2ND MODEL 44 SPECIAL

[Rust E. Badge]

Outstanding acquisition.

It's a beauty. I find something very interesting. It went back to the mother ship in 1954. Every pre war gun refinished after the war at the factory I've ever seen leaves one little piece of evidence: a polished flat rebound slide retention pin on the left side of the frame in front of the top of the grip panel.
Pre war new guns and factory pre war refinished guns have a domed, not polished flat. New production post war polishing protocol has flat polished pins. Pre war guns factory refinished after WWII also have the pins flat finished.

Yours is domed. And you didn't report a refinished stamp on the heel of the grip frame, left side. Does it have a stamp something like this?

View attachment 876605

Hondo

My 2nd Model from 1923 has a stamp of "93" and a small "x" on the left grip frame. Do you think that's an inspectors mark instead of a factory rework/date marking? Cylinder belongs to earlier gun shipped to same distributor and grips are from TL (I think). This and earlier gun must have gone to the same customer but I have no evidence.

 

[StrawHat]

… grips are from TL (I think). …

I have a triple lock that would love those stocks! Very nice!

Kevin

 

[Hondo44]

Hondo

My 2nd Model from 1923 has a stamp of "93" and a small "x" on the left grip frame. Do you think that's an inspectors mark instead of a factory rework/date marking? Cylinder belongs to earlier gun shipped to same distributor and grips are from TL (I think). This and earlier gun must have gone to the same customer b and by 1993ut I have no evidence.

I do, that's the only possible explanation I can think of. I don't think it's ever been refinished, the pin is still domed in front of the left grip top and rework date stamps had long since been eliminated plus it's in the wrong location.