What guns did these grips first start appearing on...? 20 years ago I preferred the cutout style for some reason, but now the football version is growing on me and the cutouts look a little weird. Were they put on later model guns...?

Did the 28-2 ever have target stocks on them from the factory...? Magnas look awesome on any N-frame, but the target stocks fill out my hand best and make me feel like I'm controlling the gun, and not the other way around.

There will be an expert answer for you shortly on this.


Most 28's came with Magnas although some left the factory with targets. I have a 28 that letters to Jan '62 with Target stocks.
I have a friend here in Alabama who has a pre28 with numbered target stocks

I'm not surprised that some had targets, but I'm a little surprised by the date. I would have thought later. If it was early 60s, they would have been diamond stocks, huh...

Now and then I see target grips with the right side cutout, not the left. Was that to better show the logo on the right side? I know the S- series had the logo down low. I've wondered whether it was moved up on the side plate so it wouldn't be covered by target stocks.

Thanks for the confirmation!

(I wouldn't mind knowing when N583959 was made, either, if someone has a book handy. Pity S&W doesn't publish that for free.)

Thanks again!

Mike is the stock expert, but I do know that the cutout on the right was usually placed there on special edition guns that had some type of inlay or logo on the right sideplate.

I believe that the speed loader cutout first appeared in '82. At least that's when I first started seeing them, and when the change from P&R to non P&R took place. I also seem to remember a post by Doc44 saying that the cutout appeared sometime right around '82-'83.

Book shows that N500000 was 1978-80, N6000000 was 1979-80, and N700000 was 1980 so there's a general time frame. One thing i have learned is that S&W didn't ship them in serial number order so publishing exact dates by range is impossible.

Although it's not published, you can call S&W customer service and they'll give you a closer date.

S&W
1-800-331-0852 Have your serial number ready.

Thanks everybody -- for the grip info, and the SN info.

I'm guessing the cutout was more-or-less a -3 thing then. Makes sense.

I picked up a M28 last year with a set of Houges and without much knowledge I went and picked up a set of really nice Targets from a forum member. But then the more I looked at M28's I realized that all the ones I was seeing had Magnas and I really began to love that look. I just scored a set of N Frame Magnas from another forum member and hope to have them tomorrow.

Thanks for asking and answering this question!