As usual, this is a draft of a future article that I'd like to run by you. Comments welcome.
John
The S&W Model 24 .44 Special Revolvers
For those who know me, it’s no secret that I’m a great fan of the .44 Special cartridge, and for many of the revolvers that have chambered it over the years. The .44 Special is intrinsically accurate, easy to reload to virtually any power level, and with factory ammunition, way easier on the hand than its .44 Magnum offspring. It allows lighter handguns than are needed for the Magnum. Since 1955, .44 Magnum revolvers have become popular not only for their power, but also because they can also handle the older and milder .44 Special. For guys and gals in my age bracket, it’s not unusual for us to shoot more Specials than Magnums in those guns to protect aging wrists and elbows. But one then has to put up with guns made more robust and heavier than are really needed. And so, the lighter guns for the .44 Special have become rarer – and more sought after!
Some history is in order here. The .44 Smith & Wesson Special cartridge came into being in September, 1907. It was simply a slightly elongated version of the older .44 Russian, designed to hold more powder. But inexplicably, the ammunition companies kept the newer cartridge loaded to the same specifications as the older one – a disappointment for many who saw the potential of the Special. Reloaders, on the other hand, found that the Special could be souped-up to impressive power levels, and still fired with relative safety. It was discovered that a 250-grain cast semiwadcutter bullet could be propelled at maximum velocities hovering around 1200 feet per second. In the middle 1930s, the new .357 Magnum was heralded as the most powerful handgun cartridge. Not true by quite a margin for reloaders, who showed that a specially-loaded .44 Special could have not only higher energy, but an edge in accuracy as well. A group of .44 Special reloaders called themselves the “.44 associates” in the 1930s, swapping loading data and routinely referring to the vaunted .357 Magnum in derogatory terms!
When the .44 Magnum cartridge was introduced in 1955, it turned out that it had only a slightly-lengthened .44 Special case. The purpose of that was not to allow greater powder capacity, but simply to keep .44 Magnums from being inserted into older .44 Special chambers. For most folks, the factory-loaded .44 Magnum has way more power and recoil than is needed, and the revolvers chambered for it are unnecessarily bulky and heavy. Like Goldilocks, they will often find that .44 Special guns are “just right.”
The first Smith & Wesson revolver chambered for the .44 Special came out in 1907 as the New Century Triple Lock. Today it’s a prime collector’s item – hard to find and very expensive. Elmer Keith, legendary gun writer, worked up some heavy .44 Special loads for use in this handgun, but damaged it doing so. He later warned not to use his loads in the early guns that lacked proper cylinder heat treating. The Triple Lock’s successor was the Second Model Hand Ejector. It lacked an ejector rod shroud and the third cylinder lock. It’s also nearly extinct and practically unobtainable today. A 1926 model with an ejector rod shroud was made from that year up until World War II, and manufacture of it then resumed from 1946 to 1948. In 1950, the “1950 Target Model .44” was offered. It was considered the finest of all the .44 Special S&W revolvers up to that time. It had a newer short-cocking action, and sported a tapered 6.5” barrel with a target-style Patridge front sight to go with the great post-war micrometer rear sight. A few were made with 4” barrels that were equipped with ramped (Baughman) front sights. A few specially-made 5” barreled guns have been noticed. All of these guns had ejector rod shrouds.
When S&W assigned model numbers to all of their handguns in 1957, these revolvers became the Model 24. There was a Model 21 with fixed sights and shrouded ejector rod, previously known as the Model of 1950 .44 Military. These were offered from 1950 to 1966 with about 1,200 made.
Unfortunately, with the dominance of the Model 29 .44 Magnum and the need for large N-frames to produce the .357 Magnum Models 27 and 28, the Model 24 got short shrift in both demand and production. It was discontinued in 1966, to the dismay of those who prized it. In that year, this fine revolver’s final price was $95. In 1982, collectors and shooters were paying in the range of $600 to $800 when they occasionally found one or more in excellent condition. Gunsmiths were converting .357 Magnum Model 27s and Model 28s to .44 Specials to meet demand. A number of gun writers, including Skeeter Skelton (whose writings I treasure), were pressuring S&W to re-introduce the Model 24. And then Smith and Wesson responded!
In 1983, S&W began to manufacture the “Model 24-3 1950 Target” revolvers. These were nearly identical to the original Model 24, but incorporated a non-pinned barrel, a 3-screw sideplate and eliminated the screw in front of the trigger guard. In 1983 and 1984, 2,625 were manufactured with 4” barrels and 4,875 with 6.5” barrels. Front sights on each were the same as the originals. The introductory price was $391. The revolvers pictured here show these two main variations. The top one with the 6.5” barrel was shipped in April 1984, and the lower one with the 4” barrel left the factory in March of the same year. Smith & Wesson also included original parts sheets for the Model 1950 Target in the boxes with each of these guns. Interestingly, some of the first guns made were crafted with available Model 29 frames and older Model 24 barrels. The first 100 of the new “dash 3” handguns made were factory engraved and had smooth walnut stocks. Twenty-five of these were nickel finished and engraved.
A 3”-barreled variation of the 24-3 was made for Lew Horton Distributors in 1984 and 1985. These had round butts, smooth “combat” stocks, red-ramp front sights and white outline rear sights. It’s been reported that 5,000 of these were made, 1,000 of which were provided with black holsters. Some commemorative .44 Special revolvers were made as the “Through the line” variation of the “Twelve Revolvers” series. These were designated as the 24-4 models. In 2001, a 4-screw-frame Performance Center Heritage Series model became the Model 24-5. In 2006, 250 3”-barreled guns were made in blue and the same number in nickel for Lew Horton Distributors. These Model 24-6s had square butts with diamond-checkered regular magna rosewood stocks.
A “Thunder Ranch” Model 21 with a 4” barrel also appeared in 2006. Stainless steel revolvers designated as the Model 624 were produced from 1985 to 1988 as the “Model of 1985 Target Stainless.” Both 4” and 6.5”-barreled variations were made. Five thousand 3”-barreled stainless round-butt 624s were specially manufactured for Lew Horton Distributors.
Alas, no current .44 Specials are being made at Smith & Wesson. While many consider the .44 Special to be obsolete, a dedicated cadre of aficionados still hunger for and occasionally find long-sought-after revolvers that chamber this round. As before in the early 1980s, asking prices are continuing to rise for these quality revolvers, and are usually, if grudgingly, paid.
Today, all of the wonderful S&W .44 Specials continue to be in high demand with shooters and collectors. Pre-owned Model 24s, in particular, continue to be snapped up at gun shows and dealers whenever they come on the market. They have been proved to be a highly desirable combination of accuracy, comfortable weight and extensive range of power. Classics all.
(c) 2016 JLM
John
The S&W Model 24 .44 Special Revolvers
For those who know me, it’s no secret that I’m a great fan of the .44 Special cartridge, and for many of the revolvers that have chambered it over the years. The .44 Special is intrinsically accurate, easy to reload to virtually any power level, and with factory ammunition, way easier on the hand than its .44 Magnum offspring. It allows lighter handguns than are needed for the Magnum. Since 1955, .44 Magnum revolvers have become popular not only for their power, but also because they can also handle the older and milder .44 Special. For guys and gals in my age bracket, it’s not unusual for us to shoot more Specials than Magnums in those guns to protect aging wrists and elbows. But one then has to put up with guns made more robust and heavier than are really needed. And so, the lighter guns for the .44 Special have become rarer – and more sought after!
Some history is in order here. The .44 Smith & Wesson Special cartridge came into being in September, 1907. It was simply a slightly elongated version of the older .44 Russian, designed to hold more powder. But inexplicably, the ammunition companies kept the newer cartridge loaded to the same specifications as the older one – a disappointment for many who saw the potential of the Special. Reloaders, on the other hand, found that the Special could be souped-up to impressive power levels, and still fired with relative safety. It was discovered that a 250-grain cast semiwadcutter bullet could be propelled at maximum velocities hovering around 1200 feet per second. In the middle 1930s, the new .357 Magnum was heralded as the most powerful handgun cartridge. Not true by quite a margin for reloaders, who showed that a specially-loaded .44 Special could have not only higher energy, but an edge in accuracy as well. A group of .44 Special reloaders called themselves the “.44 associates” in the 1930s, swapping loading data and routinely referring to the vaunted .357 Magnum in derogatory terms!
When the .44 Magnum cartridge was introduced in 1955, it turned out that it had only a slightly-lengthened .44 Special case. The purpose of that was not to allow greater powder capacity, but simply to keep .44 Magnums from being inserted into older .44 Special chambers. For most folks, the factory-loaded .44 Magnum has way more power and recoil than is needed, and the revolvers chambered for it are unnecessarily bulky and heavy. Like Goldilocks, they will often find that .44 Special guns are “just right.”
The first Smith & Wesson revolver chambered for the .44 Special came out in 1907 as the New Century Triple Lock. Today it’s a prime collector’s item – hard to find and very expensive. Elmer Keith, legendary gun writer, worked up some heavy .44 Special loads for use in this handgun, but damaged it doing so. He later warned not to use his loads in the early guns that lacked proper cylinder heat treating. The Triple Lock’s successor was the Second Model Hand Ejector. It lacked an ejector rod shroud and the third cylinder lock. It’s also nearly extinct and practically unobtainable today. A 1926 model with an ejector rod shroud was made from that year up until World War II, and manufacture of it then resumed from 1946 to 1948. In 1950, the “1950 Target Model .44” was offered. It was considered the finest of all the .44 Special S&W revolvers up to that time. It had a newer short-cocking action, and sported a tapered 6.5” barrel with a target-style Patridge front sight to go with the great post-war micrometer rear sight. A few were made with 4” barrels that were equipped with ramped (Baughman) front sights. A few specially-made 5” barreled guns have been noticed. All of these guns had ejector rod shrouds.
When S&W assigned model numbers to all of their handguns in 1957, these revolvers became the Model 24. There was a Model 21 with fixed sights and shrouded ejector rod, previously known as the Model of 1950 .44 Military. These were offered from 1950 to 1966 with about 1,200 made.
Unfortunately, with the dominance of the Model 29 .44 Magnum and the need for large N-frames to produce the .357 Magnum Models 27 and 28, the Model 24 got short shrift in both demand and production. It was discontinued in 1966, to the dismay of those who prized it. In that year, this fine revolver’s final price was $95. In 1982, collectors and shooters were paying in the range of $600 to $800 when they occasionally found one or more in excellent condition. Gunsmiths were converting .357 Magnum Model 27s and Model 28s to .44 Specials to meet demand. A number of gun writers, including Skeeter Skelton (whose writings I treasure), were pressuring S&W to re-introduce the Model 24. And then Smith and Wesson responded!
In 1983, S&W began to manufacture the “Model 24-3 1950 Target” revolvers. These were nearly identical to the original Model 24, but incorporated a non-pinned barrel, a 3-screw sideplate and eliminated the screw in front of the trigger guard. In 1983 and 1984, 2,625 were manufactured with 4” barrels and 4,875 with 6.5” barrels. Front sights on each were the same as the originals. The introductory price was $391. The revolvers pictured here show these two main variations. The top one with the 6.5” barrel was shipped in April 1984, and the lower one with the 4” barrel left the factory in March of the same year. Smith & Wesson also included original parts sheets for the Model 1950 Target in the boxes with each of these guns. Interestingly, some of the first guns made were crafted with available Model 29 frames and older Model 24 barrels. The first 100 of the new “dash 3” handguns made were factory engraved and had smooth walnut stocks. Twenty-five of these were nickel finished and engraved.
A 3”-barreled variation of the 24-3 was made for Lew Horton Distributors in 1984 and 1985. These had round butts, smooth “combat” stocks, red-ramp front sights and white outline rear sights. It’s been reported that 5,000 of these were made, 1,000 of which were provided with black holsters. Some commemorative .44 Special revolvers were made as the “Through the line” variation of the “Twelve Revolvers” series. These were designated as the 24-4 models. In 2001, a 4-screw-frame Performance Center Heritage Series model became the Model 24-5. In 2006, 250 3”-barreled guns were made in blue and the same number in nickel for Lew Horton Distributors. These Model 24-6s had square butts with diamond-checkered regular magna rosewood stocks.
A “Thunder Ranch” Model 21 with a 4” barrel also appeared in 2006. Stainless steel revolvers designated as the Model 624 were produced from 1985 to 1988 as the “Model of 1985 Target Stainless.” Both 4” and 6.5”-barreled variations were made. Five thousand 3”-barreled stainless round-butt 624s were specially manufactured for Lew Horton Distributors.
Alas, no current .44 Specials are being made at Smith & Wesson. While many consider the .44 Special to be obsolete, a dedicated cadre of aficionados still hunger for and occasionally find long-sought-after revolvers that chamber this round. As before in the early 1980s, asking prices are continuing to rise for these quality revolvers, and are usually, if grudgingly, paid.
Today, all of the wonderful S&W .44 Specials continue to be in high demand with shooters and collectors. Pre-owned Model 24s, in particular, continue to be snapped up at gun shows and dealers whenever they come on the market. They have been proved to be a highly desirable combination of accuracy, comfortable weight and extensive range of power. Classics all.
(c) 2016 JLM
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That was an excellent write up of the 44 spl history. Makes me wanna go buy another one. There were 250 each blued and nickel 24-6 models made in 2006 for Lew Horton Dist. I'm lucky enough to own one of the blued models.
