OP
oldfella
US Veteran
Great show, Mr. Richard - Thanks for sharing.
Pete (The Oldfella)
Pete (The Oldfella)
Types of Smith & Wesson Revolver Grips
- Thread starter oldfella
- Start date
As long as we are following strict S&W protocol, grips are stocks - checkering is checking - crane is yoke.
Unfortunately, over the years, as ownership or management came and went, some of the "other" terms crept into S&W literature.
As far as stock medallions or monograms is concerned, The D-2 catalog from January 1921 states,
Monograms
We have discontinued the policy of placing the gold S&W Monograms in the Wood Stocks and hereafter all of our arms will be marked with the S&W Monogram on the frame as we feel this to be a far better place for this identifying Trade Mark.
It cannot easily be removed from the frame, which is the case when Stocks are changed, and then again in omitting the Monograms from the Wood Stocks it enables us to build them much fuller at this point, thereby giving the User a better hand hold."
And just to confuse things a little, "Cokes" were not all checked, some came smooth, so the amount of checking cannot always be used as the identifying factor. The main thing to look for is the flared bottom that sweeps inward as you move upward and then the curve back out and in again. Think of the shape of the old glass coke bottles and you will be able to differentiate them.
Unfortunately, over the years, as ownership or management came and went, some of the "other" terms crept into S&W literature.
As far as stock medallions or monograms is concerned, The D-2 catalog from January 1921 states,
Monograms
We have discontinued the policy of placing the gold S&W Monograms in the Wood Stocks and hereafter all of our arms will be marked with the S&W Monogram on the frame as we feel this to be a far better place for this identifying Trade Mark.
It cannot easily be removed from the frame, which is the case when Stocks are changed, and then again in omitting the Monograms from the Wood Stocks it enables us to build them much fuller at this point, thereby giving the User a better hand hold."
And just to confuse things a little, "Cokes" were not all checked, some came smooth, so the amount of checking cannot always be used as the identifying factor. The main thing to look for is the flared bottom that sweeps inward as you move upward and then the curve back out and in again. Think of the shape of the old glass coke bottles and you will be able to differentiate them.
Correct stocks for a 4" 4 screw 1957 Pre-29
I recently picked up a nice Pre-29 4 screw which had the stocks replaced. I would like to find out what stocks might have been available from the factory in the time frame that my S170xxx was produced. What I think I have found out so far is that the threaded metal escutcheon that the screw goes into should be flush with each side of the stocks not sunken like the later stocks. Also, there should be a diamond patern around the screw inside the checkering. My 4" Pre-29 revolver has TH and TT. Would it only have come with TS? Did any in that time frame come with smooth stocks? Only walnut?
I recently picked up a nice Pre-29 4 screw which had the stocks replaced. I would like to find out what stocks might have been available from the factory in the time frame that my S170xxx was produced. What I think I have found out so far is that the threaded metal escutcheon that the screw goes into should be flush with each side of the stocks not sunken like the later stocks. Also, there should be a diamond patern around the screw inside the checkering. My 4" Pre-29 revolver has TH and TT. Would it only have come with TS? Did any in that time frame come with smooth stocks? Only walnut?
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The standard would have been the diamond walnut checkered Target stocks. The "coke" style and any other type would have been a special order or replacement.
Hello Pete
Great thread you started here.. I will Pitch one out there, that has been controversy in the past. The Coveted Coke Grip's made by S&W for the N-Frame Pre-29's, are said to be the Only Coke Grips S&W made. I would not agree with this totally though.. They made the K-Sq. Frame target grips with the Slight Palm swell that the Coke-N-Sq. Frame profile grips have as well. The difference I see between the two is, that the K-Sq. frame Grips that have the Slight profile, But lack the amount of checking coverage that the larger-N-Sq. Frame Coke Grips have. Now in looking at the two different Frame sizes, one cannot argue that the smaller K-Sq. Frame Grips {Do Not} have the Slight Palm swell, so perhaps we need to call the K-Sq. Frame Grips "Coke Profile with slightly smaller Profile of it's checking" ? Here is such a set of the K-Sq. Frame Palm swell target grips I speak of that I have on my No Dash Model 48. You be the Judge as to whether these have "a Coke Profile" to them from the rear view of them shown... Hammerdown
S&W Factory K-Sq. Coke Profile Target grips
Great thread you started here.. I will Pitch one out there, that has been controversy in the past. The Coveted Coke Grip's made by S&W for the N-Frame Pre-29's, are said to be the Only Coke Grips S&W made. I would not agree with this totally though.. They made the K-Sq. Frame target grips with the Slight Palm swell that the Coke-N-Sq. Frame profile grips have as well. The difference I see between the two is, that the K-Sq. frame Grips that have the Slight profile, But lack the amount of checking coverage that the larger-N-Sq. Frame Coke Grips have. Now in looking at the two different Frame sizes, one cannot argue that the smaller K-Sq. Frame Grips {Do Not} have the Slight Palm swell, so perhaps we need to call the K-Sq. Frame Grips "Coke Profile with slightly smaller Profile of it's checking" ? Here is such a set of the K-Sq. Frame Palm swell target grips I speak of that I have on my No Dash Model 48. You be the Judge as to whether these have "a Coke Profile" to them from the rear view of them shown... Hammerdown
S&W Factory K-Sq. Coke Profile Target grips
Ummm.... You might want to go back and recheck your information source for that answer. It's a well known fact that the so-called "Coke Bottle" style of target stocks were the standard stocks on all .44 Magnums from the very begining of production until well into the 1960's. Cokes were also 'standard' on the first Model 57's as well.
Mark
Hello Mark
Great Point. The grip design changes at S&W are sketchy at best. The very first Large style Target grips , after the two Piece ones they Offered for a very short time span, were seen and sent as standard offered stock's on the larger N-Frame Target revolvers such as the "Model of 1950" 45's being Pre-25's and some other large Frame Target model revolver's as well. These were Non Relieved and Non-Coke profile, & are often confused with the later Pre-29 Coke profile stocks.They do not have the Palm swell nor the amount of broad checkering seen on the Coke profile stocks. The design efforts reversed as Later on, when we saw the Palm swell dissapear, along with the broad coverage of checkering as they went back down to the smaller coverage of checkering that they used in the Pre-Coke stocks.
For some unknown reason S&W was real slow to change over to the larger style Target grips on their guns.
Walter Roper actually worked for the factory and tried to persuade them to make Target stocks way before they did, but to no avail. S&W stuck with their Magna's and earlier service grips with adaptors for many years while other Gun Manufacturer's and after Market stock makers offered the larger style Target stocks, S&W refused to change. After Roper left S&W he had Matheis Gagne make his Famous stocks, that were prompted by the Camp perry shooter's and his son Albert who worked for Matheis under his Guidance making the Famous Custom Roper stocks & Later came to work for S&W when his Father retired. I have always speculated that Perhap's Albert Gagne may have been the Original driving force behind the Birth of the Coke Profile stocks with their Gentle Palm swell that shared a same Likeness to his Father's custom made Target stocks. Albert was also on the S&W Factory shooting Team when he worked there, and worked in their design & Development department.. Here is an early {1950" Time Span} set of S&W Factory Non-Relieved Non-Coke profile stock's that I have. They like most of that time span have no serial numbers or markings of any kind on the rear of them as shown...
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Model 1905 M&P .38 spl Grips
Blue 6 1/2" brl SB SN 122624 1st change concave top grips
Nickel 4" brl SB SN 412294 4th change convex top grips
Nickel 4" brl SB SN 435732 4th change pearl concave top grips
Blue 4" brl SB SN 566388 4th change convex top grips
Flush silver medallion grips
Are the pearl grips period or factory S&W?
Can anyone date these four revolvers?
Blue 6 1/2" brl SB SN 122624 1st change concave top grips
Nickel 4" brl SB SN 412294 4th change convex top grips
Nickel 4" brl SB SN 435732 4th change pearl concave top grips
Blue 4" brl SB SN 566388 4th change convex top grips
Flush silver medallion grips
Are the pearl grips period or factory S&W?
Can anyone date these four revolvers?
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BlackSky,
Today is my first with this forum. Posting, such as yours on the different stocks, as there is much for me to learn.
References to 4 or 5 screws, different frames, etc and I don't even know what all that means. Thanks to you and others, in time I will learn.
I just bought a .38 15-4 with serial #20K7xxx. It is real nice and appears almost like new. It has the (from above) square butt Magna stocks, but they don't match the quality of the gun. So, they may have switched when the previous owner had it.
If I ask some really elementary questions, please bear with me.
Today is my first with this forum. Posting, such as yours on the different stocks, as there is much for me to learn.
References to 4 or 5 screws, different frames, etc and I don't even know what all that means. Thanks to you and others, in time I will learn.
I just bought a .38 15-4 with serial #20K7xxx. It is real nice and appears almost like new. It has the (from above) square butt Magna stocks, but they don't match the quality of the gun. So, they may have switched when the previous owner had it.
If I ask some really elementary questions, please bear with me.
Hello 2far2late
Welcome to the forum ! A Four screw frame means that the revolver has Three side plate screws{One under the right grip panel} and one in front of the trigger guard making it a Four screw example. A Five screw model has Four side plate screws {One Under thr right grip panel} and one in front of the trigger guard making it a Five screw model. Don't be afraid to Ask questions we all like to teach & learn from each other here on the forum.
Regards, Hammerdown
OP
oldfella
US Veteran
Welcome to the board, friend.
Pete (The Oldfella)
Pete (The Oldfella)
Engine49guy
Member
Didnt see any high horn J frame round butts posted so here goes.
High horn J frame smooth
Standard round butt checkered grips top
Checkered diamond high horns below
High horn J frame smooth
Standard round butt checkered grips top
Checkered diamond high horns below
As usual very helpful information in this thread. I see Smith grips for sale all the time at gun shows and really never noticed the differences before.
Is it a good idea to pick up used grips at a good price for resale? Gotta buy something at the gunshows right....LOL...Which grips are the most desirable from a collectors viewpoint?
Regards,
Dale
Is it a good idea to pick up used grips at a good price for resale? Gotta buy something at the gunshows right....LOL...Which grips are the most desirable from a collectors viewpoint?
Regards,
Dale
Grip screw question...
I have a model 36 with a set of Magna Diamonds. However the grip screw is missing and while comparing these grips with my other S&W revolvers I've noticed the missing screw to be smaller in diameter. Can someone tell me the screw size of this smaller screw?
This has been a very educational thread. I appreciate all the info that's available on this site.
I have a model 36 with a set of Magna Diamonds. However the grip screw is missing and while comparing these grips with my other S&W revolvers I've noticed the missing screw to be smaller in diameter. Can someone tell me the screw size of this smaller screw?
This has been a very educational thread. I appreciate all the info that's available on this site.
Click Here
K Frame Square Butt
1. S&W Non-Relieved Smooth Target (Rosewood) x 2
2. S&W Relieved Smooth Target (Goncalo Alves)
3. S&W Relieved Smooth Target (Rosewood) x 2
4. S&W Relieved Diamond Target (Rosewood) x 2
5. Sanderson RH Thumbrest (Walnut)
6. Sanderson RH Thumbrest (Fancy Walnut)
N Frame Square Butt
7. S&W Non-Relieved Smooth Target (Rosewood)
8. S&W Non-Relieved Smooth Target (Goncalo Alves)
9. S&W Non-Relieved Smooth Target (Goncalo Alves) *Keith Brown Embellished*
10. S&W Relieved “Coke Bottle” Diamond Target (Goncalo Alves)
11. S&W Relieved Smooth Target (Goncalo Alves)
12. S&W Relieved Diamond Target (Walnut)
13. Sanderson RH Thumbrest (Cherry)
K Frame Square Butt
1. S&W Non-Relieved Smooth Target (Rosewood) x 2
2. S&W Relieved Smooth Target (Goncalo Alves)
3. S&W Relieved Smooth Target (Rosewood) x 2
4. S&W Relieved Diamond Target (Rosewood) x 2
5. Sanderson RH Thumbrest (Walnut)
6. Sanderson RH Thumbrest (Fancy Walnut)
N Frame Square Butt
7. S&W Non-Relieved Smooth Target (Rosewood)
8. S&W Non-Relieved Smooth Target (Goncalo Alves)
9. S&W Non-Relieved Smooth Target (Goncalo Alves) *Keith Brown Embellished*
10. S&W Relieved “Coke Bottle” Diamond Target (Goncalo Alves)
11. S&W Relieved Smooth Target (Goncalo Alves)
12. S&W Relieved Diamond Target (Walnut)
13. Sanderson RH Thumbrest (Cherry)
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Jeremy - really nice slide show, and some very nice and rare stocks! Thanks for sharing!
TacPhoto
Member
Standard square butt Magna stocks look like this (except J frame).
Is that a Model 28?
It’s a Model 27-2 with a 3-½” barrel.
This is a 28-2 (4“). Both models came standard with Magna stocks until the mid-1970’s, when the 27-2’s received a presentation case, target trigger, target hammer and target stocks as standard equipment.
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