“Modified “ Registered Magnum

[Kansasgunner]

I just got this RM, Reg. #2535, at the Symposium and we all thought about you Caleb.
Toe of the frame has been cut for a Fuzzy Farrant grip. Front sight has been filed to almost nothing, hammer is modified. Add a very mediocre reblue that covers hammer and trigger.
On the plus side mechanically it is sound and it shoots well I’m told.
My first Registered Magnum and I’m looking forward to shooting the fire ooof it.

 

[Nightowl]

Sometimes you just have to wonder why folks modify their guns as they do. Somebody certainly had something in mind to modify it to their desires and need. Was it a police gun, a hunting gun, target gun? It's kind of fascinating to wonder why.
I have an RM that started life as an 8 3/4 that was cut to 6 inches, the Call gold bead Patridge front sight was rounded on the front, I assume to better withdraw from holster, and the hammer cockeyed, not a King one. It came to me with Pearl ruby eyed steerhead grips. It is sighted in for a 6 o'clock hold with 38s. Somebody customized it to their use and I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[lestert357]

Tim, for the database, please PM the serial number to me and also the original configuration and shipping information if you have the factory letter. Thanks.

 

[paplinker]

Would love to know the history on that one Tim. I have been wishing I was at the show for days now. Seeing RMs being sold, it must be a blast out there.

Any ropers being sold ??

 

[Retired W4]

You can't see the Fuzzy treatment with those beautiful target stock installed. Several years ago I bought a K-38 Masterpiece (Model 14)with targets. When I took the stocks off for a closer inspection I found the F. Farrant cut.

 

[Modified]

Hah, Keith showed me that one over text Tim, I have a few thoughts;

Clearly that gun has done time in Southern California. I don't know who did the hammer, but there were a bunch of guys doing that kind of thing there all through the 30s and beyond.

The cut frame is certainly for Fuzzies or the like. I would suggest enjoying the gun as is, hopefully you paid an as-is price. Because it will be fun on a bun if you did.

As it sits its a proper relic of the shooting scene in the 60's in LA. Find some "right" grips for it. Being cut frame grips they should be had at a steep discount. I don't think the bluing could ever really be fixed, with the deep dishing on the sideplate, so its likely best just to leave it.

I expect it will bring you a lot of pleasure for years to come. A lot of RMs are a little too precious for regular range days. It's incredibly nice to have one that you can hand to people without anyone involved worrying about breaking...which they won't anyway even with a nice one, the things are tanks. Still, when guns get too valuable it can put a damper on their enjoyment.

Overall, congratulations!

 

[mchom]

Congratulations !

I got to see it up close too. Very cool gun!!!

 

[DARE]

Congrats Kansasgunner. All Registered Magnums are good. They don't make them anymore. If you are happy with the price you paid, I would not worry about what anyone else thinks. Your gun is unique because some shooter modified it to be what he wanted.
Of course get a letter if it does not already have one. Enjoy your piece of history.

 

[rct269]

Well, I hope it turns out to your liking as much as it did to he who messed with it the first time around.

I've owned several RM's over the years----only one of which turned out to be highly suspect when it came to finish---never mind the auction house said it was "original finish". It was a 5" nickel (with a humpback hammer yet), all frosty when it arrived, and absolutely pristine gorgeous after about 30 minutes with some bronze wool and oil. I was a happy camper---for a little while.

Then, as I was taking it apart for its welcome bath, behold---here's a little bitty star on the grip frame, way up at the top, at the junction of the grip frame and the frame. Another one appeared on the cylinder---under the ejector star, and yet another tucked away inside the ejector rod shroud on the barrel---one more on the yoke someplace I don't remember, and the last one inside the sideplate. Speaking of the sideplate, everything inside of of it looked to be brand new. After learning it was one of fifteen shipped to the Indianapolis P.D., I decided it had been completely rebuilt and refinished by the factory.

I took it to my very first annual meeting (Knoxville) in search of wisdom. The wisdom I liked the best came from Gary Garbrecht. He said, "Ralph, I don't know if this has been refinished or not; but Ralph, this is a nickel Magnum---you need to take this home, and put it on the shelf!" So I did. It seems like it stayed on the shelf for the better part of the five years it took me to come up with a set of pre-war Magnas worthy of the rest of the gun.

Then, having succumbed to an attack of purist, I sold it.

God, how I wish I hadn't done that!!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[Kansasgunner]

Thanks for all the comments on the old RM!
A little more backstory, it was found in a SoCal gun shop about 3 months ago and was tagged as a 28-2. Ken C was the S&WCA member who found it. He informed the gun shop owner what it was. The gun shop owner said thanks for the info, and but he was happy with the price he had assigned to the gun. Ken bought it. He and I are both happy with the trade that we made on the gun.
I want to correct the front sight and look for a pair of cut frame Farrant grips. Until then it will wear the vintage maple targets that Curtis Harlow modified for me a couple years ago.
It’s going to be a Registered Mag that I can shoot all I want and enjoy!
The consensus of all who looked at it is that it was likely an LEO gun modified to suit its owner.

 

[boykinlp]

Thanks for all the comments on the old RM!
A little more backstory, it was found in a SoCal gun shop about 3 months ago and was tagged as a 28-2. Ken C was the S&WCA member who found it. He informed the gun shop owner what it was. The gun shop owner said thanks for the info, and but he was happy with the price he had assigned to the gun. Ken bought it. He and I are both happy with the trade that we made on the gun.
I want to correct the front sight and look for a pair of cut frame Farrant grips. Until then it will wear the vintage maple targets that Curtis Harlow modified for me a couple years ago.
It’s going to be a Registered Mag that I can shoot all I want and enjoy!
The consensus of all who looked at it is that it was likely an LEO gun modified to suit its owner.

I wonder how in the world he came to that conclusion?! Nice pickup…… have fun shooting it!
Larry

 

[stansdds]

On the negative side, it's nowhere near being a collector grade piece and never will be. On the plus side, it should be a fine shooter. Yeah, that front sight would bug me too, I'd see about replacing it with something a little bit more refined.

 

[Muley Gil]

Iffn' it were mine, I'd cut it to 5" and mount a period Baughman ramp.

 

[22hipower]

On the negative side, it's nowhere near being a collector grade piece and never will be. On the plus side, it should be a fine shooter. Yeah, that front sight would bug me too, I'd see about replacing it with something a little bit more refined.

It does look a little weird. However, I handled it before Kansasgunner made the acquisition, and the sight picture is surprisingly sharp. Might be nice to shoot it before concluding too much but from what I saw I'd leave it exactly as is. It's really a very nice old modified RM.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[Modified]

Iffn' it were mine, I'd cut it to 5" and mount a period Baughman ramp.

Now...thats a bit of cash, but if it is to be a "forever gun" I can well see going about doing this.

I think it depends on if you want to continue the process that was started to customize it, just to your desire. With the finish the way it is a good engraving job may be the way to go to sort out the deep dishing from the poor quality re-finish.

And if you go that route you may work with someone like Keith Brown or Curtis Harlow to make some custom Fuzzy/Stark/Hurst/Hogue style stocks that fit your hand to complete it.

Also, if you are going to replace the front sight, I would *highly* suggest finding yourself a King Super Police to sight down before you make any decision about what that sight should be. I believe there is one at the Symposium. I think Keith showed me a picture of a post-war N Frame sporting what looks to be that front sight. It such a fabulous sight picture while maintaining such a nice vintage look, I think its a wonderful option for such an upgrade.

 

[rct269]

"The consensus of all who looked at it is that it was likely an LEO gun modified to suit its owner."

There's just two little things worrisome about that statement. The first one is "consensus"------and next comes "likely". These are what I call "weasel words". If you give a rat one way or the other---at least about its history at the outset, get a letter. The Historical Foundation has more information about RM's than any other species in their files----not only species, but each and every gun---and they're the only one that KNOWS what's what!!

My last RM had NINE pages of material------one of which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that S&W was doing their dead level best to keep the distributors and dealers OUT of the RM business---so they could keep every last penny of the hugely inflated retail price for themselves---and it worked---for a little while at least. Now that sort of thing doesn't have the first thing to do with the guns, but it's more than interesting, and leads to the real story of what the RM program was really all about---the survival of S&W as a going concern.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[Modified]

Just to add to Ralph's comment;

I personally have no doubt that there is some kind of LEO connection with the gun, but it's going to take some digging to find out if an owner actually was a LEO.

As I stated in my first post this gun is obviously a product of the SoCal pistol shooting scene. Which did indeed revolve around the police.

The Letter/SWHF information has a great chance to be enlightening. Although there's never a guarantee. I have an unusually high hit rate for awesome information from the SWHF on my guns, and I'm often known for pointing out guns to people that I think will have information waiting to be uncovered.

Your gun is one that gives me a bit of pause, and I would urge you not to get your hopes up. The reason being that while RMs are probably the most likely model to have a treasure trove of information to be found on them, your particular gun has modifications that were done quite a long time after the really juicy Registered Magnum records are to be found.

Plus, the modifications are not service department modifications.

This is the kind of gun that almost certainly changed hands from the original owner before it's current state came about. Typically 1st owners of RMs would have the S&W service department do things like Re-Finishing.

 

[mtgianni]

In any case, I would love to get the stories out of the gun if it could talk. Probably keep it busy for several days.

I am with the shoot it before changing any sights camp. The damage has been done and there are many RM's in really good condition.

 

[paplinker]

Curious if the frame cut missed the serial number?

A King front sight would look quite nice on that gun.

 

[Kansasgunner]

I’m sending off for a letter on the gun this week. I’ll let you all know how that turns out.
I’ll shoot it a bit and then decide what changes may or may not happen. Thanks for the tip on the front sight Caleb.
paplinker, the serial number is complete and untouched on the butt. Numbers also match on cylinder, barrel and yoke.