1950 Model 45 Target - Found in Tucson

My Model 1950

Enjoyed the .45 Wheelgun post on newly found Model 1950. Mine shown below (s85xxx) is probably a military target model given the lanyard ring. The standard medallion grips were a little too small so I made my own custom set out of black walnut. I also made a custom belt ammo pouch which carries two .45 ACP full-moon clips and a .45 Auto Rim speedloader.
I have no idea if it will chamber or eject .45 Long Colt. Anyone?

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Welcome to the Forum, Jaguarman.

To my eye, it appears your revolver is a 1950 Target .45 that has had a lanyard loop added to it. Can you post a picture of the butt? And a couple of the grip frame, both sides, with the grips removed?

A military frame would not be set up for an adjustable rear sight or have a rib to match a barrel rib.
 
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My Model 1950

Thanks for the info guys. I was mainly bragging about my favorite target gun and the custom grips and ammo pouch I made. A lot of the discussion on the presence of the lanyard ring was covered in a 12/21/14 Model 1950 thread by DrDan314. The consensus was it is indeed a target model. The lanyard hole is smooth, no threads and with an adjacent pin tunnel. The hole is in a large space between the "S" and the numerals, suggesting the hole was tapped before the s/n was struck. This exact layout was confirmed on a 1953 Model 1950 .44spl which came from the factory with the lanyard ring as documented in a S&W letter. So even though some literature says the factory ring was discontinued after 1950, we know it was still alive and well.
The real question is whether it is a "military" model. The family story is that it was issued to an Army officer in Korea who brought it back. I guess the only way to determine for sure is to spring for a S&W factory letter. In any case, I'm just happy I was the recipient.
 
Welcome to the forum.

That's a beautiful 1950 Target Model. And it's a Target Model whether or not it has a lanyard swivel. Swivels were optional on any commercial model back in the day, and still are to this day on a limited basis.

Factory swivels original to the frame and factory swivel additions are always 1/10" forward of center. The serial number on the butt of pre war guns was stamped off center if the frame was originally assembled with one. If orders came thru for guns with lanyard swivels and there were no assembled revolvers with them in inventory, the factory would not build a new gun if other revolvers that matched the order were in inventory, except for the swivel. In those cases the factory drilled thru the factory serial # for installation of a lanyard swivel before initial shipping. Also if sent back to the factory for addition of a swivel. But in those two cases the s/n is always re-stamped on the left side of grip frame, under the left stock.

Commercial N frame fixed sight models (non-target models) built after the wars on surplus military frames were often but randomly supplied with lanyard swivels.

Post war serial numbers on the butt are always off center to the rear, so adding a swivel didn't require drilling thru the #.

Swivels were often ordered on law enforcement revolvers.

Occasionally the factory installed a plug in the swivel hole if it was already drilled.
 
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Thanks, Jim. Your post appears to be the definitive opinion.

Just my two cents on half-moon clips: they are flimsy and break after a couple of uses. The full moon clips last a long time and are faster to load, in fact, they seem as fast as a speedloader.
 
I have been shooting .45 ACP in revolvers since the late 1960's. I have owned S&W's, Colts and converted Webleys, and have never had a problem with bent or broken half moon clips. The clips have been military, S&W and aftermarket varieties. Until I made a de-mooning tool a couple of years ago, all loading and unloading was done using my fingers. I think that if you are bending or breaking half moon clips it is either poor quality clips or improper handling that is the problem.
 
Yep, could be quality or skill. I'm sure not an expert. But I've noticed there are a lot of us non-experts out there with same experience with half moons. But let's say they are sturdy enough, why would you want to do twice what you can do once in half the time?
 
"The real question is whether it is a "military" model. The family story is that it was issued to an Army officer in Korea who brought it back."

The 1950 Target was introduced in February 1950. I am not aware of any purchases made by the military of this model. When WW II ended, all branches of the military suffered severe cutbacks of personnel. There were tons of 1911 and 1911A1 .45 pistols in inventory and they were the primary sidearms.

Military officers were given a lot of leeway on their personal sidearms (think George Patton!). If indeed this 1950 went to Korea, it would have gone as your family member's personal handgun, bought and paid for by him before shipping out. Or it could have been sent to him from the States, once he was overseas. Since lanyard loops weren't standard on the 1950, I would get a S&W letter on it. It could well have been a special order and letter as shipped to your loved one!
 
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Jaguarman:The reason for not carrying full moon clips is because of their bulk, probably why the Army didn't use them from the beginning. Itis easier to carry two half moons in a belt pouch or pocket than it is to carry one full moon. The use of revolvers in .45 ACP was only a stop gap because of an insufficient supply of M1911 pistols and I doubt that speed of loading/reloading was a consideration, but since the clips were shipped and issued loaded, bulk would have been a consideration.

Muley Gil: While I never heard of any .45 target revolvers being procured for issue. it is not impossible that some could have been bought locally for marksmanship teams through use of local funds. In the early 1970's Matt Dryke shot a Remington M3200 while on the Army Team at Ft. Benning, and I'm pretty sure that it was an Army owned gun even though not normal issue.
 
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It was the bulk of full moon clips alright, but not for carrying that did them in:

The 'half-moon' clip evolved from a 'full-moon' clip design originally invented by S&W for rimmed cartridges in their 'Top Break' #3 revolvers in the latter part of the 19th century as a form of what we know today as a 'speed loader'.

The original intended use was never put into production however. Probably because Smith didn't have much luck obtaining Army contracts for their revolver. A good idea languished for 30 years or so until the "The .45 Hand Ejector U.S. - Model 1917" was designed to chamber the 45 ACP rimless round. Why then did Smith & Wesson invent and patent the half-moon clip?

Very simple as it turns out; the military correctly concluded that pre-loaded half-moon clips could be packaged much more efficiently than pre-loaded full-moon clips. Which Smith, at the request of the Army allowed Colt to also use free of charge. Alas, the full-moon clip was once again relegated to the back burner of firearms ingenuity. Only in the more recent past, after 100 + years since its invention, has the currently popular full-moon clip finally gained its full due.

The half-moon clip was patented in 1918 (application filed August 15, 1917) by Joseph H. Wesson, one of Daniel B. Wesson's sons, who also designed a machine to load them. He also designed various full-moon clips and even a quick loading carrier for 24 cartridges.

Factory racks of 1/2 moon clips prior to being loaded:

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Thanks, you guys really know your stuff. I agree, I need to get a letter if I'm gonna know the real story.
Interesting to hear that half-moon evolved from full-moon. Makes sense that half-moons would be easier to package/ship.
But packing/shipping aside, back to original question of half-moon vs full-moon durability and loading speed. Am I right in assuming that full-moons are more durable and faster to load? The engineering alone indicates they, are but I want to make sure I'm using the best method for my 1950.
Jaguarman
 
Jaguarman,

I think it all depends on what you are used to using. Full moons may be faster to reload all 6 at once. 1/2 moons allow you to load three and the little 1/3 moons allow you to top up two at a time.

Pick your poison and practice with it. I usually have the full moons for carry and the 1/3 moons at the range.

Kevin
 
That is just a beautiful gun... The 1950 Target is one of the few Smiths on my want list that I have not bought yet...

As to the conversion...my thought would be to find a second .45 ACP cylinder and convert that one to .45 Colt using the above method. That way one doesn't ruin the collector value of the the gun and one also doesn't have to keep changing out the star...just swap cylinders...

Bob
 
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Bob - the method used didn't ruin the collector value in my eyes or in the eyes of a former SWCA President. The modification of the serial numbered part wasn't necessary.

On the other hand swapping cylinders opens many opportunities to devalue a firearm starting when you remove the side plate screw and then remove the yoke and cylinder. Buggered screws, scratched frame, scratched cylinder, lost parts, bent yoke. Also it is significantly less expensive to purchase an extractor than all the parts necessary to swap cylinders. You would be hard pressed to match finishes unless you are very lucky...or you could just modify an extra extractor.
 
Thank you StrawHat, I have a 1950 .45 Target Model (light barrel) "Pre-Model 26". As many know, there was only 2,768 of these manufactured with a lesser part of that number being in .45 Colt.

I had to obtain a Model 25-2 to keep mine company in the gun rack.
 

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