The Mother of All 38 Targets! (Pic Heavy!!)

[handejector]

Thanks, Bill. I was fairly sure, but haven't seen an Oscar in a couple of years.
Chad- no problem. I saw Mona Lisa in the 60's. She was behind bullet proof glass back then. A gendarme with a subgun was standing beside her, looking rather serious. He would have shot you for that.
True story.

 

[Memphis]

Wow, I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed this thread with these pics. I really love me some checkered triggers. Maybe one day I'll have one in my stable. Your pictures really made the story so much better. Most excellent detail. I was going to compare the pics to my Oscar Young engraved guns but ran into a real obvious problem as you might imagine.
That's a sweet shooter there!

Thanks, Roger

 

[Skeetr57]

In picture # 32, there are grooves where the pivot arm of the yoke fits into the frame. I have never seen that before, as all I have looked at were smooth from the reamer. Is that unique to this gun, or was it common during that time frame?

 

[Model19man]

Words cannot describe how much I admire that gun. Stunning is as close as I can do for a desription.

 

[RKmesa]

Lee:

I love the simple flowing design engraved on the gun. A perfect example of "less is more". "Elegant" would be the word I used to describe it.

Thanks a ton for taking the time to shoot the photos and sharing them with the rest of us.

 

[Mike McLellan]

Amazing gun. Super Photos. A gun like that will never find its way into my humble collection, but it's cool to examine the finest of examples of the carver's art.

 

[JayFramer]

What a pretty gun! I'm usually not one for engraving on most "modern" DA revolvers, but this one is most certainly an exception. Unbelievable, what a treasure you have!

 

[vonn]

Thank you for the chance to look at a fine gun, it might be the only chance I have to see this level of work and is appreciated greatly.

 

[nagant]

Thanks for letting us into your collection. I keep blowing up the trigger picture, the checkering is unreal.

 

[handejector]

In picture # 32, there are grooves where the pivot arm of the yoke fits into the frame. I have never seen that before, as all I have looked at were smooth from the reamer. Is that unique to this gun, or was it common during that time frame?

Depending on your monitor and resolution, that pic is probably 10 to 12 times lifesize.
Use a 10X loupe on your gun, and see if you see any tool marks.

 

[Sailor29]

It's just too bad that with all the engraving and embellishments, that they let the surface get rusty......

 

[Russell Cottle]

Nice photos of a great old Smith. Thanks for sharing.

 

[mikepriwer]

Lee

This is a wonderful gun, although you are going to have to find a correct pair of grips
for it ! Its good that the invoice could be found, so that the engraving and nickel
cylinder could be confirmed.

I think the gun is a 4-screw 1905, or saying it another way, an early 1905. With the
square butt, its a 1905 - no doubt about that. A couple of my early 1905's have
lettered as 4-screw 1905's. These configurations were made between serial numbers
58000 and 62450, plus maybe a few after that. The problem is that they are intermixed
with the round butts, in the same serial number series, so the number made is unknown.
I'm aware of at least 8 to 12 4-screw 1905's .

Here is a gun I have, that is similar to yours, but not completely factory original.
Serial number is 37577 - its a round-butt 1902 1st change target. Unfortunately the
invoice is not available, but it was a special order; the letter speculates that it was
the engraving. Further communications from the historian says that the engraving is
either Oscar or Eugene Young.

The gun went back to the factory in 1919, presumably to have the cylinder nickel
plated and the studs and screw nickel plated. Also, the extractor rod assembly was
replaced at that time.

These next pictures show details of the engraving.

This next picture, with a bit of squinting, shows the individual chisel cuts. They are very tiny cuts.

This next picture is an end-view of the cylinder. It shows the finishing replating stamp - a P inside of
a circle.

This last image is the factory letter.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[fyimo]

Thanks for sharing as that is a magnificent revolver.

 

[1902fool]

WOW!!.

Like the posts before... stunning, elegant, beautiful.

 

[silver armadillo]

Lee,,,,,absolutely beautiful. To survive this long and still have its condition in pretty good shape is amazing too...What a history this one should have.

By the way,,,,,I need more help on my photography to get where your at. Stunning photos. Blessings, Bill

 

[jdlii]

Wow, you certainly know how to"suck the air out of the room"! This forum and it's major contributors qualify as a museum.

 

[RKmesa]

Ain't no doubt about it-

This gun got some BLING!

Pic #11

Pic #18

I'm still very much loving on this gun. It's appeal is not in the intricacy of the engraving, but in the layout of the pattern and the execution of the cutting. I love how the border on the frame flows seamlessly and effortlessly into the scroll, and how all of the unengraved "open spaces" add to the design, rather than detract from it. It is an outstanding piece and this thread needs another run to the top.

 

[Keith Brown]

Its still beautiful! Looked at it up close once and fell into a trance sorta ! The M&P Targets are probably my favorite Smith, this particular gun added fuel to my pursuit of them for sure. Its my screensaver so I get a glimpse of it everyday, I also see a few pics in the thread of engraving closeups that I don't have. If I every get one engraved it will be a shameless copy of "The Mother of all 38 Targets"

Thanks for bringing it to the top Richard !

 

[delcrossv]

That trigger checkering is exactly like my 1908 TL. Glad to get confirmation that it was a factory job.

Click to enbiggen