Nickel plated 3T red ramp Model 58

Dvus

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I picked this up today walking around at a local gun show from an older gentleman who carried it in the door. It is a factory plated 58 in excellent condition from 1973. I have never seen one with 3 Ts and red ramp before, but I know with Smith that there is almost always an exception to every rule. It has the correct N stampings on the frame under the left stock panel and on the rear face of the cylinder. It appears to have been shot very little with just a smidgen of powder burns on the cylinder face and around the forcing cone. The finish overall is about 98%. Is a 3T 58 totally unheard of? What say ye?

I am, unfortunately, unable to post pictures due to a "missing security token" whatever that means.
 
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It may be factory work from a custom order, but could also just as easily have been done later. Letter time!
 
I don't remember ever seeing a verified model 58 with 3T's, but a letter would verify the configuration. Target triggers, target hammers and target stocks were offered as accessories and are not difficult to swap out.

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THAT IS A GREAT FIND....did he tell you how long he had owned the gun?

Have seen a couple of documented 2T 58s but not sure if any of them were 3T. If the front sight dovetail is also nickel under the insert my guess is that it would be factory. Also if I recall there will be two small drilled holes to help anchor the insert in place.

Could have been a special order gun...may be worth a letter...

Bob
 
THAT IS A GREAT FIND....did he tell you how long he had owned the gun?

Have seen a couple of documented 2T 58s but not sure if any of them were 3T. If the front sight dovetail is also nickel under the insert my guess is that it would be factory. Also if I recall there will be two small drilled holes to help anchor the insert in place.

Could have been a special order gun...may be worth a letter...

Bob

There is no front sight dovetail on a 58 because it is a fixed sight revolver
 
My 58 with a serial that suggests 1965 but the letter says 1968 has a Target hammer with a Standard trigger. Letter makes no mention so either omitted from documentation or the hammer was added by a previous owner. It shipped to a gun smith so maybe he swapped it on customer request?
 
I removed the target stocks again and found a faint outline of a magna stock on the side plate. So I am under the impression that the targets were added. But I can see no indication that the side plate was ever removed to add the target hammer and trigger. The red ramp dovetail is nickeled and not cut afterwards.
Anybody have a set of 58 magnas?
 
I bought one in 1966. Installed target trigger and hammer. Painted the front sight red with Testor's paint. It's still there.
Mdl58.jpg

On a cop's salary back then I couldn't afford the $12.00 for target stocks so I destroyed the PC magnas and used the hardware to make a set of my own.
 
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I've always understood that the 3T's were:
Target hammer
Target trigger
Target sights

It has nothing to do with target stocks....have I been wrong for years?
 
I've always understood that the 3T's were:
Target hammer
Target trigger
Target sights

It has nothing to do with target stocks....have I been wrong for years?

Target sights were not optional. Either a model had them or it didn't. 3Ts is stocks, hammer and trigger.
 
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