Logo location question

[Jcon72]

Looking for advice, here...
Long story short, my model 48-no dash (one year only production, 1959) is going in for a hard-chrome job because of serious past neglect and the fact that at some point a previous owner chose to have it parkerized. Due to the "skill" of a previous "gunsmith" the side plate needs to be replaced before the gun is polished and refinished. Yes, the whole story is a bit painful to think about, but it was sold to me quite cheaply as a project so it is what it is.
In my "parts box" there are a few K-frame side plates but the S&W logo is not stamped in the same exact location on all of them. The original one currently on my model 48 is more centered, similar to the example on the left side of the picture below. My assumption is that all 1959 model 48's would have been stamped in that location; is that correct? One of my spare side plates is that style and there are two that are similar to the example on the right with the logo positioned higher, so I'm sending all of them to the 'smith with the hope that he can properly fit the one that is like the original. If he can't do so for some reason perhaps one of the others will work if necessary, but I'm hoping it doesn't come to that.
Either way, the gun will never be fully original and desirable to collectors but I am trying to at least give back some dignity to the old girl.
Thoughts?

 

[Wiregrassguy]

I doubt anyone but you would notice that detail. A true collector would see the chrome plate and nothing else would matter. A shooter would just shoot it. So, it comes down to what you can live with. Frankly, if I owned it and people didn't walk by, point at it and laugh, I'd not care which sideplate was used.

 

[Alk8944]

Apparently positioning of the logo was up to the operator who roll-marked rather than being definite. I had an N-Frame refinished by S&W in 1974 that originally had the small logo on the left side below the thumb-piece. When it was re finished the sideplate logo was added and it was placed so high that it actually ran off the top edge! Like wiregrass guy said, it is unlikely anyone else would even notice.

 

[Jcon72]

Thanks for putting things into perspective, Wiregrassguy.
And Alk8944, I sort of wondered if the position might vary due to different factors but I wasn't sure.

 

[JSR III]

I think Guy summed it up pretty well. Collectors won't get that far and shooters won't care.

Now for me because of my OCD, I would still try to match the logo location as best possible but with a refinish to a totally different finish and one not available from S&W, IIRC, it really should't matter.

We will need before and after photos or as some will say, "it never really happened"

 

[Goony]

Collectors won't get that far and shooters won't care.

Totally on board with that way of looking at it. Under the circumstances, utilize whichever sideplate can be installed with the least amount of fitting.

 

[Jcon72]

I think Guy summed it up pretty well. Collectors won't get that far and shooters won't care.

Now for me because of my OCD, I would still try to match the logo location as best possible but with a refinish to a totally different finish and one not available from S&W, IIRC, it really should't matter.

We will need before and after photos or as some will say, "it never really happened"

I do plan to post pictures, assuming it turns out reasonably well.

 

[Green Frog]

My thought on the subject is to use the sideplate you have that is (or can be made to be) the best fit, with no thought to location, size, or even absence of the roll mark. You are building a gun modified to make it suit you, so you first fave to suit yourself. JMHO, YMMV.
Froggie

 

[Walkin Horse]

What years did the logo switch sides? I know it’s a rookie question but I just noticed they’ve switched from left to right back to left. I have a 1922 38. A 1956 357 . A couple of prelocks and some with locks. I have a 29-2 on the right. I have a prelock 10 on the left.

 

[JSR III]

What years did the logo switch sides? I know it’s a rookie question but I just noticed they’ve switched from left to right back to left. I have a 1922 38. A 1956 357 . A couple of prelocks and some with locks. I have a 29-2 on the right. I have a prelock 10 on the left.

The fun part of this S&W collecting hobby is that not only did they switch sides but the size changed too. As I get older I find that keeping all of the many nuances straight is a daunting task.

There are folks here that can tell you what model was made from one year to another, what box it came in what sights it may have had and the type of SAT (screwdriver) and paperwork came inside.

I have to refer to my notes all the time just to make some sense of it all.