My target hand ejector

[greenwellg]

Serial # 474995 It has target sights, trigger and grooved frame in front and back of the grips. a fairly decent job where the grips leave it exposed. I know it has been refinished but it seems to be a fairly decent job. No marks obliterated everything is legible but the typical roll mark ridges are smoothed out. Bore and action parts are as new. I have not shot it yet.
My guess is it would be possible that this was done by S&W at some time after it was made, or it started out as a target model and was refinished some time after that. Grips are not numbered so they may have been added later in life. I think my out the door cost was around $400. Originally built in 1922-3 by my research.

 

[wheelgun610]

Do you have any pics of the whole gun? If it was reworked or refinished by S&W, it would be marked with a date code on the left side of the grip frame with a 3 or 4 digit date code, and would most likely have a star stamped on the butt near the serial number.

 

[greenwellg]

I'll get some pics today. Don't see any markings indicating it was redone by S&W. I have not shot it and previously inquired about it being OK to use some +P ammo I have accumulated. It's the latest 38 special I own with the exception of a Model 36 (1964) that I do not want to shoot +P ammo in that gun. I have an older HE that was made around 1907, last patent date was 1901, not shooting anything but standard velocity in that one if I even shoot it.

 

[greenwellg]

More photos. No indication it was worked on by S&W. I was wondering if there were additional patent dates between the ones on this pistol versus the Dec of 1901 date on my other earlier pistol.

 

[wheelgun610]

Unless you're in a life and death situation, with no other option, there's really no good reason to fire +P ammo in that gun. Personally, I don't even shoot any jacketed ammo in my mid-30s vintage .38 Target.

 

[M5741]

Wow, that a really nice piece. No need to soup it up. Enjoy it for what it was meant to be.

 

[mrcvs]

Serial # 474995 It has target sights, trigger and grooved frame in front and back of the grips. a fairly decent job where the grips leave it exposed. I know it has been refinished but it seems to be a fairly decent job. No marks obliterated everything is legible but the typical roll mark ridges are smoothed out. Bore and action parts are as new. I have not shot it yet.
My guess is it would be possible that this was done by S&W at some time after it was made, or it started out as a target model and was refinished some time after that. Grips are not numbered so they may have been added later in life. I think my out the door cost was around $400. Originally built in 1922-3 by my research.View attachment 784674View attachment 784675

Yes, stocks are not original to this revolver as those with medallions were phased out about 1920. Yours should have convex non medallion stocks.

 

[wheelgun610]

... I know it has been refinished but it seems to be a fairly decent job. No marks obliterated everything is legible but the typical roll mark ridges are smoothed out...

After re-reading your original post, and looking at the photos you added, I don't see any indication that that gun has been refinished. Looks 100% original to me. The reason you're not seeing any "ridges" around the rollmarks is because the rollmarks were applied before the gun was polished. The polishing operation effectively removes those 'ridges'.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Nice Gun! One I would like to have.
I would shoot Ball ammo in it sparingly, clean and oil, put it back in the safe.

 

[fiasconva]

Nice old Smith! Getcha some standard velocity 158 gr LRN or some 148 gr wadcutters and you're good to go. You'll love its accuracy.

 

[greenwellg]

Looking at this pistol I see two things that make me think it was refinished. The knob on the extractor and the depth of the roll markings on the patent dates and on both sides of the barrel.

 

[wheelgun610]

Looking at this pistol I see two things that make me think it was refinished. The knob on the extractor and the depth of the roll markings on the patent dates and on both sides of the barrel.

That's obviously not the same gun we were originally discussing, but again, I don't see any signs of refinishing. The ejector rod knob was case hardened, and wasn't blued on the earlier ones, and later on, they were blued, but the bluing was removed from the area that makes contact with the locking plunger. You'll see some slight variation in the depth of the rollmarks over the years, and even on guns from the same vintage and production batch. The polishing was done by hand, and no two people have the same 'touch'. Even with the same person polishing a dozen or more guns from a batch, there would be some visible variation in how the rollmarks looked.

 

[Leslie Sapp]

It may be refinished, but it would fool me.
Just to prove I'm not very knowledgeable in these matters, I'll offer you your money back on it!

 

[glowe]

OK, first the serial number indicates a 1924 ship date, which is the era of the blued mushroom shaped ejector rod knob. The patent date 1914 is appropriate for a 38 Military & Police, 4th Change. It is, however, 4 years after the gold medallion stocks were discontinued. I am convinced that gun is original factory, especially since there are no date marks for a factory return.