A friend of mine just bought a blued (now reblued by S&W before being stored some years ago) Model 58. He's pretty sure the original box and papers are gone-victims of a divorce-but the original owner still has a his original S&W screwdrivers he has accumulated through the years and has offered to give him the correct one. Can someone describe the type of screwdriver that would be "correct" with that first year 58? Would the box be a two-piece blue box with metal reinforced corners?
Also grips-looks like the originals have been replaced with a standard large pair of diamond grips. I don't know the terminology well enough to describe them other than that. I told him that to buy some time-correct grips, he might be looking at a "C" note. Any input on that?
He has the papers on it being sent to a PD, given to him by the original owner.
And no, I've already tried...it's not for sale, sentimental value.

A friend of mine just bought a blued (now reblued by S&W before being stored some years ago) Model 58. He's pretty sure the original box and papers are gone-victims of a divorce-but the original owner still has a his original S&W screwdrivers he has accumulated through the years and has offered to give him the correct one. Can someone describe the type of screwdriver that would be "correct" with that first year 58? Would the box be a two-piece blue box with metal reinforced corners?
Also grips-looks like the originals have been replaced with a standard large pair of diamond grips. I don't know the terminology well enough to describe them other than that. I told him that to buy some time-correct grips, he might be looking at a "C" note. Any input on that?
He has the papers on it being sent to a PD, given to him by the original owner.
And no, I've already tried...it's not for sale, sentimental value.

An excellent set of Diamond modified magnas would be closer to (2) "C" notes. Very hard to find.

The screw driver should be the fluted style. I believe the 2-pc blue box would be solid border.

Since the Model 58 is a fixed sight gun, did it even ship with a screwdriver?

Just a question.

No box, no papers, RE-blued, Why the "stickler" for a correct screw driver.

BTW, ServiceGun is correct, fixed sighted revolvers did not get shipped with screw drivers.

Here's a pic of the correct grips, diamond PC magna's:



Mike
SWCA 1975

__________________
Sure you did

Mike:
Regarding the stocks, I think you are probably right on the MMs but the other day I saw a mid 60s instruction sheet which contains a drawing of the gun (Model 58). I was surprised to see that it was wearing conventional diamond magnas with sharp margins (not rounded off). Maybe there is no connection between the pic and what they were actually wearing upon shipment.
Ed

Thanks, that didn't even enter my mind...I was just trying to think of everything original that might be around that might make it more valuable, as he is in contact with the original owner at the moment. He mentioned that the original owner had offered him a screwdriver when they were discussing the box and its fate. I had Mdl. 57s that came with presentation boxes and all the accessories, so I didn't even think of it not having a screwdriver.
Thanks for the price info on the grips, I've seen several of them in the holsters, usually with T-grip adapters, but I had no idea they would be that high.
Thanks for the info, pretty sure this one is going to the range rather than the safe anyway.

I have a Model 13 NIB that a family member bought brand new. It has the four pc toolkit w/fluted screwdriver in a sealed bag.
My wife have a NIB unfired Model 64 no dash with the same style toolkit.

Yes generally speaking fixed sight guns didn't come that way but I've seen alot over the years that did including 10's
The sight adjusting tool is handy taking grips on and off

Well, we have a semantic's problem here. The little aluminum and steel thinger isn't a screwdriver, its a sight adjusting tool. Many here misuse it as a screwdriver. Me included.

Typically, any fixed sight gun should not have come from the factory with that in the kit. Sometimes reality is different. If they were temporarily out of fixed sight 41 kits, I'm certain they wouldn't hesitate for an instant at tossing in one for a M57. Its just a business decision, an expedient one to ship a product.

The original kit and box are gone, as stated. No one can tell if it came with or without the tool. Its more correct to period without that.

__________________
Dick Burg

The grips on the gun "may" be original to the gun. M58s were shipped with Targets and since these as stated are "Diamond" Target grips just could be original to a 1964 gun.

One would not know unless the gun was "lettered" as the Target grips for some reason were never numbered to the gun...

Bob

I've never seen a 58 shipped with targets although I know anything could be ordered.
Even the books states that they were shipped with Walnut PC Magnas.

The grips in ladder 13's pic are the only ones I've seen on the guns around here that were carried (usually with a T-grip) but not replaced. In this this case, the officer remembers replacing the small grips with larger ones. Heck, they may be valuable, too. If I called them the wrong thing, it was because of my lack of knowledge (okay...ignorance is TECHNICALLY correct )of what to call them and referring to them as Diamonds.
I think the original grips are gone with the box and papers, but am going to get him to double check on that.
Lots of interesting posts on variations of packing. Guess it may depend on who was at the end of the line when guns were getting boxed and sent out on any particular day.

I purchased this S-series Model 58 from the son of the original owner. He assured me that it came with the diamond targets pictured. I don't take that too seriously. Maybe they were swapped out at the dealers...who knows?



As far as "sight adjustment tools" go...I use them for changing grips (OK rburg..."stocks" ) more than anything else.

Gordy

__________________
'Merica!

Dick said:
Fortunately, I discovered these wicked, lying, factory All Model Circulars from the mid-60's, which call a "tool" a "screwdriver", hiding amongst my righteous catalogs-




NOT to worry- I burned them before they could pollute the minds of young collectors with the incorrect term, or degrade the righteous paperwork.

A note for all-
The "Sight Adjusting Screwdriver Tool" is NOT a good GRIP screwdriver as a rule. MANY of them, though not all, are a few thousandths WIDER than a grip screw head, and they will GOUGE or SCRATCH the escutcheon around the screw head. I have seen it done many times, so I simply never use one on grips. You can buy a dandy screwdriver for a buck or two that FITS.

__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett