A Model 19?

[briank3x]

Hello, I was handed down a S&W .357mag revolver quite a few years ago and not really sure what model it is. From the research I've read I believe it's a 19 although the grips are rounded and not squared like all the ones I've seen(they are S&W wood grips and was told they are orig.). There is no model stamp inside the yolk, only matching ser. number, which is K316XXX. It is a four screw with post war sights. It's a really nice pistol that was used as a hunting sidearm so it does have some holster wear but still looks great and shoots even better. Any help id'ing will definitely be appreciated.

Brian

 

[murphydog]

Welcome! If it is a .357, you have the ID correct except this was before it was called the model 19 in about 1957. "Pre-model 19" or the more romantic name of Combat Magnum are correct. What is the barrel length (muzzle to cylinder face)?

 

[briank3x]

It's a 4". Thank you for the info.

 

[JayCeeNC]

Yep, that's a .357 Combat Magnum.
When you open the cylinder is there a marking of "Mod 19" inside where the cylinder crane meets the frame? That serial number range has some model marked and some non-model marked guns. It probably shipped from the factory in mid 1958.
Those are likely the original grips, or at least the type of grips which are correct for that era. It appears they have been smoothed and rounded at the bottom, and the top of the left grip panel has been "scooped out" probably to make ejecting empty cases a bit easier. Not an uncommon modification for those grips.

 

[Engine49guy]

Very nice Combat Magnum...Congrats !

The grips were modified by someone sanding them down,

Nonmenclature Nonmenclature ...ha ha

Technically a "Pre 19" would be a Combat Magnum that shipped in 1955 or 1956 prior to when the Model marking process was adopted in 1957,

Although many still shipped in 1957 without model markings (after the model marking process began) depending on what was in stock at that time ,
If your gun shipped after model marking began it would technically be a "Non Model marked 19" rather than a "Pre 19".

These are some of the tidbits that make collecting them so much fun

 

[briank3x]

Is the cylinder crane the same as the yoke?
On the frame where the yoke covers when closed is the full ser,#. along with three other markings that are a U, a circle with a 2 inside and another that looks like a O that looks double stamped on the right)
On the yoke itself is stamped 36 7 69 and two other marks which appear to be a sideway W and an upside-down V.
I assumed the grips came from the factory shaped as they were because I can't see any sign of remodeling. Whoever did it did a clean job at it.

Thanks everyone for your help. My eyes were going bad looking ALL over the place trying to figure out what I have.

 

[briank3x]

Wow there are a LOT of variations. This hobby appears it can be very addicting. If I didn't live in California and already have several costly hobbies, this could definitely use up a lot of my time.

 

[wlp624]

...This hobby appears it can be very addicting... this could definitely use up a lot of my time.

Not to mention money, more time, more money, still more time, still more money...

 

[Hondo44]

Is the cylinder crane the same as the yoke?
On the frame where the yoke covers when closed is the full ser,#. along with three other markings that are a U, a circle with a 2 inside and another that looks like a O that looks double stamped on the right)
On the yoke itself is stamped 36 7 69 and two other marks which appear to be a sideway W and an upside-down V.
I assumed the grips came from the factory shaped as they were because I can't see any sign of remodeling. Whoever did it did a clean job at it.

Thanks everyone for your help. My eyes were going bad looking ALL over the place trying to figure out what I have.

Yoke is the official S&W factory terminology. Crane is the Colt term for its guns.
These are N frame target stocks but the one on the left is exactly what your K frame target stocks looked like originally:

So you can see why the modification was preferred for a hunting sidearm; a great improvement. They appear to need a finish however. Birchwood Casey's Tru Oil would be the perfect choice. Available almost anywhere gun products are sold including on-line here:
http://www.brownells.com/

 

[JayCeeNC]

Your grips did not come from the factory that way, they were modified.
This is where the model number will be stamped if it is a model-marked gun:

 

[briank3x]

Where that picture shows "Mod-10", mine has the full correct serial #K 316XXX

 

[JayCeeNC]

OK, then yours was produced before they began marking that model as the Model 19.
It's a Combat Magnum, sometimes called the pre-Model 19.
Nice gun, and one which has remained popular for more than 50 years.

 

[chief38]

Yes, the stocks were sanded down, but at least from here it looks like whoever did it did a nice clean job. I would however put a nice finish of tung oil, true-oil, or poly urethane as they look to me as of they are raw.