, a very nice 32-20 Target. I assume that it has the small roll mark on the left side?

Thanks for sharing,