Need info for pistol grips for a 1905

[ConditionOne]

Hi, New guy here. I love S&W's. I use to own a S&W 13, and currently have a model 10.
Money and wife willing, I hope to increase my humble collection.

I just picked up a S&W .38 special, five screw, square butt, six inch barrel, 4th change model 1905. Mechanically sound, finish is "fair". $135. I will try to post pix soon.

The grips that came with it are the more recent K frame grip style with the silver S&W medallion. Could I get some idea how much it might cost to find ones that match this old timer? I understand that the original grips on some of these pre-war revolvers can cost as much as the pistol itself. Thanks.

 

[rburg]

We can't even start to help until we figure out what year it was made. We can generally get close by knowing the serial number. Yes, it can get very expensive if you've selected a gun from an era where grips are difficult to find.

 

[ConditionOne]

Here we go; 312640. I'm pretty sure its before 1922, as there is no "Made in the US" mark on the frame.

 

[ConditionOne]

Here's a pix of my S&W. I think I was rather optimistic calling the bluing "fair".
But she seems like she was hardly shot at all. More neglect than abuse.

 

[opoefc]

Your gun was made circa 1919. Correct grips would have been checkered walnut with a gold medallion, pearl or ivory. You would have to get a factory historical letter from S&W to determine exactly which style of grip was on the gun when it left the factory, S&W had trouble right after WW1 in getting the factory back from the US Gov't which had seized it for WW1 needs, and many of the guns produced in the period of your gun did not get the "Made in USA" stamps, nor the S&W logo stampings. Ed.

 

[ConditionOne]

Wow, 1919? Imagine that, 90 years old. Thanks for the info

 

[Muley Gil]

The front sight on your revolver has been modified. It came from the factory looking like a half moon.

 

[kwbikr]

Here's mine with proper (I think) grips

These were out there recently from a post I put in the WTB...

 

[ConditionOne]

The front sight on your revolver has been modified. It came from the factory looking like a half moon.

Yes, I was wondering about that. Was that common? Did S&W do that on a custom order basis, or just do some like that?

 

[Muley Gil]

I would guess that it was done by a local gunsmith, or maybe one of the previous owners, not the S&W factory.