Model 19-2 Target Stocks

[Oldengineer]

Hello Fellow Members,
I just purchased a near mint, blued 19-2 with serial number K781832. My trusty SCSW book tells me it’s a 1967 manufactured revolver. It is wearing an excellent pair of blue washer, football cutout stocks. Sorry, no pictures are available at this time. Are the stocks correct or should they be diamond centered?

Thanks for your insight. Tom H.

 

[22hipower]

The order to delete the diamonds on magna stocks occurred in October 1965 and January 1966. On N frame targets the diamond was retained until early 1969; info from previous posts by Doc44. I don't have the date for deleting the diamond on K frame targets but assume it would have been close to the N frame January 1969 date. Perhaps someone will be along who has the exact date. I suspect a 19-2 manufactured in 1967 equipped with targets stocks would still have had stocks with the diamond. But if shipped with magnas the diamond should have been deleted by then. A letter might confirm the type stocks it shipped with although probably wouldn't confirm whether or not the stocks had diamonds.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[Dino44]

I don't have any photos of my model 19-2, 4", serial #K683151 but I purchased it with diamond, football, target stocks that fit perfectly. The wear on the gun and stocks appear to match, commensurate with them being original to each other. Sorry I can't provide a more definitive answer. I have not lettered that one. Here is my no dash model 19 illustrating the above-mentioned stocks.

 

[vrichard]

Model 19-2, K589618 with the correct dimond target stocks.
Dick

 

[toddimusnimski]

See Doc's post #3. Try to get an exact date from the factory; the SCSW dates are prefixes reported so there can be some variation.

Todd

Diamond grips

 

[snw19_357]

A Model 19-2 in the K7818xx range likely shipped in late 1968 or early 1969 and probably shipped with football targets but no diamond centers.
I suspect it still has the -2 rear sight leaf screw placement but it's close enough that it might have the -3 RSLS but still be marked as a -2.

 

[Oldengineer]

Great commentary and greatly appreciated. Thanks. When I receive the 19-2 I will report back with what I have learned.

Thanks again, Tom H.

 

[Engine49guy]

Although there was an order to delete the diamond SW continued to use up diamond target stocks until depleted.
That being said you have to realize that 19-2's are in the 60 year old arena and often had different stocks swapped on and off.
Since the huge majority of target stocks don't have serial numbers hard to know if they are original to that gun, as such I just want them to be correct style and it's not as simple as diamond or not as there are other clues to consider.
In general I expect any four or six inch 19-2 to have diamond target stocks but, the early ones from 63-64 ish I expect dark walnut or Rosewood and usually smaller football cut, not so much GA yet, for later production 65-67 many I've seen have a lighter colored GA and with great wood grain but always with the round checkering turn at the heel.
I've personally never seen a 19-3 with confirmed diamond target stocks and generally just expect to see darker non diamond target GA's on 60's era 19-3's,
but of course anything is possible with SW.

Post 1971 19-3's in general the GA targets seem to be lighter in color the further they move away from about 1972, but again with SW there are no hard set rules.
Post some pics when it in hand.

 

[Engine49guy]

Just want to add that this does not apply to the snub round butt 19-2's, those came with Magna stocks and late production 19-2's are usually found with non diamond stocks.

 

[JP@AK]

First, the Combat Magnum, later the Model 19, shipped standard with target stocks. Except, of course, with the 2 1/2" barrel, which started in the -2 era (1966), and those got round butt Magna stocks.

The order to eliminate the diamond on both K and N target stocks was issued on December 28, 1967; order number 1032. It took a while for the factory to use up the diamond targets, so they would have appeared on some early Model 19-3 revolvers (which started in 1967, before the diamond elimination order for target stocks).

Here's the rest of the story:
Order number 937 on October 11, 1965 - eliminate the diamond on K and N PC Magna stocks.
Order number 944 on January 11, 1966 - eliminate the diamond on J, K and N frame Magna stocks.

 

[treysl78]

I have a 19-2, s/n K715744 with correct box, lettered, shipped 1966 with correct diamond targets.

 

[Doc44]

Your 19-2 most likely shipped in mid-1968 and could have shipped with either diamond target stocks or non-diamond target stocks made of Goncalo alves.

Bill