Ugly M&P Contest

[Göring's S&W]

A special M&P

Is it me or are some of these revolvers too nice for this thread? I mean really guys. I know some of us have higher standards, but geez.

Here is my submission. My condition is a shame because its a pretty rare bird. Its a 1905 1st change HE 38 special target. SN 115XXX. It also has the original concave style M&P grips. In addition, it has the best trigger of any revolver I've ever pulled, in my life, period. Many people think its 5oz or less. It too works great like many of the other M&Ps in this thread. The other neat thing here is that the grips have hand written notes in them from one of the original owners. It has the SN from the factory, then the owner wrote their name, and their street address in Chicago, and then like "Sep 6, 1914". It also has the initials of someone "HDH" scratched into the left side of the frame. I actually love this gun for many obvious reasons. Despite the condition, my attitude is find another one.

I got it for a good price from an AZ pawn shop genius who didn't list the gun as a target model, rather as a plain old M&P. Starting bid of $100, and I was winning until the last day. I decided to go after it and I won it for around $300 IIRC. Until I get another one of these, this one will have to serve esp because of how early a M&P target it is. As many people have said, the 1905 4th change M&P targets seem to be much more common. They had a patridge front rather than this old style target sight.

I have always adored this gun, possibly my favorite of all my rougher guns. Its pretty accurate but the sights make things difficult cause they are pretty small as some of you may know. Here she is:

 

[beagleye]

Okay here is ugly!

Designed during Salvador Dali's brief stint at Smith and Wesson.

 

[qballwill]

This was my Great great grandfathers which dates back to October of 1900. Pre 5 screw 4 screw without the locking lug under the barrel.

 

[Goony]

qballwill -

What you have there is a Model 1899, the original M&P. Despite its being somewhat condition challenged, that's a very cool piece....

 

[gregintenn]

That is an interesting use for the gun. How many rounds did you go through? What do the rounds look like before firing?

We shot a couple of dozen rounds that day. I've been meaning to load some more. I cut some round pieces of gasket material to put between the powder charge, 2.5 gr Bullseye as I remember, and the media. I then loaded the media flush with the top of the case, and seated another piece of gasket material on top, compressing the charge. A medium crimp held it in place. Sure is fun!!!
To answer your question more directly, the loaded round looks somewhat like a wadcutter.

 

[j38]

A couple of these guns would make great carry pieces (Gator & 625smith). Pull 'em on a bad guy and he'd die laughing. ... saves ammo, too.

Jerry

 

[30-30remchester]

More than a few of the above posters should hang their heads in shame. UGLY m&p's ? Oh please. True some have suffered from abuse but the others I think not. LOBO, DRAGON88, MUDDYBOOT, SPEEDO2, BSHEPERD, PISTOLA, and GORING'S S&W, you all have some beautiful well used m&p's. I find beauty in such historic arms. These all show the" been there done that" appearence. The world is full of shiny guns that aint ever done anything. Not so with these. The trophy for beauty bashing goes to S&W10. You old m&p is beautiful. I love taking these type guns for a woods stroll now and again. Make me wonder where such a piece has been and what it has done. And you call it a mutt. For shame, just send it to me whenever your shame from owning such an old dog is too great.

 

[LOBO]

More than a few of the above posters should hang their heads in shame. UGLY m&p's ? Oh please. True some have suffered from abuse but the others I think not. LOBO, DRAGON88, MUDDYBOOT, SPEEDO2, BSHEPERD, PISTOLA, and GORING'S S&W, you all have some beautiful well used m&p's. I find beauty in such historic arms. These all show the" been there done that" appearence. The world is full of shiny guns that aint ever done anything. Not so with these. The trophy for beauty bashing goes to S&W10. You old m&p is beautiful. I love taking these type guns for a woods stroll now and again. Make me wonder where such a piece has been and what it has done. And you call it a mutt. For shame, just send it to me whenever your shame from owning such an old dog is too great.

Thanks man! She'll still keep 'em in the black @ 20 yards too

 

[walnutred]

Here is one of my ugly M&Ps. I only keep it around because it is one of the elusive snub nosed, Victory Model Targets. Who knows when I'll find an example of this rare bird in better condition. Serial number on the frame is V 711074. Serial numbers on the cylinder and barrel match each other but not the frame. While I think the frame started life in 38 S&W the barrel and cylinder were manufactured as 38 Special. Parts must have been swapped during rebuild by whatever secretive government agency used these.

 

[DCWilson]

Here is one of my ugly M&Ps. I only keep it around because it is one of the elusive snub nosed, Victory Model Targets. Who knows when I'll find an example of this rare bird in better condition. Serial number on the frame is V 711074. Serial numbers on the cylinder and barrel match each other but not the frame. While I think the frame started life in 38 S&W the barrel and cylinder were manufactured as 38 Special. Parts must have been swapped during rebuild by whatever secretive government agency used these.

That's kind of cool in a mildly disturbing sort of way. Do the barrel and cylinder also have a V prefix, or are they earlier/later parts? Is that barrel about 3.25 inches? Rollmark placement makes me think it was cut down from four inches.

Those look like Micro sight components, which makes me think 1950s/1960s conversion. I have something similar on a .455 HE/Second that was converted to a target revolver in .45 Colt.

What leads you to think this was originally a K-200? Is the frame marked in any way to suggest it went through British hands?

A .38 Special Kit Gun!

 

[walnutred]

The reason I think it was originally a K-200 is the US Property markings. Most Victorys I've seen with that marking were lend/ lease. However there are no British markings on it and either it was not lend/lease or the marks were light and buffed off during the re-blue. Both the barrel and cylinder are V marked with a 5 digit serial number in the 60,000 range.

Yes, those are Micro sights, which from my understanding were considered good sights in their day. The location of the Smith right over the front lug makes me think 4" was the original length as well. Someone went to a lot of trouble to get a short barreled K frame with adjustable sights and then they actually used it based on the holster wear. Maybe Model 15's were hard to find and out of their price range when this was put together. Maybe this revolver spent some time as a LEO sidearm.

 

[Goony]

I think the finishing touch on this one would be a set of 50's/60's vintage molded plastic faux stag magna stocks.

Thank you for showing us that "ugly" can encompass factors other than being just all beat up. I agree with David that there is something "mildly disturbing" about this conversion, not unlike like the morbidly arresting effect of Joan Rivers' numerous facelifts.

 

[DCWilson]

Yes, Micro sights were first-rate custom components. I believe Micro came into existence after the D.W. King Gun Sight Co. disintegrated and some of King's staff tried to start an independent company with some of the same goals.

 

[S&W 10]

... The trophy for beauty bashing goes to S&W10. You old m&p is beautiful. I love taking these type guns for a woods stroll now and again. Make me wonder where such a piece has been and what it has done. And you call it a mutt. For shame, just send it to me whenever your shame from owning such an old dog is too great.

Wooo-Hooo...I finally won something!

That old 1905 4th has one of the nicest trigger pulls out of all my S&W's and is probably the most accurate fixed sight revolver I own, so it gets shot waaaaaaay more than it's prettier siblings.
It's also the one that sits on the coffee table for when I get the seemingly never ending urge to handle & cycle a classic old Smith; there's no fear of putting undue finish wear on a collectable piece and, as you stated, it gives my mind a rest from daily stress as I wonder about it's glory days.

 

[walnutred]

I think the finishing touch on this one would be a set of 50's/60's vintage molded plastic faux stag magna stocks.

The grips that came with it were even uglier, Bannana Hogue Monogrips. Yes, this is an odd looking pistol. What drew me to it though was that the work seemed well executed if not laid out quite like I would have done it. The barrel lug was not cut like happened to so many and to convert to 38 Special both the barrel AND the cylinder were changed, rather than just reaming the charge holes.

The clincher though was that my son has moved out to a place of his own and is taking classes to get his CCW. He asked me to help him find a 38 Special revolver that would serve as both a house gun and CCW, however he wanted to buy it himself and stay within his budget of <$150, this was <$120. I offered him a J-Frame but he turned me down. He is 6'3" and can easily IWB a 3" K Frame, once we settle on the proper grip style and holster. So, an ugly S&W M&P for less than an ugly High Point C9, as Forrest Gump would say, ugly is as ugly does ;D.

 

[bananaman]

Walnut, I would not call it UGLY, but it sure would qualify for interesting, or unusual, which is not all that bad! It has character! Bob

 

[Sebago Son]

You guys are all beginners...

Do I need to dig out my photos of "CAVE GUN" again?...

 

[DCWilson]

No, no! Not "cave gun!"

Have mercy!

 

[trikster]

I wanna see the cave gun. (hows that Victory doing David?)

 

[Sebago Son]

Cave Gun....

You asked for it trikster...

David, hide your eyes! Last time I put this up you said it gave you the "creeps'!

This is "Cave Gun"....

Found in Laos during the war....

Look! All Matching Numbers!

[/QUOTE]

Was found by a pal of mine in a cave on the Laotian Frontier late in the US war there. No one knows if it's Spanish, Paki, Afghan or even home grown. Could have been made in an underground bunker on some rough hand forge by a native tribesman under an greasy old kerosene lantern hunched over a rough hand forge with a hammer in one hand and a draw file in the other while an Arc-Light strike was going on over head...

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...ugliest-smith-i-own-prepare-yourselves-2.html