This beautiful old 2nd Model dropped into my lap today at the gunshow. It was sporting Jay Scott Fake earl Magna grips and the only thing I had to put on it were these older vintage Gold Medallion stocks.
Anyways Serial # 682940 engraved by Master Engraver Benno Heune. the gun was sent back to S&W in 1945 & 46, I am guessing to have the Kings Cockeyed Hammer and front Reflector Sight installed and then to be reblued after engraving. my pictures suck and will try to take better ones later. I am in shock still.
I think Forum Member DHenry has a RM engraved by Benno also. When I googled the name I found this posting on an engravers site. the posting was taken from this Forum by the engraver
"Heune was a member of the Firearms Engravers of America, and lived in Bridgeport, CA.
His first foray into engraving came in 1944, while he was convalescing at a military hospital at Pearl Harbor. He engraved knives and guns for fellow servicemen, charging .25/word (!).
After WW II, Heune returned to Modesto, CA, where he worked as a firefighter.
In 1955, he left the fire service to buy a sporting goods store and marina in Bridgeport. (Ed knew 'Ben' then, also through his work as a guide)
Ben studied under Jack Morris in their saddle and silver shop, and he did some contract engraving work for silver shops in Reno, NV.
20 years after buying the sporting goods store, Heune sold it and took up the practice of engraving with (and teaching classes on) the 'Gravermeister, hand-engraving machine.
The 'Gravermesiter' is best likened to a miniature air-hammer, in that it is a compressed-air-powered graver, and allows the complex engraving of very hard materials (like guns).
Heune eventually sold Gravermeisters, conducted class on both manual ('graving') and Gravermeister engraving. His students ranged in age from the very young to the elderly, and there are still folks active in the profession who remember him and his classes.
Most of them I've corresponded with mention his "...kindness and patience.", and the lasting impact he left on their work and lives.
Ben Heune also taught NRA engraving classes at Lassen College in California, and for Rio Grande in Tucson, Arizona.
As Ed mentioned in a previous post, 'Heune' means 'elk' in German, and Heune signed his work (on the underside of the frame, in front of the trigger-guard) with an elk head and rack, with the name, 'Heune' below.
Benno Heune passed away in 1999.
His tools, books, stencils and other ephemera belong to a nice gentleman who's an art/jewelry engraving teacher in Stockton, CA.
He's in the process of gathering up and organizing all the material to donate it to an engraving museum.
Benno Heune wrote what is considered to be the best introductory book on engraving ever..."Basic Engraving".
The style on RM 1234?
Probably comes closest to a 'New York' style.
It is minimal, probably to allow the fine original bluing on the gun to show well.
Interestingly, the engraving on the sides of the topstrap (considered the most difficult area to engrave on any gun) exhibits very small and intricate patterns.
I'm obviously no expert on engraving, and frankly I purchased # 1234 to fill out an empty spot where I had previously sold another 6-1/2" RM.
This 'ancillary'/historical provenance is what keeps me in the hobby!
I hope this somewhat long post doesn't put everyone to sleep."
Don
This message has been edited. Last edited by: DHENRY, 01 April 2008 01:41 PM "
here is a link to that posting
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/77809-back-1936-a.html
Anyways Serial # 682940 engraved by Master Engraver Benno Heune. the gun was sent back to S&W in 1945 & 46, I am guessing to have the Kings Cockeyed Hammer and front Reflector Sight installed and then to be reblued after engraving. my pictures suck and will try to take better ones later. I am in shock still.
I think Forum Member DHenry has a RM engraved by Benno also. When I googled the name I found this posting on an engravers site. the posting was taken from this Forum by the engraver
"Heune was a member of the Firearms Engravers of America, and lived in Bridgeport, CA.
His first foray into engraving came in 1944, while he was convalescing at a military hospital at Pearl Harbor. He engraved knives and guns for fellow servicemen, charging .25/word (!).
After WW II, Heune returned to Modesto, CA, where he worked as a firefighter.
In 1955, he left the fire service to buy a sporting goods store and marina in Bridgeport. (Ed knew 'Ben' then, also through his work as a guide)
Ben studied under Jack Morris in their saddle and silver shop, and he did some contract engraving work for silver shops in Reno, NV.
20 years after buying the sporting goods store, Heune sold it and took up the practice of engraving with (and teaching classes on) the 'Gravermeister, hand-engraving machine.
The 'Gravermesiter' is best likened to a miniature air-hammer, in that it is a compressed-air-powered graver, and allows the complex engraving of very hard materials (like guns).
Heune eventually sold Gravermeisters, conducted class on both manual ('graving') and Gravermeister engraving. His students ranged in age from the very young to the elderly, and there are still folks active in the profession who remember him and his classes.
Most of them I've corresponded with mention his "...kindness and patience.", and the lasting impact he left on their work and lives.
Ben Heune also taught NRA engraving classes at Lassen College in California, and for Rio Grande in Tucson, Arizona.
As Ed mentioned in a previous post, 'Heune' means 'elk' in German, and Heune signed his work (on the underside of the frame, in front of the trigger-guard) with an elk head and rack, with the name, 'Heune' below.
Benno Heune passed away in 1999.
His tools, books, stencils and other ephemera belong to a nice gentleman who's an art/jewelry engraving teacher in Stockton, CA.
He's in the process of gathering up and organizing all the material to donate it to an engraving museum.
Benno Heune wrote what is considered to be the best introductory book on engraving ever..."Basic Engraving".
The style on RM 1234?
Probably comes closest to a 'New York' style.
It is minimal, probably to allow the fine original bluing on the gun to show well.
Interestingly, the engraving on the sides of the topstrap (considered the most difficult area to engrave on any gun) exhibits very small and intricate patterns.
I'm obviously no expert on engraving, and frankly I purchased # 1234 to fill out an empty spot where I had previously sold another 6-1/2" RM.
This 'ancillary'/historical provenance is what keeps me in the hobby!
I hope this somewhat long post doesn't put everyone to sleep."
Don
This message has been edited. Last edited by: DHENRY, 01 April 2008 01:41 PM "
here is a link to that posting
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/77809-back-1936-a.html
Last edited:
The engraving is stunning (a bit more detailed than your trademark nickel BBQ guns). And although not exactly "time period correct", those large gold medallion service grips are the perfect addition from an aesthetic perspective.
Someone(s) has put a ton of effort into making that a shootable work of art. 
