S&W n°2 - 4’’ Barrel

[wyoming-74]

Hello,
I'm new to the forum.
I'm French, and I'm starting a collection of S&W rifles from the first three generations.
I've been offered a Model No. 2 with a 4" barrel.
It seems to be a fairly rare model.
I'm wondering if the barrel has been shortened. The front sight doesn't seem straight; it's very prominent and very close to the markings.
How can you identify a shortened barrel?
Thank you all for your advice.

Olivier

 

[wlw-19958]

Hi There,


Welcome to the Forum!

Can you post a picture? It would save a lot of time if you can.
In general, the "SMITH & WESSON" barrel markings were
applied in the middle between the front sight and the hinge.
From your description, I think it is very probable the barrel
was shortened.


Cheers!
Webb

 

[wyoming-74]

Thanks for the answer.
You’re right, photos are better than hundreds words.
I’ve post below few photos of the gun.

See you

 

[wlw-19958]

Hi There,


It definitely looks like it was shortened after it left the Factory.
I have in my collection, three Old Armies. two have the common
6" barrel length and the third has the 5" barrel. The legend on
the 5" barrel starts 3-1/4" from the center of the hinge. The
legend on the two 6" barrel ones start at slightly different points.
One is a smidgen past 3-3/8" from the center of the hinge screw
and the other is 3-23/32" from the center of the hinge.

Measure yours and post the distance from the front of the legend
to the center of the hinge and see how it compares.


Cheers!
Webb

 

[Patbar]

Hi Olivier,

If you had posted the photos of your gun on the OWAR forum, I would have told you right away that the barrel was shortened after leaving the factory. And yes, the front sight is too high.

Pat

 

[wyoming-74]

Thanks Webb, I’ll do that and I tell you.

 

[wyoming-74]

Hi Pat,
Yes, I’m sure you told me.
I just didn’t wanted to disturb you again with all my questions.
I’ll post my next one on the OWAR forum.

 

[danalex]

un nouveau Français ?
Bienvenue Wyoming 74

 

[glowe]

Welcome to the Forum. Another point of confirmation for a cut barrel on your Model 2 is that there were no brass front sights on the Model 2 revolvers. They were made of thin silver blades not thick brass.

 

[iby]

Welcome to the Forum. Another point of confirmation for a cut barrel on your Model 2 is that there were no brass front sights on the Model 2 revolvers. They were made of thin silver blades not thick brass.[/QUOT

Were they silver or "German Silver"?

 

[glowe]

Well, I do not know which, but German silver was at least the right color. S&W did use silver to plate the Model 1, so seems that silver is the best bet for the era.

 

[wyoming-74]

Bonsoir Danalex,
Glad to discuss with another frenchi.
See you

 

[wyoming-74]

Thanks Gary for your confirmation.

 

[wyoming-74]

Hi Webb,
I wasn’t able to compare sooner.
Now it’s done, and I’m sure it’s an hold 6’’ barrel shortcut to looks like a 4’’ one.
Thanks again. ,

 

[wyoming-74]

Hi Gary,
Your information is quite interesting.
All the handlebars on the No. 2s were silver ? So all the models we see today with copper handlebars were replaced? Because they often have a copper-yellow color.

 

[Patbar]

Olivier, we are talking here of the frontsight, not the "handlebar" ("guidon de vélo" in French), and I confirm that these frontsights on all my tip-up S&W are made of German silver ("maillechort" in French).

 

[glowe]

Hi Gary,
Your information is quite interesting.
All the handlebars on the No. 2s were silver ? So all the models we see today with copper handlebars were replaced? Because they often have a copper-yellow color.

I am trying to understand what a handlebar is on a Model 2 tip-up? It was a common practice to use a thin plate of copper under silver and nickel plate. Theory was that the finish was better and lasted longer than without copper, but there is also evidence that S&W plated their guns over steel directly??

 

[Patbar]

Hi Gary,
Wyoming-74 wrote the word "handlebar" because he is French and didn't know the word for frontsight. So, he looked in a French-English dictionary and saw that the word "guidon" (frontsight in French) could be translated by handlebar because this word has the two meanings in French, wether one is talking of a gun or a bicycle.

 

[BMur]

Front sights

Early front sights were for the most part Alloys. A mixture of metals.
Most early gun sights were Muntz Metal. 60% Copper 35% Zinc 5%iron. They could then be plated with nickel or silver.

German Silver sights were 60% Copper 20% Nickel and 20% Zinc

Brass sights were generally 80% Copper 20% Zinc. The mix can change slightly to achieve a more golden or lighter color.

Any one of these could be applicable to any early gun.

And if plated with nickel it’s just about impossible to determine which sight you’re dealing with.

Later sights were mild steel and you can confirm that with a magnet.

Base metal sights like pure copper or pure nickel are rare since pure copper tarnishes easily and alloys(metal mix) are much more durable.

You have to study metals when learning to weld or you find out the hard way.

Murph

 

[iby]

Thanks Murph