Just when I thought the gun show wasnt going to have some good Smith buys which at the time It didn't. I had a great time at the Saxet gun show though again. I put my display up and met a few of the forum members. Its pretty fun to all talk and meet one another. Anyways, I did get a beautiful gun from one of the forum members. Its a 629-1 Stainless "Effector". Quite the gun in original condition. I bought it for 675 and couldn't be any more pleased. Of course I hope my friend got use with the money. Pics will be up tomorrow I have to wait till my camera charges =/. Till then Thanks for everyone who I met and made friends with and hope to meet more great folks at the show.

Shawn H
#2320

Hello
I have been watching your thread here for pictures.
I have never noticed an Effector before, I do not think, and I am
interested in seeing what it is.
Thank you

Alright guys sorry for the delay in pictures lol. Anyways here are a few pictures of the gun. If anyone has any information about it I am always wanting to know.

Nice gun, thanks for sharing the pics. Hope someone has more info on this nice piece.
spricks

Yes, I agree. Nice 'piece. Would love to hear about the "Effector" designation, who stamped it, and what they were referring to. Looks like the barrel and hammer were bobbed, but p[retty straightforward other than that. It should be noted that in the early 80's, when the piece was made, the concept of a short-barrelled N frame in any caliber other than .357 was considered to be pushing the power/control envelope.

Are you saying that this gun was not stamped by Smith? Very interesting. Still, a very cool weapon.

John Jovino did the Effector conversions.
This is the first I can remember seeing that is stainless.
Search Jovino and you will get a bunch of threads.
I happen to think they are great looking N frames.
Yours is VERY nice.


Look at the links under Tags at the bottom of the page.

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The "Effector" designation appears to me to be of different lettering than the Smith & Wesson type. I would submit that this may be a limited offering, perhaps from a distributor, and that the gun did not leave Springfield in this configuration, although the purchaser may have bought an unfired revolver.

Of all the Jovino Effector's, that one is really cool. I really like it.
Nice score.

Munster

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From what I can gather, they would take a 629-1 and cut it down. Of course moving the gun front sight back and rounding the hammer. I have to say it is a very slick gun. The Jovino's where like the performance center of then if you will. John Jovino's shop has been the longest in New York. Quite a good piece to have not to mention that full lug and hand ejector. I wounder if there are alot of the stainless out there?

Earlier guns were typically based on the 25-2 45acp. The barrel was chopped a little shorter than yours, a ball/detent lockup added to replace the ejector rod lockup, trigger smoothed, hammer reconfigured, and square butt recontoured to k-frame sized round. The "effector" stamp was used only on later guns and, if I remember correctly, the designation was used by Magnaport for a while after Jovino stopped making them. The market for these guns pretty much dried up when the factory started producing 3" N-frames. Cool guns, though. Here's a 25-2.

Thanks for the information I appreciate it. Ive been wanting to get some more of the Jovino guns. I like alot of snubby guns.I do have to say the did dry up. I didn't even know about them till the gun show lol. That is a sweet little gun right there.

Now that's what I caal an HD gun! Loaded with middle of the road .44 specials, it ought to rock!

John Jovino also made the Effector model using Astra large frame revolvers. Most I have seen were 45 Colt and a couple 44 mags. This is the first JJ's I've seen on Smiths that were marked Effector.

Are you sure the barrel was shortened and if so, can you post better pics of the front sight and how it was attached? I presume the base was screwed on but I don't see a screw. Is it under the blade? And how about a pic looking into the muzzle? I have two revolvers with chopped barrels and from that view you can see how the barrel was milled to get a perfect fit of the base. I'm curious if yours was done the same way.

Dave Sinko

I have a 3" 629-1 also. it was a Lew Horton revolver. I really like it.

IIRC, I bought it in '93 or '94.

I agree that a short barrel 44 magnum is difficult to control, but even in the late 70's and early 80's, Remington was loading the 44 magum 'Medium Load'. This would have been a good choice for the short barrel 44 magnum.

It was loaded to about 1000 FPS from a 6" barrel, using a 240 gr. lead flat point bullet.

Significantly more powerful than the 44 Special, but also signification lower power than 'full power' factory 44 magnum loads.

I reload, so I can make whatever 44 magnum load I like, of course.

Hey pinkymingeo, that 25-2----DROOL . .DROOL . . .DROOL . . .

I've got my camera charging so I can take some pictures here soon. I do have to say the work is next to none. Pics will be up soon though David.

Yes the barrels are shortened.
Front sights are soldered on. You can still see the grooves of the sight rib on my 657 Effector.
Jovino Model 657 Effector front sight.

Jovino Model 57 Effector front sight.

Top to Bottom: Jovino 57 Effector, S&W 657 3", Jovino 657 Effector


Notice that the Effectors have a full length ejector rod.

Some more photos of my Effectors that I picked up a couple of weeks ago. .41 Magnum Jovino Effector X 2

KO

Wow ko41, that's a nice group of .41 Magnums. You people and your N-Frame snubbies are killin' me.

We also own a 629-1 "Lew Horton" that was built in 1987/88. I think there were 8000 of these Horton guns produced. Sweet little gun but a hand full for sure.

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N-frame snubbies aren't that easy to find in my area.
Very nice 'Effector' post, thanks a bunch.

I managed to acquire a factory 629-4 3" recently.
Shooting side-by-side with a 4" 629 reveals some interesting findings.

While it is possible to use 44 Mag in either, my own enjoyment and accuracy improves when using 44 special loads in the 3". I haven't figured out why, but a similar recipe in Mag brass vs Special brass gives less accuracy and more muzzle blast, at least with my own reloads.

The 3" makes a most satisfying handful none the less!

And 240 g SWC @ 900fps is no slouch either.

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Nice looking gun- thanks for sharing the pictures

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Nice looking!

That's some nice front sight work. I wonder if it was all done with hand tools? Anybody still do it this way? I have two barrels that have been shortened by different gunsmiths and the bases were screwed on. It's interesting to see the different methods. Those are very nice revolvers. I'm actually starting to prefer the short barrels over my Mountain Guns.

Dave Sinko

Yeah, I want to get to the range sometime and do some shooting again. Ive got a 24-3 Lew Horton as well. Something about a big N frame snubby is interesting. Its just to me amazing how the Jovino's are made as well. Now I want another one =). I'm sure I will run up on another one here soon. Great pictures to I am glad you posted some cause my camera wouldn't have been that great.

Nice Effector.

I have a blued one in .45 Colt and a .44 Magnum Astra Terminator, both by John Jovino.

They are great guns and their conversion of an N frame square butt to a K frame round butt is far more comfortable than the current S&W N frame round butt. However, the down side is that it is proprietary to the Pachmayr KRB grip.


ML

Pics of the Terminator?
I would like to compare it to mine.


Jim

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Do you hav pics o the Astra Terminator?

Very. very nice! Had a 3" 629 but it was brutal to shoot with magnums and really tore my hand up with the pretty grips. Pacs were much better. Do regret letting that one go.

Is Mr. Jovino still working? I would like to have my cylinders beefed up on my .41 mags.

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Here is mine...




VERY nice shooter.


Jim

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