New to me 15-3

bjrjar

bjrjar

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Picked up a 15-3 Combat Masterpiece at the Big Reno Show on Friday. It’s a little rough but cost was reasonable for a shooter. I’m wondering if it has been refinished in flat black, or whether that was ever an option. I looked in the Smith and Wesson catalog but did not find any flat black mentioned. Have you guys ever heard of it?

Thanks for your expert opinions,[emoji2]

Bob


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What barrel length?

I picked up this 15-4 at the Big Show last year. $530
I’ve only seen gloss black 15s, but I am far from a 15 expert. I did however have a 15-2 black nitrided, which is more of a satin finish.


How is the new venue? More like the GSR?
 

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Hi guys. Thanks for the info. Barrel looks to be a 4 inch. I haven’t really measured it yet. I tried cleaning it a little last night and it seems more like nitrided than anything else. It seems tight enough and the trigger seems ok, but it has worked hard and there’s a few spots that look like covered rust. I’ll try to post a picture or two later today. I got it for $350.

The venue at the Sparks (Nugget) was a little more like the GSR, but they still wanted some covering over the guns when you left and walked through the lobby areas. It was much less crowded, as I expected. Not much shoulder to shoulder activity. The gun didn’t have a case with it so as we left, they loosely wrapped a black plastic cover on it to conceal it from view. At least they didn’t seem as paranoid as the last GSR show. We left Friday afternoon because a snow storm was coming, and we would rather drive back to the Bay Area on dry roads.

Bob


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My first duty weapon was a 15-3 and it was gloss black. I suspect a previous owner had a hand in a change.

I carried my 15-3 for nine years and traded it for a 19-4 which stayed with me until I pulled the pin after 33 years of service.

I hope you get a great deal of enjoyment from your Combat Masterpiece and that it's a tack driver at the range.
 
Years ago I traded for a Model 10 and a 14 at a gun show. They were both that flat black, smoother than Parkerizing finish. I’ve always assumed that they were used and refinished to be resold like that. It resembles what I believe was called midnight black.
 
I have a refinished Commercial 1917 that the auction cataloged listed as such and called it matte black. Great shooter and professional refinish. Evidence of pitting in its lifetime and matte finish over bead blasting help appearance of guns that have had heavy pitting.
 
bjrjar said:
Hi guys. Thanks for the info. Barrel looks to be a 4 inch. I haven’t really measured it yet. I tried cleaning it a little last night and it seems more like nitrided than anything else. It seems tight enough and the trigger seems ok, but it has worked hard and there’s a few spots that look like covered rust. I’ll try to post a picture or two later today. I got it for $350.

The venue at the Sparks (Nugget) was a little more like the GSR, but they still wanted some covering over the guns when you left and walked through the lobby areas. It was much less crowded, as I expected. Not much shoulder to shoulder activity. The gun didn’t have a case with it so as we left, they loosely wrapped a black plastic cover on it to conceal it from view. At least they didn’t seem as paranoid as the last GSR show. We left Friday afternoon because a snow storm was coming, and we would rather drive back to the Bay Area on dry roads.

Bob


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Click to expand...



I will try to add a couple pix now:

72b82a43bf78f0d0c5ed91297a60aaa8.jpg



082d14b74f4eb7b332fa5e517ee22ae8.jpg


Serial 79906 nothing on back of stocks. Barrel is 4”.

Bob


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bjrjar said:
Serial 79906 nothing on back of stocks.
Click to expand...
Hi Bob
Target stocks were not serialized and those are much too old to have come on that revolver. In fact, they are quite special and are probably worth at least 50% of the price of the gun alone.

As for the serial number, I can guarantee it is not 79906. Either you have given us only part of it, or you got that number from the yoke.

The serial number on a Model 15-3 will have a K in either first or second place and there will be a total of 6 numeric digits. Look on the butt with the stocks removed.

Edit: Just noticed the price you paid for the revolver. That's about what the gun is worth with the refinish. BUT, the stocks are easily worth that much without the gun! Good going!
 
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JP@AK said:
Hi Bob

Target stocks were not serialized and those are much too old to have come on that revolver. In fact, they are quite special and are probably worth at least 50% of the price of the gun alone.



As for the serial number, I can guarantee it is not 79906. Either you have given us only part of it, or you got that number from the yoke.



The serial number on a Model 15-3 will have a K in either first or second place and there will be a total of 6 numeric digits. Look on the butt with the stocks removed.
Click to expand...



Thanks. I took that serial from the hand tag that the seller had on it. I will check the real serial under the stocks. I did notice it has it under there but didn’t write it down.

Bob


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Bob

Here is a 4" Combat Masterpiece Model 15-2 with period correct target stocks on it. Notice the extractor relief on the left hand side, below the thumb piece. If your Model 15-3 shipped with target stocks, they would have looked like these except they would not have had the smooth diamond at the screw location.

Yours are non-relieved target stocks. Those were the earliest postwar K frame targets. In about the middle of the 1950s they were being replaced with the type shown here. Collectors refer to these as "football targets" because of the shape of the relief for the extractor. The diamond was eliminated in about 1967-68, roughly at the same time the 15-3 was released.

jp-ak-albums-k-frame-target-revolvers-picture8332-model-15-3t.jpg
 
bjrjar said:
Thanks. I took that serial from the hang tag that the seller had on it. I will check the real serial under the stocks. I did notice it has it under there but didn’t write it down.

Bob


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Click to expand...



The real s/n is 5K84406

da1599f0e989f85de7de835e2c5b4a38.jpg


Took pix of stocks while they were off:

81d0b1559f0f627fc70ff62f5153f297.jpg


fdd4a34accaec747e91720ac95c915a0.jpg


Thanks again Jack for all the info. It’s been very helpful in understanding what I bought.

Bob


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If you look at the fit of the sideplate below the cylinder you will see evidence of buffing/refinishing.
Is that a target trigger? Hard to tell from the image , but it looks like it to me. I would consider that a plus.
All in all , you got a decent price on one of the great shooters of all time - refinish aside , and those grips make it a very nice deal indeed.

Funny that such desirable grips would turn up on a revolver as cosmetically rough as that one. You never know what you are going to find.
 
Waveski said:
If you look at the fit of the sideplate below the cylinder you will see evidence of buffing/refinishing.
Is that a target trigger? Hard to tell from the image , but it looks like it to me. I would consider that a plus.
All in all , you got a decent price on one of the great shooters of all time - refinish aside , and those grips make it a very nice deal indeed.

Funny that such desirable grips would turn up on a revolver as cosmetically rough as that one. You never know what you are going to find.
Click to expand...



I had no idea what I was getting. Maybe I should get some generic Hogue grips and sell these. I might essentially get the gun for free? I am surprised, but obviously have much to learn about Smith and Wessons.

Funny thing is, I learned to shoot a pistol using a SAA and when I got a CCW the range instructor talked me into using a semi-auto. It took lots of effort to learn not to shoot left and low using the semi. Something I never had a problem with when using a revolver. I can see some advantages to a semi when carrying. Easier to conceal, more rounds etc. My first semi was a S&W Shield and it is a nice gun, but quite different to shoot when you are used to a single action revolver.

Thanks to everyone for your expert help.

Bob


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