This just in from Terry Wagner (in response to a question from me on these recoil shield stubs):
"I find it strange the cut down recoil shield areas look the same on three I have seen. I am kind of like you and don't know what left the factory in which configuration."
So--------------we shall see what we shall see when the letter arrives----and might well end up exactly where we are now----with best guesses.
All this reminds of a single shot barrel I have. It's essentially as new. It carries no serial number (which is to say it came from the Parts Department---not from a gun).
It's a 1st Model barrel (carries the Model of '91 barrel address), .38 caliber, 6". It is a complete barrel assembly-----complete with extractor cam/latch/sights---ready to bolt on a frame and shoot. It's more than worth noting the sights are those from a 3rd Model---a VASTLY superior sight to those on the 1st/2nd. It is also worth noting the barrel lug is ground to the EXACT SAME configuration as that on a 3rd Model (and finished with cold blue), so it's ready to bolt onto ANY frame---1st/2nd/3rd----and shoot.
In asking around about it, I was told the factory modified some/many/all the single shot barrels they had in inventory at the time---so they'd fit/function with any top-break single shot. It makes sense.
As is my usual practice with mysteries such as this, I asked Roy last. His response: "It never happened!"
Not being one to give up easily, I went back to asking around some more----this time ending my story with Roy's response---"It never happened!".
It was my good fortune to stumble upon another Single Shot nut at an unofficial (regional) SWCA meeting not all that long ago---and his response was, "Yeah---I have some just like it."
A brief digression to talk about things that make sense----or not. As noted earlier, the lug on my barrel is ground to the exact same configuration as those on a 3rd Model. It's worth noting right about now that simply grinding it flat (and shortening it a bit) is all that's necessary for it to fit on a 3rd Model---there's no need for what I call the "fancy flat" configuration provided by the factory. Then of course the next question that pops up is why would anybody other than the factory (who has all the tooling and set-up to do "fancy flat") go to all the trouble to duplicate it? Hmmmmm??!!!!!
Then I decided that when Roy says, "It never happened!", what he really means is he's never found anything in writing to prove it happened-----and would I please go away and stop bothering him with my nit-picky questions. You might want to keep this in mind if your letter says "It never happened!"----all the while also remembering Mr. Terry has seen three of them----and you have one too!!
As an example of things that "never happened" might well be applied to the dozen or more different target sights made/used by S&W over the years. There's no question they existed. Also no question S&W made them. The question is how come we can't find anything to prove it---other than our lying eyes? Here's the answer----direct from Roy----HISSELF!!-----in writing!!
"This type of sight (Editor's Note: And instead of "sight", feel free to plug in any other mysterious thing that strikes your fancy----such as recoil shield stubs.) is not mentioned in the Smith & Wesson engineering change book. This is not a surprise as many of what the foreman considered as minor changes is not recorded." I translate this as follows: If you have a problem with not being able to find out about anything the foreman considered a minor change, it's just too damn bad----SUFFER!!
Ralph Tremaine
As a response to a (private) challenge of sorts about the records on sights. S&W DOES have records on sights---some of them. They have records on the three they patented---one of which they used---the so-called "Micrometer" sight introduced on the K-22/40 (K-22 2nd Model)----and essentially the same sight in use today. (Per the late Robert J. Neal)
