Does anyone have an n-frame that letters with non-relieved, rosewood diamond target stocks? If so can you tell us the details of the revolver.
Thanks, David

Does anyone have an n-frame that letters with non-relieved, rosewood diamond target stocks? If so can you tell us the details of the revolver.
Thanks, David

Non-relieved, diamond target stocks made of rosewood are very rare and I have only seen one pair in about forty years of collecting S&Ws. They were not on a revolver. Most non-relieved stocks made of rosewood are smooth and came on engraved or presentation revolvers.

Bill

I have non-relieved Walnut Target diamond stocks that letter to a Pre 27, but not any rosewood.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Yep, what Bill said....I have seen and purchased several of the relieved Rosewood stocks and have seen lots of GA smooth grips advertised as Rosewood but as far as I know the non relieved Rosewood grips only came on fancy or engraved nickle guns? I have seen many in pics but never in person. Many times they are also Cokebottle contoured too. The relieved grips you could buy over the counter from S&W and from their dealers for years, mostly back in the mid 60's to mid 70's. I think there are a pair in the for sale section now listed at $400 that are GA but the seller claims they are Rosewood, when I asked about them my question was ignored.As far as value Iam thinking mint as new later relieved grips are worth up to $500 or so with worn grips much lower like $150-$250 range. Unrelieved probably start at $400 and the sky is the limit from there especially if mint condition.This seems to be a very small niche in grip collecting, would love to hear other's thoughts on this too.
Matt

I had purchased a 357 Magnum in the mid 1960's Class A factory engraved which had smooth rosewood non-relieved stocks. Drop me an e-mail after April 20th when I get back home and I can send you a photo.

I have a pair of minty unrelieved targets for a K frame, wish I could sell them for 400......

Appear to be made out of brownwood, most likely a used 2X4..

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In the early 70s I decided I was going to put uncheckered rosewood grips on all my Smiths. i bought every pair I found at the gunshows mainly in the Ft. Worth/Dallas area. I've got three pair N frame, 2 with football cutouts and one without. I've got 8 pair of K frame 6 with football cutouts and 2 without. My grips without cutouts have black backs for the S&W and the eschucians (sp) ae flush with the grip instead of deep inside the hole. luckily the most I ever paid was $35.00

Sort of like Austin I started buying Rosewood grips in the early 70s. In that time of actively hunting, scrounging and buying, often for more than $35 I managed to come up with

4 "N" frame" Targets in Rosewood. 2 are checkered with black washers and 2 are smooth with black washers. All have the small first generation football relief.

I bid on a set that I thought were non relieved Rosewood "N" on e-bay a few years ago. The owner/moderator out bid me. What were those Lee?

"K" frame Targets in Rosewood are much more "common". I have 2 sets of Rosewood Targets with black washers that are non relieved. They also both seem to have a flare to the bottom and have a profile similar but not the same as Cokes. I have 4 sets of Rosewood "K" Targets that are smooth, with black washers and the football relief and 6 pair of black washer, football relief, checkered Targets. Of those two set are "Diamonds".

My Combat Magnum letters with one of the sets of Rosewood Targets. It doesn't mentioned smooth or checkered but they are checkered
"diamonds".

So in nearly 40 years of actively looking I've managed to acquire 16 sets of Rosewood grips. They don't come around everyday.

Ross

As an aside one of the sets of smooth, relieved, Rosewood Targets came on my 27-2 NIB that I bought in 1972 from a little gun shop in Goldendale, WA.

Thanks for all the helpful input. I have this pair of N Frame, Diamond, Non- Relieved Rosewoods and was wondering what specific revolver they most likely came with.
David

David: No idea. That being said any time you want to swap for a set of Cokes just drop me a line. :-0

Ross

Very nice set of stocks that are seldom seen. They could have been ordered with any N-frame or purchased separately. There is no way to know. However, based on their configuration, they pre-date the 44 Magnum and I would guess came on, or were ordered for a Pre-27 or one of the 1950 Target models or possibly a 1955 Target 45.

Bill

Sorry, but I really can't remember. I would have as good a chance telling you what I had for lunch that day.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

I dont guess there is a number on the back of one of those grips? That might give a little more insight.

Curtis, there is no number on them. I thought they was rather bland in color until i put them in the sunlight and seen that these were truly beautiful grips. This is the only set of rosewoods I have ever owned.

Lee: That's the problem. When you wheel and deal all the time in a gazillion guns you lose track. If you are just a simple ole retired LEO with one or two S&Ws then you can remember each and every gun and or set of grips what got away. ;-)


I figured you had a post war "N" frame they were correct for that needed them. You sure wouldn't STOP bidding. ;-)

That set or these sure would look nice on my pre 27 3 1/2' 357 Magnum. :-(

the best

Ross

Bean: A great find!!!! The old ones that are nearly black/purple are my favorites. I was serious. If you evr want to sell or swap with boot let me know.

I was told the other day that the target grips never came with the serial number on them, is this correct?

Man those non relieved Rosewoods above are rare as hens teeth! You could almost name your price on those...

[/QUOTE]I was told the other day that the target grips never came with the serial number on them, is this correct?[/QUOTE]

I have this set, that is numbered.




Steve

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Steve

Steve...a few of the early target stocks on the 1955 Target 45 were serial numbered (just like the K-frame target stocks on the early Combat Magnums were serial numbered). However, the stocks and serial number of the gun did not always match indicating that S&W later determined that numbering the stocks and fitting them was unnecessary.

I also have a pair of smooth stocks serial numbered to S170040, class A-engraved 44 Magnum, so S&W (as expected) did make exceptions to the rule.

Bill

Bill, thanks for your reply.

I have another question. I have a pre 24 with cokes, that are numbered to the gun. Shipped Dec. 23, 1955.

Should these be walnut?



Not a good picture, so if your going to be at Tulsa in April, I'd appreciate if you could come by and take a look at them and give me your opinion on them.

Thanks, Steve

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Steve

Steve...I will be in Tulsa and would like to see the gun. I remember Many calling me about it a couple of years ago. The stocks on your 44 Target were just beginning to be available in late 55 so they could very well be correct.

Bill

After reading several days of this thread, I'm getting the impression that the term "Rosewood" is being used interchangeably with "Goncala Alves". They are NOT the same. S&W used Walnut, Goncala Alves, and Rosewood. Rosewood was kind of pinkish when light and purplish when very dark. Goncala Alves sometimes had beautiful stripes of reddish dark brown.

Years later, target stocks became ******, without diamonds, very small area checkering of lousy quality, grossly mismatched panels, terrible "scrap" wood, bad inletting, and big fat butts. I wouldn't pay even 50 cents for those. They don't deserve to be put on a S&W revolver.

Al Dash

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Al&Ash

They look like "Coke Bottle" stocks that were initiated in 1955, and destined to be standard equipment on the .44 Magnum. Years later, they were also included on the .41 Magnum. A very few were released as special order items, but were very tough to come by, even at that time.

If that gun has those stocks numbered to it, the gun must have been special ordered, or some other special reason. That gun deserves a letter from Roy Jinks ($50). Be sure to mention the description or photo of the stocks.

Al Dash

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Al&Ash

Al, it has been lettered.

Roy states checkered "walnut" target grips.

That's why I want Bill to look at them, as I'm no authority on wood.

Thanks, Steve

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Steve

Guys I just found this website last nite and dont know what coke bottle grips refer to, also didnt know about black washers until I saw the back side of the rosewood ones. I have been buying S&W rosewood grips whenever I find a set I havent gotten any in several years the ones I have gotten were from the shotgun news and a the Wanamacher shows in Tulsa I have smooth and checkered and none with the diamond around the screw, all with the shiny washer and none cut for a speed loader. The most paid was 80 in 1983 from the Shotgun news. I have seen at Tulsa some rose wood that looked like S&W with the emblems in but when you turned them over no washers just a round router cut to key the grip to the frame.

I was talking about Rosewood, like pictured below...Pair on left are pretty minty, middle pare pretty worn and a little dirty, far right have been refinished with some high gloss ****...
Matt

Are these rosewood or are they GA?

Those are Goncalo Alves. I have a set of K/L stocks that are almost identical to yours in color and grain, as well as the fact that they are smooth targets like yours. Smith used different stains on some of their stocks that had decent grain, but were less than stellar in their color. If you soak those in acetone, it'll not only take the sealer/finish off, it'll take the stain out and they'll look totally different.

Here are what I think are relieved smooth rosewood targets on my 6-1/2" HD. These fit so well at the top of the backstrap that they appear to be fitted.





These are my favorite N frame stocks for target shooting.

Do you think these are fitted? Are they rosewood or GA?

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To be a rock and not to roll

I believe the stocks are made of GA. I don't believe they are fitted as S&W rarely fit target stocks to a particular frame.

Bill

Well, I guess I'll throw in a pair and ask too.

ADash has got me thinking, are these rosewood target grips?

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SWCA #2420

I have what I believe to be some rosewood targets on an N frame 25-2 from around 1972-74. Not sure if the stocks were original to the gun or not, but it was probably a special order gun since it came with a red ramp front sight and whote outline rear. I have only seen a handful of others configured that way. There is a stamping inside the stock which appears to be 4116. Anyway, I think these are rosewood, though they have a figure sort of like GA. They are very dark and the unfinished wood on the inside looks sort of purple. What do you think?

Doc44, I looked at these stocks under a 10X loupe and compared the grain with some other GA stocks, and I think you are correct in calling them GA. There is some micro striations you can see under magnification that is perpendicular to the grain in both sets.

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To be a rock and not to roll

epj...The stocks look like rosewood to me. I had a similar pair in the mid-70s.

GF...I believe yours too are rosewood.

Bill

I was pretty sure they had to be with that color. Then I looked at all the rosewood with little or no grain and started to wonder if I was wrong.

They look like dark walnut to me. very rare to see the checkered targets in rosewood....

Pontiaker...Checked, rosewood stocks were never plentiful, but S&W sold quite a few pairs in the mid-70s. I owned several pairs like those posted by epj.

Below is a photo of checked, rosewood target stocks for a K-frame that date to 1966.

Bill

Given enough time and gun oil walnut will start to look like rosewood. A test for me is to scratch the back with a pin. If the scratch just remains a scratch it's walnut. If it raises the grain and gets furry it's rosewood.
DW

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"NUTS"

Well, assuming these stocks are indeed rosewood, and I suspect they are, are they valuable? I ask, because this gun is a shooter and if the stocks are worth half as much as the gun or some such thing, I'll probably put them away and use some stocks I wouldn't mind getting scratched or dented. The gun gets handled pretty gently, but if you shoot one stuff happens. As far as time and gun oil, the gun was unfired post factory when I got it and I suspect it had been in storage for a long time. The finish is more the usual factory varnish than an oil finish.

Pontiaker, you mention in your picture of three sets of rosewood stocks that the third pair has a shiny refinish. I have a set of N-frame rosewood stocks I bought new directly from Smith in the mid-1970s and they have a similar shiny finish right from the factory.

The answer to your question is that yes they have value. Probably not half of the gun but if you hurt them where are you going to get replacements?

I display all my S&W with Rosewooods other than the few that wear Cokes. I do not shoot guns wearing either. The Rosewood grips are a bit brittle and the will chip in a heart beat if the grip screw is not kept tight. The curve at the top of the inside edge will breal right off. If you drop them and they land on the butt they invariably chip.

If it was mine, I'd display it just like that. Then I'd put something else on to carry/shoot it with.

If you are one of the guys that doesn't like owning stuff you can't/shouldn't use I'd be happy to buy them and replace them with factory grips that are less uncommon/rare.

Ross

I'm pretty sure this is a very early pair of non-relieved rosewoods. Of course, they don't letter with this pre-27.

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Pat Henson

beautiful...they look familiar...VM?...if so, i boarded them for a while...they don't eat much