Hidden Model 42

[Officerbob]

Well I went to the gun show today and found a what I thought was crap not to be. Its was covered up by some grips modified to hold the safety in. I was under the impression it was a 37 till the man said oh no its a 42 and thought...WHAA, hah. Anyways, so for 260 I brought it home but need some original grips for it. Oh, I also went to the Ham Fest (Amateure radios) I don't know if anybody is into that but I got into it. If your looking to sell any radios let me know! hah.

Yep somebody did a Fitz job to it (However you say it)

 

[Plottman Pops]

Can't help w/ stocks but I'm also a Amateur Radio operator Extra class call sign AJ4ON.
May see you at a gunshow, hamfest,or maybe hear you on on the HF band
BTW thats a great Fitzed 42

 

[cgt4570]

Something isn't right here. The upper sideplat screw went away in 1955, but model numbers didn't start until 1957. (The BUG screw went away even earlier). I'm guessing someone stamped the 'Mod 42' on it after it left the factory.
Unless, this was one of the very early ones with an original alloy cylinder, and the factory stamped it when it was returned for recall for the cylinder swap. (Most of the airweights with the BUG screw also had alloy cylinders)
If any first generation airweights with alloy cylinders were returned to the factory for any reason, the cylinder was automatically swapped to steel.

 

[Officerbob]

I will have to look you up on ARRL sometime. I hope to see ya then at either a Gunshow or Ham Fest. I will put some pictures up of what I got a few days ago. I am currently working on a Drake TR-4 that smoked on me yesterday. I am new to the Ham radio world but it is fun. Hope to see you sometime on the air waves.

Cgt. That's what may have happened. I was reading my 3rd edition on how some of them had alloy cylinders that needed to go back. I was trying to look though on the grip for a indication. It would have been neat to have the original alloy cylinder =). I think for what I got it at I couldn't go wrong. Only reason I got it because it was a right period modifications as well and not messed up.

 

[aterry33]

Is it safe to shoot +P in any model 42?

 

[Officerbob]

I would want to say no. The only reason is cause its not marked +p on the barrel like most new ones.

 

[29aholic]

Bob
To save you some trouble...or make it for you, standard J frame grips wont fit your gun. They will HAVE to be for a 40 or 42...trust me I know from experience.

 

[cflier]

Chris,
In some models the upper side screw didn't go away until several years after 1955 because they were slow sellers and S&W stockpiled parts and never threw anything away if they could avoid it. The flat latch indicates an earlier gun also though. I'm not sure when it went away. This could very well be a transitional gun. A serial number would help pinpoint it.
Mark

 

[Officerbob]

Curt, yeah I know when I went to the gun show I soon figured out. I forgot about that cause I have a model 40 to. Its not like your normal J frame grips will fit because of the what I call "Dish". I was trying them on and they wouldnt fit and I said to myself all late...DUH the dish lol. I want some smooth ones so when I find them some modifications will have to be done =/.

Mark, I will have to get you a serial tonight. I usually post them up but forgot. That's what also got my attention was the flat latch. A serial will be on later tonight. Thanks for the helpful information everyone!!

 

[captainjohnsofd]

Be really careful with this. If you drop it on the trigger guard it will bend and block the trigger. Ditto when inserting it into a holster- there may be enough force to pull the trigger.

 

[VM]

Officerbob - as a "FYI" to your grip search............the Model 40/42 grips have a special washer on the inside unlike any other grips. It is .500" diameter.

 

[Officerbob]

Yeah that's what I had figured. I was going to go get my model 40 tonight and look at it. Thanks alot for the information. Has anyone ever did a modification on making grips before?

 

[Ronald617]

Fitz 42

I saw the same gun at the last 2 San Antonio gun shows. It had some strange looking Herretts grips covering the grip safety. I had just decided to buy it next time I saw it. Just my luck, "You snooze, you lose!" One of these days I'll learn to do some good old fashioned impusle buying.

 

[Officerbob]

Yeah exactly!, I was there this last weekend when they where at the Alzafar. Believe me I was about to pass on it to. I actually left and thought about it. After awhile came back and picked it up for 260.00. I didn't even have interest in it till he said the safety under the grips. Once he showed me it was a for sure! If he would have had some regular grips on it he would have sold it faster. He had a model 49 body guard I wanted to. He gets alot I mean ALOT of J frame model 36's in.

To anyone that may know this. There is supposedly a "pin" for the safety to be locked. Well I think mine has got it cause It fires without me holding in the safety. Can anyone tell me where its at so I can set it back to pushing the safety in?

 

[Officerbob]

Oh yeah and the SN for the snub is 114XX.