Show-N-Tell - The Modified S&Ws

[CQB27]

.............shown before but it fits this thread. I also enjoy handguns that have been modified to suit their owner at the time.
This one has factory re-work marks but don't know what was done there.

The barrel is 3 & 1/2, has been re-blued, and fitted with an unusual grip adapter which allowed the owner to put a set of Single Action Army style grips on it.

Someone transitioning from a Colt SAA to a Smith DA , who knows?

If I remember right it was shipped to Oshman's for Houston PD.

Has a man's name engraved on the sideplate.

Paired up with a floral tooled, break front holster by Sterling Leather.

I NEVER tire of looking at this gun. What a Beaut!

 

[Hondo44]

.............shown before but it fits this thread. I also enjoy handguns that have been modified to suit their owner at the time.
This one has factory re-work marks but don't know what was done there.

The barrel is 3 & 1/2, has been re-blued, and fitted with an unusual grip adapter which allowed the owner to put a set of Single Action Army style grips on it.

Someone transitioning from a Colt SAA to a Smith DA , who knows?

If I remember right it was shipped to Oshman's for Houston PD.

Has a man's name engraved on the sideplate.

Paired up with a floral tooled, break front holster by Sterling Leather.

That's definitely a unique grip treatment. Fortunately didn't require any modifications to the gun itself, just custom made SAA shaped grips installed.

If you can show a photo of the left side of the grip frame w/o the stocks and one of the serial # area in the barrel shroud we can help determine if anything else was done on its return trip to the factory besides the re-blue.

 

[lawandorder]

Jim here is an image of the unusual grip adapter

on this interesting old Third model. It is similar to the one Lee has posted an image of before.

Will try to get the other shot soon.

Thank you.

Tony

 

[19leben]

Looks like someone used part of another frame to fill in the front to accommodate the SA grips huh? Nifty idea, however I wonder about the donor frame.....

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[steelslaver]

Be just about as easy to just machine and fit one from a raw piece of metal as to do that with an piece from another gun. Either would take some time to get a great fit like that, kind of like inletting a grip, but from steel.

 

[Oscarflytyer]

Saw a gold bead or gold front sight insert on a couple here. Anyone know a 'smith that will do that on a gun? I have the gold (old/ex wedding ring!) and have a couple SA revolvers I would like a gold front sight insert. Thanx

 

[Hondo44]

on this interesting old Third model. It is similar to the one Lee has posted an image of before.

Will try to get the other shot soon.

Thank you.

Tony

Tony,

Wow, thx for the new photo. There was a lot more to that than meets the eye! Very nice, and how is it attached?

I would probably just have made the filler piece integral with one side of the stocks, but then I'm basically lazy.

 

[Model39]

Andy Cannon Model 686 (Done In 1989)

Andy Cannon Custom 686 (Been Shown Before).

 

[Frank46]

Google SDM sights. They do real gold bead sights for S&W's but don't remember if they make them for other brands. Frank

 

[keithherrington]

Some customized S&Ws from my past

Bowen customized 38/44 in 45 Colt. Roy Fishpaw grips.


Bowen customized Model 58 with Spegel checkered boot grips.


Bowen customized Model 520 in 45 S&W. Spegel checkered boot grips.


This was one of my favorite custom S&Ws: a Model 16-4 converted to 38 Special by Hamilton Bowen. In 2006 I started shooting Bullseye with revolvers pretty regularly, using a Model 17-5 (full lug) for 22, a Model 27 for CF and a 625-6 5" for 45. I was never entirely satisfied with the 27, so after also trying a 586 (which really never had the accuracy I needed), I had Bowen build me a dedicated match revolver. The cylinder was bored to fit the W-W 148 match load, and a NOS Model 17 barrel custom was bored and rifled to match a Colt Python - .356" bore with a 1 in 14" twist. Won a bunch of matches with it.


Keith

 

[lawandorder]

Here is another view showing the screw through the adapter and kinda shows how the bottom hooks into the bottom of the grip frame.

 

[Xfuzz]

Here is the one I showed earlier with the
S&W Jinks letter. A re-work all done at the factory.
The front sight is still a mystery.
I call it the "Half-Bred". Neat old 44 special.
It has also has the eagle S2 stamp.
Some info has been gathered on W.J. O'Quinn person
but I have hit a dead end for now.
Never know WHAT you may find at small Texas
gun show.

 

[D1911]

Man there are some very cool guns on here. I have this old Model 15 that I bought back in 1981 and it started life as a 2" square butt. A number of years ago I had a friend install a 4" Python barrel on it to give me the Smolt you see here. These were very popular years ago and Bill Davis made a ton of them in the Sacramento, CA area. This one was built for me by Mark Kearns, who worked for Bill for a number of years. I'm in the process of working on a 686/Smolt project with my local smith (another former Bill Davis smith). They shoot great!

 

[Bob R]

Here is a 25-5 that was worked over by Austin Behlert before I got it. Most of the guns I have seen of his always involved chopping the barrel. This one isn't. Other than the obvious action job (when you shoot it) there is some jeweling, ball/detent lockup, round butt conversion and it has been MagNa ported. It is a joy to shoot pins with.

bob

 

[StrawHat]

...Bowen customized Model 520 in 45 S&W. Spegel checkered boot grips.


Keith...

In 45 S&W, that is a beauty. Would not mind finding one like that myself. To go with my 22-4.

Kevin

 

[Hondo44]

Bowen customized Model 520 in 45 S&W. Spegel checkered boot grips.


Keith

Keith,

That's a very good looking and unique custom N frame!

Are the chambers actually reamed for the original Triple Lock round:
45 S&W Special (.45 Frankford "Cal. .45 Ball, Model of 1906") with case length of .923"?

If so, do you use cut down modern 45 Schofield cases?

 

[keithherrington]

45 S&W

No. It is chambered for the .45 S&W, also known as .45 Schofield, with a case length of 1.100".

Keith

 

[Hondo44]

No. It is chambered for the .45 S&W, also known as .45 Schofield, with a case length of 1.100".

Keith

Oh, OK, that's still very cool!

And you can still also shoot the modern .45 Cowboy Spl with its .893" case length (ACP/AR length).

 

[StrawHat]

Keith,

That's a very good looking and unique custom N frame!

Are the chambers actually reamed for the original Triple Lock round:
45 S&W Special (.45 Frankford "Cal. .45 Ball, Model of 1906") with case length of .923"?

If so, do you use cut down modern 45 Schofield cases?

This falls under the "Learn Something New..." category. I thought the 45 S&W was the 45 Schofield?

Kevin

 

[Tom K]

I have only a couple that I had modified for myself - most of my custom guns are ones that I bought already done. Someone else gets exactly what they want built, then they sell it. Go figure. (Click on the pictures for larger versions.)

Here are my two guns that I've had done. First is my 8-3/8" .327 Magnum, built on a Model 14-4 frame with rebored Model 17 barrel, by Andy Horvath.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1961-1980/472728-seldom-seen-8-3-8-k32.html

My 8-3/8" .44 Special, also done by Andy.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1961-1980/397845-seldom-seen-8-3-8-44-special.html

A Model 58 with a Model 29 barrel and cylinder, that I found on Gunbroker.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1961-1980/464686-model-58-difference-44-mag.html

A .455 Triple Lock converted to .45 Colt and turned into a target gun.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...t-conversion-not-king-tulsa-april-2014-a.html

A 2nd Model Hand Ejector converted from .455 to .45 Colt.

A Model 1917 converted to .22LR.

A Model 3 break top revolver converted to .22LR single shot.

A Model 22 .45 Cal of 1950 that had been chopped and round butted.

Before and After pictures of a Model 58 that is unmodified, except for being refinished by S&W in 2009.

Off the top of my head, I also have a Model 10 converted to .22LR and a Model 15 converted to .22 Hornet, that I don't have current pictures of. Oh, and a Model 10 in .38 Special converted to a PPC gun, with bull barrel and target sights. There are probably more that I can't think of at the moment. I'm actually kind of a sucker for someone else's projects.