texagun
Member
I picked up a very nice S&W Model 15-3 today at the gun show. It has a round butt. I thought Model 15's were all square butt. Is this unusual or are there a lot of 15's with round butts out there?
Model 15 With Round Butt?
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texagun
Member
I picked up a very nice S&W Model 15-3 today at the gun show. It has a round butt. I thought Model 15's were all square butt. Is this unusual or are there a lot of 15's with round butts out there?
Majic1
Member
Is that a RB under those Pachs? That look like a SB design stock.
gunnut44
Member
Post a pic with the Goodyears off.
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texagun
Member
I put the Goodyears on it. Trust me. It has a Round Butt.
GF
Member
Give us a shot of that round butts rear end.
Man... I really liked typin' that!
Man... I really liked typin' that!
nicky4968
Member
I have a 15-8 that I really like that has a round butt. Since it came from the Performance Center, I assume it was a one-of-a-kind thing (for that series only). I don't think there was ever a round butt 15 or 14 until the great change to making everything a round-butt pistol.
billhilly66
Member
Ok, so a 15 with a round butt is weird eh? I've got a 15 no dash with a sn that should be from 1969 according to "the book". I ain't afraid to show mine nekkid either. What have I got? I never really thought about it much as I got in along with a bunch of others in an estate deal and thought "it was just a 15".
Texas Star
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I learn something new almost every week here...
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texagun
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Originally posted by billhilly66:
Ok, so a 15 with a round butt is weird eh? I've got a 15 no dash with a sn that should be from 1969 according to "the book". I ain't afraid to show mine nekkid either. What have I got? I never really thought about it much as I got in along with a bunch of others in an estate deal and thought "it was just a 15".
Thanks for that photo. That looks exactly like mine. I am just too modest to show mine.
Terminator44
Member
billhilly66
Member
And another thing: Why is mine stamped 15 when according to the sn, it should be from 1969 and be a 15-3?
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texagun
Member
You are right. Your gun was produced in 1969 according to Supica's book and should be a 15-3. It must be mis-stamped. My gun is from 1971 and is stamped 15-3. If I'm reading Supica's book right, there were no round butt Model 15's produced during that period. There was a McGivern Special from previous years and some Custom Shop guns in round butt, but no mention of production guns like ours in round butt. I also have Roy Jink's book, The History of Smith & Wesson, and his production chart doesn't show any round butt 4" 15's either.
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Originally posted by billhilly66:
And another thing: Why is mine stamped 15 when according to the sn, it should be from 1969 and be a 15-3?
A letter is the only way to tell for sure. As Roy Jinks has explained over and over again, frames were made up, put into some sort of storage and were not used in the order made or numbered.
Thus, it is possible the frame was numbered and not built until years later. That is why "the book" is only a guide and is not definitive.
Forget about how it is marked, does it ACTUALLY have the "dash 3" engineering changes? If so, it is a mistake in the markings, but I get the sense this sort of thing happened all the time.
It could have been an overrun from some run for an agency (remember the four inch round butt 19s?). Could it have been made up from 19 round butt frames?
Or, could the previous owner have sent it back for a frame change to make it a round butt, for which the factory might have used a round butt 19 frame, but marked it 15? The possibilities are intriguing.
I would love to see a letter on this round butt 15.
These guns don't exist, they are a figment of your imagination. Send them to me (addy in profile) and I will convince you they never existed. Pay attention to the watch as it swings back and forth. You are getting sleepy, sleepy, sleepy.....
Cool stuff! Can't wait to hear more about these.
Cool stuff! Can't wait to hear more about these.
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texagun
Member
Here's a photo with my Round Butt Model 15-3 with the grips off.
And here's a photo with the Round to Square Butt Ahrends Cocobolo Retro Target Grips:
And here's a photo with the Round to Square Butt Ahrends Cocobolo Retro Target Grips:
texagun,
That M15 is a pretty handsome gun, even with out the grips. Wow, it is balanced and presents itself very well with the RB, now that is a config that the factory should have made on a regular basis. Now I need to start combing the auction sites and gunshows for one, very very nice! Congrats.
That M15 is a pretty handsome gun, even with out the grips. Wow, it is balanced and presents itself very well with the RB, now that is a config that the factory should have made on a regular basis. Now I need to start combing the auction sites and gunshows for one, very very nice! Congrats.
