Nickeled Hammer and Trigger ??

[jimmyj]

Hi:
Just "Found" a Smith and Wesson Revolver that I acqiured several years ago. Weapon is a 4 1/4" barrel, six shot, 32 Long CTG.caliber, 5 screw, fixed sight, round butt. SN#169446 Crane #3335
Last patient date on barrel is Sept. 14,09.
Weapon is nickeled plated with pearl grips without S&W inserts. Second set of grips are black composition with S&W decal at the grip top with a chip missing at the bottom of the right grip.
Flusterating is that a Factory letter (Roy Jinks) came with the Revolver. I put the letter in a "Safe Place" and cannot locate it.
Hammer and Trigger is also nickeled plated.
Did this era S&W Revolver come with nickeled plated Hammers and Triggers?
Thank you,
Jimmy

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
Just "Found" a Smith and Wesson Revolver that I acqiured several years ago. Weapon is a 4 1/4" barrel, six shot, 32 Long CTG.caliber, 5 screw, fixed sight, round butt. SN#169446 Crane #3335
Last patient date on barrel is Sept. 14,09.
Weapon is nickeled plated with pearl grips without S&W inserts. Second set of grips are black composition with S&W decal at the grip top with a chip missing at the bottom of the right grip.
Flusterating is that a Factory letter (Roy Jinks) came with the Revolver. I put the letter in a "Safe Place" and cannot locate it.
Hammer and Trigger is also nickeled plated.
Did this era S&W Revolver come with nickeled plated Hammers and Triggers?
Thank you,
Jimmy

 

[deadin]

No. Plated hammer and trigger are almost a sure sign of a refinish.

 

[cgt4570]

Also, just about all the factory pearl or ivory grips from the 1890s on had factory medallions. Your pearls are most likely aftermarket. The black hard rubber grips are most likely the ones that came on the gun.
Chris

 

[rburg]

We always say "never say never". I agree with that. I believe one thread over on the collectors site covered that. As I recall, Roy answered that the factory almost never supplied parts with plating due to some longivety concerns. Then as I remember it, he pointed out that he had lettered a gun that way, once.

Depending on the time frame, S&W would do what it took to make a customer happy. Common sense says they didn't do it on garden grade guns.

What almost every experienced S&W observer will tell you is that having those parts plated is almost always a sure sign of someone doctoring the gun. Its also a red flag to closely examine the rest of the gun. Remember, just because some internals were replated isn't conclusive the gun itself was refinished. But its a pretty strong indication. Beware.