Opinion On A S&W Model 27

[mbliss57]

Just to add to the understanding of Target Stocks. Target stocks were not numbered at all. There is a post I will try to find by Expert Commentator and SWCA expert Doc44 that states that with a very few exceptions to some very specific early pre modelled N frames, target stocks were never numbered. This is because they didn't need to be as the fitting of the stocks to the gun in soft fitting department was not necessary. It's an interesting/ useful fact that is not stated in the SCSW. I cannot find it anyway. Enjoyy that 27-2.

 

[Alk8944]

There is no reason to think your gun is any different than the way it left the factory. Front sight type is not definitive as either the Patridge or Baughman could be factory original. The Partrige blade is actually too short to modify to the Baughman profile and look right, that is an original Baughman! Take the paint off of it and you will find the grooving is even and the bluing is intact!

Use come acetone or fingernail polish remover to remove the white marks on the rear sight slide, and the same if you do not care for the paint that has been added to the front sight.

It is extremely rare to see target stocks that are numbered, so this is normal. I would say you paid top dollar for condition, but it was fair.

 

[H Richard]

I think the front sight is original, remember in this era you could order any special feature you wanted. Without a letter to confirm, I would think it is correct. My 3 1/2" Pre 27 has the same ramp front sight. The picture clearly shows it is just some paint which is easily removed with acetone without bothering the bluing.

 

[27 Man]

Enjoy that 27. They are the Cadillac of the S&W line. When shooting double action, that big heavy cylinder just seems to turn itself once the momentum starts. They are ultra smooth. I have several and all are a dream to shoot.

 

[hkcavalier]

Concur on the front sight. Hope there is some bluing under that paint.

Looks just like the front blade on my 5" gun:

 

[wesman5060]

Ive looked all over the front sight and still cant find the pin. If someone could post a pic of the pin on theirs id very much appreciate it. If you look very closely at my most recent pics of the front sight you will see that a small chip came off the red paint at some point. Where the chip is i dont see any bluing as well as any grooves. Id assume the previous owner ground down the grooves when they applied the paint

 

[StrawHat]

You did well and have a very good revolver. It amazes me that some will argue on that fore sight. It appears original and factory. An altered Patridge would have a different look to it.

I ave a 27-2 with a 6” barrel and factory red ramp fore sight and white outline rear sight. In that era, S&W was willing to build what the individual customer wanted. I miss those times.

Kevin

 

[rbmac52]

OP

Take a look at the front sight blade shown in the linked photo:

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/pub/products/315520.jpg

Your front sight Baughman ramp blade has a similar "keel" that fits into a like-shaped recess atop the Baughman ramp base.

The location of the pin holding your Baughman ramp blade in place should be midway between the front and back edges of the blade, and then midway between the top and the bottom of the ramp base.

I hope this helps explain where the pin should be located.

 

[s&wchad]

I do believe that is a genuine Baughman ramp and it is pinned to the sight base.

Here's a close up of the OP's front sight and the face of the blade is smooth. Baughman's were serrated.

Ive looked all over the front sight and still cant find the pin. If someone could post a pic of the pin on theirs id very much appreciate it. If you look very closely at my most recent pics of the front sight you will see that a small chip came off the red paint at some point. Where the chip is i dont see any bluing as well as any grooves. Id assume the previous owner ground down the grooves when they applied the paint

First off, nice gun! The sight modifications aren't a big deal to correct. The rear leaf is relatively simple to swap, but the front blade is best left to a professional. If I was going to have that front sight changed, I'd consider a gold bead or red post Patridge. It's important to get the correct height.

Here's what the blade pin looks like (in the right light, at the right angle). They're hard to see, because the ramp and blade were installed and the pins ground/polished flush, before the finish was applied.

In this photo of an earlier gun, you can see three pins. Two attach the ramp base to the rib and the third attaches the blade to the base.

Patridge front blades were standard on 6" and 8-3/8" Model 27's and your blade shape is substantially different from these factory Baughman blades on various 27's. Your blade is obviously a modified Patridge, not a Baughman with the serrations ground off.

If a customer ordered an otherwise standard gun with a special front sight, the factory would pull a gun from the vault and replace the front sight. It was far less disruptive to production than building a gun from scratch. In these cases, the pins were left proud (the ends radiused), to prevent them from having to refinish the barrel.

 

[Muley Gil]

Chad, your picture number two (not counting the OP's picture), blue barrel with front sight, looks like a Patridge that has been modified to a ramp. As I stated above, I turned my Patridge front sight that was on a 1950 .44 Special Target barrel into a ramp. It looked like the one you posted.

 

[s&wchad]

Chad, your picture number two (not counting the OP's picture), blue barrel with front sight, looks like a Patridge that has been modified to a ramp. As I stated above, I turned my Patridge front sight that was on a 1950 .44 Special Target barrel into a ramp. It looked like the one you posted.

You may be right Gil, I never lettered the gun. The blade is serrated and I just assumed it was factory. The barrel and front sight came off a 6" mid-1950's 5-screw .357 that I bought with a bulged barrel. I found a suitable replacement barrel and had the factory install it.

Here are some photos of the take-off barrel and its sight.

Edit to add: Now that I look at the close-up of the blade on the take off barrel (about 4X actual size), I tend to agree that it's Patridge that was re-shaped and re-serrated.

 

[rbmac52]

Generally speaking, the factory Baughman ramp blade angle is consistently cut to the same angle as is the rear of the Baughman ramp itself. In other words, if looking at the profile of the Baughman blade on Baughman ramp base front sight in its entirety, the angle cut of the blade will be the same as the angle cut of the ramp base. In those instances where the cut angles are different, the blade is quite possibly modified.

Just my observation.

 

[Andrew2105]

I hope that you have tried the sights...unless you are determined to seek as much perfection as possible those might be pretty good shooting sights.

 

[wesman5060]

Im sure this is gonna open a whole can of worms on here but should i shoot it or leave it in its unfired state? Im feeling a bit indecisive about it

 

[petemacmahon]

Shoot It!!!!

Im sure this is gonna open a whole can of worms on here but should i shoot it or leave it in its unfired state? Im feeling a bit indecisive about it

Shoot it! From all the evidence offered up by the folks above, the gun has been altered and so will not pass as a virgin ANIB anyway. So shoot it and tell us how it goes.

I agree with the poster about the rear sight etchings being so far off the actual sight cut that you will probably not notice the them.

I'm not a fan of red front sights and it looks like when you remove that nail polish, the metal will be in the white. I would blacken it and take it to the range and have fun. Then, if it shot well and it were me, I'd load up a batch of Hornady 180 XTPs over a stout load of H110 and take it up into a tree stand for deer!!!!!!!!!!