Factory magnas or modified?

[GF]

Take a look at these and tell me what you think. I traded a set of target grips for these (I just happened to have an extra set) and thought at the time someone had sanded the checkering off. They have good grain so the trade was made.

back side.

Note that both grips are marked with a "15"

I bet these are from the 15th S&W ever made!
(OK. Maybe not.)
I'll just settle for them being original.

Sanded or made this way? What say you?

GF

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Gail,

I am going with original. Doc44 has some smooth magnas on one of his .44's if I recall correctly, and i have seen a few sets on another site that are all claimed to be original.

My guess is they came of an anniversary, or limited edition gun.

Whatever they are, I'd be happy to own them. They are very nice.

 

[mhg2tld]

Anything I would say would be a guess. That being said, I really like them. Looking forward to seeing a picture of them on one of your guns.

 

[Gunhacker]

Also, you would think it would be pretty much impossible (on the skinny magna's versus targets) to get the wood where the mongrams/medallions are inlayed at the same level as the lower part of the grip, if the checkering and the borders were sanded off of them.

You'd have to go pretty deep to get rid of them and it seems like there would not be enough distance between the monograms/medallions and where the border would have been to not have a noticeable drop off between the two surface heights.

I have acouple of sets of factory smooth magna's for both N & K frames and all of them are really plain jane. Those are some nice looking ones for sure... and they look original.

 

[skeezix]

Original

I vote original.

I have a similar set.


Here's what Doc44 told me:
"skeezix....smooth, rosewood Magna stocks that date to 1968 or earlier. Stocks with that type of escutcheon and escutcheon nut were made during the same time stocks with the diamond were being made. When the diamond was eliminated, S&W also changed the type of escutcheon they used. Stocks of this type are pretty hard to find and I would keep them."

 

[HAWKEYE10]

I also say original. Look at the edges, they still look sharp
and even. If they sanded the checkering they would also
have to sand the edges. Just my opinion. Don

 

[GF]

Skeezix are yours numbered?
I think S&W must have been in the grip biz even before the "dyamond wood" years. (You could even get BLUE stocks!)

I have a set of targets with an order # that you don't see on stocks numbered to a gun...

... so I'm thinking you must have been able to order non-standard/extra fancy (for lack of a better term) stocks from the factory back in the black washer days.

GF

 

[skeezix]

Nope, no numbers on my old magnas.

Blue grips? Now I've seen everything. Nice looking, though.

I have several sets of K and N target grips with the ink-stamped numbers. I believe those were special order grips.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Doc44 once told me that the NT- KT stamped stocks were often those sold in the blister packs on display at various gunshops for purchase after the sale. I have a mint set like that for the N frame. Maybe he will see this thread and post some info. If anyone knows, he does.

 

[JSR III]

I believe that those stocks belong to Ed Cornett as they have his SWCA member number stamped on the back.

 

[s&wchad]

Those are very nice smooth Magna K frame replacement stocks from before 1973. The "15" is not part of a serial number, it's just there to keep the two panels together during manufacture and finishing.

 

[Combat]

They kinda look like these grips on my 26-1

 

[feralmerril]

I am not sure about the story to these grips. I think I had given this 1917 to my dad about 40 years ago. I had to take the gun from dad at the rest home. He may have smoothed these grips, its been so long since I had seen the gun I dont remember what the grips looked like years ago. I remember pa makeing grips when I was a kid, so dont know how original these are. Whatcha think? I know they feel about perfect to me!

 

[j38]

Gorgeous stocks! Let me know if you ever want to sell.

Jerry

 

[JSR III]

Those are nice stocks, but I don't believe that they are original to the gun. The 1917 came with smooth stocks without medallions that look like dark walnut to me.

 

[feralmerril]

I am positive the grips arent original to my 1917. I just am wondering if they were sanded down from checkered, or if these were unchanged from the factory. I had never seen smooth magnas before either. I got that gun in the 60s, cant be sure if those were the grips I had on when I gave dad the gun, then got it back in 2003 shortly before he died. I have had about 3 or 4 1917s through the years.

 

[VM]

Those are very nice smooth Magna K frame replacement stocks from before 1973. The "15" is not part of a serial number, it's just there to keep the two panels together during manufacture and finishing.

Chad nailed it - the stamped numbers are to keep the grip panels together. I have a set that have "316" stamped in both that are smooth Rosewood Magnas.
They stamped the numbers prior to using the black marker pen like then did on the 70's-90's sets.
Very nice, original set Gail!

 

[hibbs]

I have a pair of smooth rosewood magnas, with #34 stamped on each grip,like those pictured. They came on a 1950 target .45colt that was worked on at the factory in 1964. I assume they were added at that time along with target hammer and trigger. Richard Hibma #2062

 

[james56]

Smooth Magnas

I've seen them on some commemorative for sale on GB
James Simpson S&WCA # 2281

 

[lagavulin62]

I don't see any signs at all that those have been tampered with. not an expert but looking at my checkered grips sanding them that smooth would destroy any grips that were once checkered. what I am curious about is what is it that makes you question their originality? also for a k frame would all that work justify not purchasing the real thing?