Single Shot Transition from Recoil Shield to Groved

[Boulder350]

Thanks guys, will add that info to my records.

Terry - thats interesting markings on your club gun. You never know what you will find on them.

I had, and wish I had never sold it, serial number 26328 in a revolver. That one has a matching barrel serial number with single line address, no Model of 91, and wore a 5" barrel.

 

[Boulder350]

Terry,
Read through your list of individuals your guns shipped to, its quite impressive. Didn't know so many military men were target shooters at that time.

 

[ddeanjohnson]

2nd Model Single Shot SN 767

I have a 2nd Model Single Shot (SN 767) that has some unusual attributes. At the time I acquired it (in 2013), Ralph Tremaine commented, "It's a 2nd Model; but it's a 1st Model frame (two pins instead of one)--and it carries a 1st Model barrel (two line address/'Model of '91')...There are 1st Model SS's configured EXACTLY the same as your 2nd model, the only difference being in the serial number range."

The serial numbers all match (on the front of the grip frame, on the end of the barrel next to the clasp, on the inside of the clasp, and on the bottom of the ejector plate). I see no writing on the inside of the hard plastic grips, which are in excellent condition.

The 2013 S&W factory letter states that "serial number 767 was shipped from our factory on September 24, 1906, and delivered to B. Johnson, but no address was listed. The records indicate that this pistol was shipped with a 10 inch barrel, blue finish, and checkered black hard rubber grips." This all corresponds to the pistol as I received it. However, Ralph noted that the rear sight blade is a replacement.

I'm no longer collecting actively, and will probably be selling all of my single shots sometime in the next year.

 

[Boulder350]

Thanks ddeanjohnson. I track the 2nds models too, just have not tracked the 3rd model single shots. Need to start doing that to see when they transitioned between the 2nd and 3rd. According to Terry's post above the 2 pinned frames were used until about serial 1500. According to my records the first 10" barrel to show up with the single line marking on the rib was 1260. Serial number 1496 has a 10" barrel and is marked Model of 91. Then all 10" barrels after that were marked with a single line. Defiantly need more info on these guns to get a better idea of when the change actually occurred. I only have 50 serial numbers from 012 to 4587. The The 8" and 6" barrels were marked Model of 91 into the upper 2700's according to my finding so far.

Cool that your gun shipped to someone with the same last name as yours. A distant relative perhaps?

 

[ddeanjohnson]

Transitional Variation (2nd Model to 3rd Model) -- lowest surviving SN 3rd Model?

I track the 2nds models too, just have not tracked the 3rd model single shots. Need to start doing that to see when they transitioned between the 2nd and 3rd.

As to the transition between the 2nd Model and 3rd Model, you may find of interest my 2016 post and the resulting thread, concerning my "Transition Variation" No. 4007. The last I heard, it is the lowest serial number known for any surviving 3rd Model.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-an...mber-3rd-model-single-shot.html#post139142994

 

[Boulder350]

Very interesting thread. I don't have any 3rd model single shots, just a couple of perfected revolvers. Now I have something else to research, the 3rd model SS.

 

[ddeanjohnson]

Very interesting thread. I don't have any 3rd model single shots, just a couple of perfected revolvers. Now I have something else to research, the 3rd model SS.

A good place to start: The chapter on Single Shot Pistols in The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 4th Edition (2016), pp. 213-127. I did a major edit-revision of this chapter in 2016, with input from Modelof1891 and, especially, from rct269. Note, however, that I am sure that any of us, me included, could still find some little points in the chapter to disagree with.

 

[rct269]

You bet I can find some not so little points to disagree with!! Much to my consternation, some of what I opined was so then I now opine ain't so now------and never was! Oh the shame of it all!!!

The good news is we continue to live (so far) and we continue to learn.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[Boulder350]

Transition from 2nd to 3rd Single Shot

I spent some time researching the transition from 2nd model to 3rd model single shot. Serial numbers 4007 and 4236 were found with the 3rd model frames. They both have the old style rear sight with the screws for adjustment on the back of the sight.

Serial numbers 4304, 4341, 4342, 4572, 4581, 4587, and 4613 were found with the 2nd style frame with 1 pin. All wore the old sight except serial number 4587 wore the new rear sight with the side adjustment screws.

Serial number 4670 was found with the 3rd model frame. I was able to find 93 frames of the 3rd model. Will continue to record serial numbers but I have to go back to work to pay for my hobby/obsession.

Smith & Wesson Third Model Single Shot Pistol | Rock Island Auction

 

[rct269]

A perhaps interesting tid-bit for some (target sight junkies):

The rear sight on the 3rd Model SS was the first with screw adjustable windage------following the first S&W target sight with windage adjustment made by loosening the two (teeny-tiny) screws holding the rear sight Slide Retainer Plate in place----and moving the Slide (sight blade) by hand------------and here you thought "close" only applied to horse shoes and hand grenades.

Ralph Tremaine