S&W Model 1950 Target

[cesseltine]

Hi, I just traded in to a model 1950 target in 45 acp and there are two thing odd about this pistol, and seeing that S&W is not taking letter requests till next year I thought I would try here. first is there is no S prefix on the serial number stamped on the frame, but there is on the barrel, same number 969xx just no S, and the second is that it is bright blue, the bluing could have been a special order, but the missing S is odd and I was wondering if it will lower the value.

 

[murphydog]

Photos of the SN locations would help here. The finish looks nice but the hammer and trigger are either faded or polished, which suggest it may have been refinished.

 

[S&W ucla]

If you could post a pic of the butt of the gun where the sn is marked would help. Carefully remove grips! Is SN also on rear of cylinder?

 

[Texas Star]

If refinished, you have a problem, collector-wise. But if there's just a missing "S" and Roy confirms that some got out that way, probably a variety of N-framed models, as I suspect may be so, the letter would fix any collector issues.


All I can say is that I owned one and it shot poorly with lead factory .45 Auto Rim ammo. The bullets are too soft for the rifling, which was designed especially for FMJ military ammo.

Have others here had that ammunition experience? I'm guessing that handloaders can remedy that with harder cast bullets.

If you're just a collector/investor, that won't matter.

 

[Muley Gil]

Welcome to the Forum.

Please remove the target grips and post the serial number that is found on the butt.

 

[Rick Bowles]

While you have the grips off, please post a close image of the left side of the grip frame. Concentrate on any stampings of letters, numbers and symbols.

 

[tlay]

The grips on your gun are not correct for it. They should be diamond target grips.

 

[cesseltine]

reply

The number is stamped on the cylinder with the S there, there is a 5 stamped on the left side, the hammer and trigger still have some of there case hardening color, just cant get it to show up in a picture. Looks like someone cut the frame to fit the grips, sad thing to do. still, I think I came out ahead, the rifle I traded was worth $400 and I think this is still worth more then that.

 

[S&W ucla]

It looks like it was modified to fit "Fuzzy Farrant" grips. It was a popular finger groove grip at one time, but cutting the frame was the negative. The 5 on the side indicates 45 caliber. It should make a great shooter. For 400 you did great!

 

[Nightowl]

The serial number on the butt has been compromised. The S has been cut away to install a small set of grips such a small Hogue style grip. Or a Farrant made one.

 

[Texas Star]

Are these post-1950 S&W .45's safe with Plus P ammo?

 

[Hondo44]

The number is stamped on the cylinder with the S there, there is a 5 stamped on the left side, the hammer and trigger still have some of there case hardening color, just cant get it to show up in a picture. Looks like someone cut the frame to fit the grips, sad thing to do. still, I think I came out ahead, the rifle I traded was worth $400 and I think this is still worth more then that.

Nightowl solved your mystery. You can't say there is no S on the frame when you your self identify that PART OF THE GRIP FRAME IS MISSING! What were you thinking??

Also as he noted, the gun is presently illegal, no wonder you got it so cheap. You have a gun with a defaced serial number in legal terms. Trade it back or don't accept it until there's an S (however it gets there) in front of those numeric digits.

 

[cesseltine]

the gun is not illegal, there is .5 of an inch fwd of the serial number, if the prefix was stamped it should have been near the serial number.

 

[Hondo44]

WRONG!!!!!

 

[Muley Gil]

the gun is not illegal, there is .5 of an inch fwd of the serial number, if the prefix was stamped it should have been near the serial number.

Sorry, S&W often stamped the letter prefix far ahead of the digits. The "S" is missing from your serial number.

 

[tlay]

If you are so sure of the gun being !egal, call the ATF and tell them what you have with the missing S on the frame! Otherwise tell the person who sold you the gun to give your money or trade back!!

 

[Muley Gil]

Go to this thread:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...have-gun-357-magnum-transitional-postwar.html

and look at the fourth picture in post # 12. It shows how S&W stamps the serial number on their revolvers.

 

[cesseltine]

thank you, that is strange to have a prefix so far ahead of the numbers. I have a 10-7 where the 3D487xx is all next to each other. so it just needs an S stamp.

 

[BUFF]

"Are these post-1950 S&W .45's safe with Plus P ammo?"

Yes. .45 Plus-P isn't much warmer than standard velocity. My department issued Federal HST +P and when mixed with standard velocity ball, there was very little difference shot to shot.

 

[BUFF]

Sometimes, a gunsmith altering a frame, in the area of the serial number, will restamp the full original serial number elsewhere, to preserve it. Check on the other side of the grip frame.