S&W 15-3 Questions

[02-fatboy]

Hello I have a S&W 15-3. I love to shoot it and its very accurate. I have a few questions, any idea on a way to figure out the year it was made? Also I am trying to figure out if its a square or round butt? I bought a pair of safariland grips for it, however they don't seem to fit the gun properly. I would like to find a nice set of wood grain S&W grips for it that have grooves for my fingers. Any input would be great.

Thank you everyone.

 

[bamabiker]

Welcome to the forum.
It should be a square butt.
If you tell us the serial number we can give you the year it probably shipped from the factory. You can x out the last couple of digits if you don't want the whole world to know the serial number.

Let me add, you can keep an eye on the WTS forum classifieds or place a WTB ad in that section of the classifieds to find the grips you want.

 

[02-fatboy]

serial number is 8k94426 I think but the 8 and K are very hard to make out and almost look like they were stamped over or something???? Any on a value for it???? Not that it matters I only plan to keep it and shoot it.

 

[STCM(SW)]

1975 my list has.

 

[bamabiker]

It should come from 1975. I'd say around $400 for the value.
Can you take the grips off and show a picture of the grip frame? In one of your pictures it almost looks like a round butt.

 

[02-fatboy]

I will take the grips off and take a picture tommorow and try to post it. Cool $400 seems fair thats not far off from what it cost me. To be honest though this gun shoots so well I don't know that I would ever want to get rid of it.

 

[bamabiker]

These guns and the M14s are well known for their accuracy. Enjoy it.

 

[Florida_Lawdog]

The service weapon of Tampa Police Dept., and many others in the 70s. Mine was Teflon coated and could drive nails. Have fun with it.

 

[g17]

Very nice shooting pistols. A 15-3 was the first S&W I bought for myself back in the 70s. I think the price on it new was $145 iirc and I got a box of nyclad ammo and a black S&W holster with it.

 

[02-fatboy]

Here is the picture you asked for without the grips on it. Hopefully this helps figure out if its square or round butt??

 

[02-fatboy]

So would this gun be considered a square butt K frame? Just wanted to make sure so that when I look for different grips I get ones that fit on the gun properly

 

[bamabiker]

It looks like someone round butted the back side of the grip frame but not the front side. You may have a hard time finding grips that fit correctly if I'm right.
That gun should have started life as a square butt.

And what is the silver thing on the front strap?
The bottom of the sideplate looks strange to me also.

 

[Terry C]

That does not look like a factory round butt, looks like a modified square butt to me.

The rear has been reprofiled, but the front has not.


ETA: It appears that there has also been some metal removed from the side plate.

???

 

[GerSan69]

That's one of those magnetic trigger lock devices in the frame. And yes, the back strap was definitely cut as well. Do you need a ring to get it to function, or is the device disabled?

 

[02-fatboy]

ok this is strange and I really don't know what you guys are talking about??? trigger lock?? Ring for it to function?? This gun shoots awesome and thats why I like it so much. If its been modified then I might have to get one of the guys from pistol league to build me a set of custom grips with finger grooves for somewhere between 75 and 125 dollars. That way I can know they will fit my gun?? It doesn't sound like I am going to find some grips to work with it otherwise based on what you guys are stating.

 

[bamabiker]

Here is a pic of my M15-3 snubnose. See the difference in your grip frame.

Here is my M64-2 a K frame round butt. See the difference.

Sorry about the bad pics, best I could do on short notice.

 

[bamabiker]

Also the thing that is on the front of your grip frame is some kind of add on/trigger lock? I don't know what it is.
You might get a set of K frame square butt finger groove grips and just modify the back end to fit your frame. Then refinish them and they should work fine.
It's still a great gun for shooting, just not original.