the most beautiful ever built

[series guy]

Well it’s hard to choose but this plain Jane Highway Patrolman is a beauty in my eyes. Now if we leave the revolving cylinder out of the equation then the Third Model Perfected is just sexy as all get out.

 

[toddimusnimski]

Not a S&W, but...

Six men came to kill me one time. And the best of 'em carried this. It's a Callahan full bore auto-lock. Customized trigger, double cartridge thorough gauge. It is my very favorite gun. This is the best gun made by man. It has extreme sentimental value.

I call it Vera.

 

[younggun22]

This is a doozy of a question …

Triple lock is up there as is the 3.5in N frame .357 mag. I really like the pre war 1905 targets but I think the pre war 38/44 outdoorsman might take the cake?

But also I think the “pre model 10” 1905 fixed sighted 4in guns just look right too.

 

[JRB416]

An argument could be made for any of the pictured revolvers and certainly a case brought forth for your Hand Ejector, Marcello. But my vote for the one that speaks to me, is a five screw .44 Magnum. I really like the storied history of the big Smith & Wesson and the fit and finish are second to none on these early 44's. I just can't choose between these two barrel lengths!

 

[Truckman]

I just can't choose between these two barrel lengths!

I don't think even King Solomon with all his wisdom could have chosen between those two outstanding beauties!...Fortunately for you, you've chosen to own both......Ben

 

[JH1951]

For me it is difficult to pick 'just one'. Two of my favorites are guns that were made to 'work', not win beauty contests. The family association is obvious between them. Here's kind of a father / son portrait, dad being a 1917, and son being a Chiefs Special. Shipped 1918 and 1951 respectively.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Marcello: From what I've seen in your many posts, you must own at least half of all of those S&Ws in Italy! And most of yours are very nice! As others have said, it's almost impossible to pick ONE S&W revolver as the finest. I think that you have chosen one of the top picks (.44 HE 1st Model new Century Triplelock), but certainly the Registered Magnums, NRMs, and .38/44 Outdoorsman could be in the Top 5. My modest collection could never compare with the collections of many of our Forum members (e.g. RKmesa, Truckman, Doc44, etc.), but the favorite in my stable is a 6-1/2" bbl. 4-screw .44 Magnum with Coke Bottle stocks (I may even find the correct case for it one of these days!).

 

[mikepriwer]

Are there any roll marks on the top of that barrel?

Richard

That is the funniest question that I've had, for a long time! The short answer is 'No' .

The longer answer is that the factory did make the barrel, with the forged front sight base, and the bore and rifling. They just didn't realize that they had done that.

You have to visualize that within a 1950's 38/44 barrel with a rib, there is hidden an 1899 barrel. It's takes a lot of machining, but that is what I had my 1962 machinist-friend grad-school room-mate do. We made it dimensionally-correct for an 1899 barrel.

I appreciate your asking about it.

Regards, Mike

 

[RKmesa]

Richard

That is the funniest question that I've had, for a long time! The short answer is 'No' .

The longer answer is that the factory did make the barrel, with the forged front sight base, and the bore and rifling. They just didn't realize that they had done that.

You have to visualize that within a 1950's 38/44 barrel with a rib, there is hidden an 1899 barrel. It's takes a lot of machining, but that is what I had my 1962 machinist-friend grad-school room-mate do. We made it dimensionally-correct for an 1899 barrel.

I appreciate your asking about it.

Regards, Mike

Very Cool.

 

[PALADIN85020]

This is my personally-owned favorite - a 27-2 with all the bells and whistles. Stocks by Curt.

John

 

[Jakerin]

As much as I like the 29, for beauty I prefer my 8” Anaconda

 

[1blindref]

For me, It's the S&W Registered Magnum / Pre Model 27 line.
The checkered top strap, blueing so blue it looks wet, and all around beefiness do it for me.

And as far as barrel length, make it 3.5 inches long.

or 4 inches

 

[raljr1]

(sorry for my English, I think it's not very fluent)

I assure you that your English is better than most of our
Italian.

I do a lot of work with a Spanish company and my Spanish is pretty good. I use Google Translate to check my grammar and spelling. I type in Spanish then copy and paste it to Google Translate to verify. It helps me minimize grammatical errors. Might not be worth the trouble for your posts here, but just something to think about.

I love your revolvers and look forward to your posts.

Here is my Triple Lock. They are nice to look at.

 

[mikepriwer]

I want to add some comments regarding the 3" target 1899 that I presented earlier in this thread.

First, we made up four barrels, in different lengths: 2 1/2", 3", 3 1/2", and 4 1/2". I was experimenting with the overall appearance of shorter-than-4" barrels on a Model of 1899. I concluded that the 3" and the 3 1/2" were the best.

Second, I wanted them to be good shooters. Since I was starting from barrels that were already bored and rifled, and had never been fired, we assumed that the rifled bore was the truest part of the barrel, and we used that to anchor the barrel in the milling machine. In this manner, the machining to form the threaded end would be perfectly concentric with the bore, and the front sight base would align perfectly with the center-line of the bore.

Third, knowing that Jim Fisher is a GOOD shooter (and much better than me), I let Jim test-fire them. The next three pictures are the targets that Jim shot with the 3" gun. The Fishers and I had earlier presented the display "Guns of Famous Shooters" at the Spokane S&WCA Annual Meeting, in which Ed McGivern's record-setting gun, and target, were included. McGivern was always very cognizant of tight groups, and also of details about the shooting of each target. Jim incorporated those ideas on each of the targets that he shot.

As a comparison, this next picture is a target shot with the 3 1/2" revolver.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[afkirby]

The prettiest I own is a prewar .38/44 Outdoorsman.

 

[turnerriver]

I’ve always thought the Combat Masterpiece revolvers were functional, well balanced, suitable for a number of uses and beautiful as well.

Regards,

 

[Frailer]

I would never argue that any of the guns in this thread are anything other than beautiful.

With that said, to my eyes there is something special about 2” round-butt K-frames, the earlier the better.

 

[Frieda's Boss]

I"ve always thought the old K frames with the 6 inch tapered barrels were about as sexy as it gets. Love the looks of a 3.5" .357 Magnum as well, but do not have one of those.

No idea why the one pic is posting upside down.

 

[Kinman]

I'll agree that for its exquisite mechanicals and detail to fit and finish that the 1st Model H.E. Triple lock is right up there. I prefer the 2nd Model, its only a preference for less is more, to me the shroud gets in the way its handy if your using the piece as a bludgeon. My personal favorite is the 1st Model D.A.

 

[bdGreen]

I guess the 1940 K22 Masterpiece is on top for me.

They are a wonderment in themselves.

Just beautiful, and, here are a pair that are consecutively numbered.

Enjoy,

bdGreen

Tap on image to enlarge.