This 17-3 is for sale on a regional forum board and is a couple hundred miles from me so I can't handle it. There is just this one picture but it shows non-relieved no diamond K frame target stocks. I thought all K frame targets without diamonds would have football cutouts or the full speed loader cuts. These look big enough to be N frame stocks too but the same question would apply I think even if N. Am I simply overlooking something I should remember or are these quite unusual?

Jeff
SWCA #1457

I'd say that's a factory error. You can't modify a set of target stocks that has an extractor relief cut or a speedloader cut and make it look like that (without adding wood).

I'm sure grip collectors would find them very interesting.

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"I also cook."

The photo is at an odd angle to see the top of the left panel, but someone might have shaved the panel down to the depth of the extractor cutout? It does look a little “full” so maybe not.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Modified post 1968 N targets on a K frame? I'm not sure why anyone would go to all that trouble.

Pretty neat,
My guess is the guy working the stock machine that day heard the 5 O'clock bell and really wanted to get home....Close enough ...ITS FRIIIIDAY!

These are K frame non-diamond football targets:



These are the stocks the OP posted:



They're not modified.

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"I also cook."

Thanks. Maybe the guy in the stockmaking shop was in a hurry Friday night to get to his son's...football game.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

That is my assessment too. If they were closer I'd go buy the gun ($700) just to get the stocks. If anyone is close to San Angelo, Texas and interested I can tell you how to find it.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

It's about a seven hour drive for me, but the deal itself looks doable......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Rare and unusual stocks certainly exist. Two pairs of coke bottle stocks without the relieved area and one pair of non-diamond targets without the relieved area (N-frame).

Bill

It is interesting that I found this thread regarding stocks today...a friend and I were discussing stocks and a couple of questions came up that I hope someone here can help us out with answers please...regarding K frame target stocks are the ones with the "football" cut out older than the ones with speedloader cut out? Regarding value would the "football" cut outs be worth more than the speedloader cut out variety? Thanking you in advance for any answers...Roger

The extractor/"football" cutout style dates back to the mid-1950s, and the speedloader to the early-mid 1980s.

You'll find much more price variation within the earlier style (wood type, smooth vs. checkered, and obviously the "Special Oversized Target/Coke") than the later style, which in my observations appear to not have much variation.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

As a general rule, the football cut stocks do command a premium over the newer style speedloader cut stocks.

Speaking of K frame non-relieved target stocks, a 17-2 (circa 1965 SN) I bought a couple years back came mounted with this set of diamond targets. I've been told they were used by S&W prior to when model numbers came into effect and they normally didn't put serial numbers on them when factory installed (mine have no SN).
Would S&W still have these laying around in 1965 to use on a 17-2?

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Never say never with S&W, but it is highly unlikely any of those non-relieved diamond targets from the early ‘50s would still be found at the factory by the time they were building 17-2s. Someone liked them and put them on the 17-2. They’re my favorite K frame stocks so I would put them on a favorite K22 of most any production year.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

I do like them a lot although I was thinking about trying to find some period correct Magna's to get the original appearance. I've heard the non-relieved diamond targets have some value though.