Take a look and tell me why I bought this old 38...

Titan Tom

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I picked up this old 38 Special late Wednesday night, and had a 6am flight up here to Tennessee on Thursday, so I haven't really given it a thorough look-see, including the number under the right grip panel to see if the numbers all match. The other numbers I found did match, these were frame, cylinder, ejector star, and barrel. Sorry, I don't recall or have the SN with me, and wont have it until I return to Florida next week.

This is certainly not a collector specimen, as it has a non-factory nickel job, as evidenced by the plated hammer and trigger, and the obviously over-zealous polishing that nearly removed the S&W marking on the left side. All other markings are remarkably clear in relation to the S&W badge that's almost gone. That's the bad news. The good news is that it seems mechanically sound, with minimum endshake, and it locks up nicely, with almost zero cylinder play at battery. The bore is also in really, really nice shape. This little bugger set me back a whopping $285.

Although not in my area of collecting, I believe it to be a mid-20's 1905, going by the mushroom end on the ejector rod and the single-line Made in the USA on the right side (although I'm certainly no expert, and these are guesses). Also, if I'm remembering this correctly, the 6-digit SN started with a '5'.

So...take a close look and tell me why I bought it, and there is a very specific reason I did so. This should be very evident to you sharp-eyed pistoleros, and I'm sure the first guy who reads this post will probably see it right away. Hint- it has nothing to do with the old Pachmayr grip adapter.

The first person who gets it right wins the honor of being the first person who gets it right.

Also, please feel free to share with us how YOU might imagine how it ended up like it did. There's plenty of room for interesting speculation here, so don't be shy! First prize for the most interesting theory wins the respect and adulation of your fellow Forum Members!

And with all that Hulabaloo out of the way, here she is:
 

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Nope, but thanks for playing! Maybe take a closer look...
 
It has one of those funny plastic things attached to it in front of the stocks.
 
Yep, it's a S&W all right, but if I had found an old H&R with the same feature I'd have probably bought it too.

Keep it going!
 
DING DING DING! WE have a Winnah!

Great job EPJ and Trout!

Now how did they get there? Who would have cut four very pronounced notches? There are 4, the one nearest the grip frame doesn't show up in the pic.
 
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I saw the notches right away, but don't understand why they would make the gun more desirable. I have bought several guns with notched grips and replaced them. One was a WWI M1911 that had something like 8 or 9 grip notches, they looked very crude, like maybe done with a bayonet. I still have that pair somewhere but haven't seen them for years.
 
I think I'm in DWalt's camp on this one.
I have a Model of 1917 with about ten notches on it. At one end it has "43" crudely scratched and at the other end "44" with the notches in between. I always took it as time in service, time overseas, or something similar.
It's a part of the gun's history, but since I don't know what it means I'd prefer that they weren't there.
 
I've seen many old guns with notches. Could be nothing or anything. To me it's just damage to the stocks. I can't imagine getting exited about notches on a gun. Any ex police or military firearm may have been used to kill a person. I own one pistol that I know for a fact was used to kill a man. No notches on it. I don't think about such things.
 
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