Odd ball pre 19

[Dhs The IV]

So I will be getting this pre 19 in a week or so. I don’t know what to make of it but I’m committed at this point and as long as it shoots I’m happy with it. I’ve been looking for a pre or early 19. So the blued barrel is from the factory, it has the appropriate markings with the B and diamond. The serial # is stamped in the barrel. The frame has the appropriate N mark on the grip frame and there’s no rework dates. I won’t have the gun for a week or two. But I’m so curious about it. Do you guys have any idea why the two tone? I’ve considered it was a pinto and the cylinder has been replaced. I got it as a shooter and consider it “factory refinished” condition. It’s probably one of a kind lol and it’s growing on me even though I haven’t got it yet.

 

[crsides]

The diamond means factory rework/replacement of a major part. My guess is the bbl was replaced at the factory. Many 19's had cracked bbls from use of 125gr bullets at magnum velocity. Barrel inventories I suppose ran short and you were lucky to find one at all, but if it was a factory replacement surely they would have nickeled the bbl. ???

 

[Hondo44]

Interesting!

Pre 19s may or may not have a serial # on the cyl; the "soft fitting" protocal was eliminated dring the same period. After which the cyl was eventually no longer serial numbered. Is it serial #'d and if so, does it match the barrel # and at the most important location, the butt of the grip frame? Also what is the serial #? You've only shown the production (assembly) #. The answers may help tell us if it's been changed depending on those facts.

Even if the cyl was blue, it's not a traditional "Pinto" which had blue frames and nickel barrel/cyl going all the way back to the Model 1.

Charlie's idea above is a good one. And I'll offer another; some previous owner couldn't see the sight picture well with the shining nickel barrel.

Prior to the elimination of the soft fitting step, pre model SERIAL # LOCATIONS: To confirm all parts are original, one can check for the 6 matching serial # locations for fixed sight pre war Hand Ejectors and all post war Hand Ejectors thru ~1956 and a few as much as 3 years later.
NOTE: Observing serial #s for accuracy or even existence, especially on penciled stocks, requires magnification, bright light, and an attitude that it is there!

1. Grip frame butt (prefixed by a letter(s) following WWII) - or fore strap on I frame Regulation Police models and single shots with grips that cover the butt

2. Barrel - bottom of barrel or in extractor shroud, (Triple locks have tiny #s stamped in front end of the shroud; sideways/vertical if over 3 numerical digits, otherwise horizontal).

3. Yoke - on rear face only visible thru a chamber with a flashlight (except the .32 Model 1896 and no doubt a few others)

4. Extractor star - backside

5. Cylinder - rear face

6. Right stock only - on back, scratched or penciled depending on vintage and stock material, stamped after 1929, (except most post war target grips because individual fitting not required.)

 

[Doc44]

A B followed by a diamond stamped in the extractor rod shroud may indicate the barrel was refinished in bright blue. If the barrel was replaced I would think it would just have a diamond stamped in the shroud without the B. It is unusual someone would want a revolver with this type of mixed finish, but individual taste does vary.

Bill

 

[Dhs The IV]

Serial is k264xxxx. I don’t believe there is a serial number on the cylinder but I’m not positive yet. Won’t have it for a week or two. Serial number on barrel and butt match

 

[Dhs The IV]

I’ve considered that they just didn’t have a nickel barrel because maybe it was replaced early on (but again why not renickel). I had thought about maybe the shiny barrel problem, or maybe it saw some holster time and the barrel flakes so aw heck just blue the dang thing (all though over all the gun looks pretty good). If you google pre 19 pinto the first one is like this albeit with blued cylinder, frustratingly there’s no info on the gun itself. A couple other nickel frame pintos show up. When did S&W switch from the lazy ampersand? If it’s a replacement barrel it would be before they switched. That’s good to know about the cylinder, I had just assumed that it probably should have a stamped cylinder.

 

[Doc44]

A Combat Magnum with a serial number in the K264000 range should have shipped by sometime in 1957 and should have the serial number stamped on the rear surface of the cylinder, in the extractor rod shroud, on the butt, and on the rear surface of the yoke (minus the K). An original nickel barrel would have had a blued Baughman ramp on a ramp base, and the barrel, though nickeled, would have been sand blasted to reduce glare. I don't think a shiny barrel was a problem on early Combat
Magnums.

Bill

 

[smith17]

Several of the K264xxx serial numbers were nickeled. I have a couple.

 

[Dhs The IV]

According to what I can tell from the S&WSC it’s in the 1955 range.

 

[Dhs The IV]

I found a thread with about 4 different nickel pre 19s in the same. If I lettered it’s I’m sure it’d come back nickel.

 

[Doc44]

The first Combat Magnum with serial number K260003 was completed by S&W on December 15, 1955. The first Combat Magnum shipped on January 3, 1956 has serial number K260006.

The SCSW is somewhat general when it comes to serial numbers and only by examining actual firearms or records can it be determined when a particular gun was shipped.

I agree your Combat Magnum will probably letter as being shipped with a nickel finish since there is an N on the grip frame and probably on the cylinder (under the extractor). If the barrel was originally finished in nickel it would also have an N stamped in the shroud possibly mixed in with the serial number (i.e. K N 264000 or K264000 N).

Bill

 

[Dhs The IV]

Well I defer to your knowledge in the matter. Can’t tell you how many times a google search has brought up one of your posts on here, often with some wonderful gun I didn’t even know existed.