Interesting thread! I wanted to comment on a few things. Like anyone else, I enjoy a good mystery
That's good advice! Although the gun appears to be a 3 screw, therefore the serial # on the rear face of the yoke arm was deleted much earlier, in 1957.
A gun of this vintage will only have these 3 # locations:
1. Butt
2. Extractor star - backside
3. Right stock – backside
Target grips in this era did not have a SN in the right grip panel. Some early 1950s target grips were numbered to revolvers, but that was not done for very long. The grips which have the SN in the right panel are those which reveal the grip frame. These are fit to the frame, and are given the SN so that they can be matched back up to the gun later during assembly.
The barrel also appears to have been shortened
I'm not seeing evidence of that. 4in was a factory length, and the roll mark looks right to me. A pic of the muzzle would be necessary.
ATF seems to think it was likely one of the first year .44 mag model 29s which was produced before the model number and letter designation was used by S&W, but may have had some parts changed later on.
This isn't possible. The early 5 screw guns did have assembly numbers in the yoke. In addition, this gun is a 3 screw frame (judging by photos). The 4th screw would be in front of the trigger guard, as others have said. The ampersand on the barrel is the thin/upright one, which indicates 1973 or later production for the barrel. For the record, 4 screw 44 magnums did not appear until late in 1957, and the bulk of 1957 44 magnums are 5 screw. All 1956 44 magnums are 5 screw. 3 screw frames debut in 1962 for the 44 magnum (and probably other models).
ATF agents generally know a little about a lot of guns, and are unlikely to know these kinds of details. They obviously don't need to know minute details, just as police don't either, but many think that both parties are "experts" on firearms which is far from the truth most often.
Just open the cyl and push the star out as far as it goes and turn it until you see some jibberish on it, those will be the tiny numbers.
It'll be great to get an exact read on the production vintage if the numbers are there.
They read right side up when you look at them from the front of the cyl, usually.
I think there is a good likelihood that the extractor won't be numbered. When you add it all together, the gun was probably assembled POST factory by an individual, and so although your statements about extractors are true, I think someone wanted to build a 44 magnum on an unmarked frame. Its anyone's guess as to how the frame left the factory prior to being marked. Its hard for me to believe that the frame had all of the factory markings, and they were all removed. IMO, the frame was likely intercepted BEFORE the factory applied any markings. The SN could have been present on the butt, but I don't believe the other markings were ever present, judging by the photos.
When you consider the frame having no markings, the extractor SN would only give a clue about the extractor and likely the cylinder, but nothing else.
My impression: First, the frame is not early at all. It does not have any assembly markings, and most importantly, it is a 3 screw frame. The lack of model number (on a correct S&W) in the yoke corresponds to 4 and 5 screw frames, not 3 screw frames. I don't believe these markings were removed, it appears that they were never applied.
The barrel is pinned, and I assume the cylinder to be recessed. The barrel has the upright ampersand, not the "lazy ampersand" so its 1973 or later. The rear sight assembly has a domed screw, which means production is 1960 or later for the assembly.
I think the prudent way of looking at this is judging each part for its own merit. I believe what we have here is not an early frame (it is 3 screw) but a frame that got out of the factory without markings, or had some markings removed (unlikely). Then, someone built this frame into a 44 magnum. We know that the gun (as it sits) was built in the 1970s or later , because had it been built in the 1960s, the barrel at the very least would not have been around, due to the ampersand change. If it was built earlier than the 1970s, then the barrel was replaced with a later one. When you add it all up, its not really possible to say anything more.
As for the extractor, I would not be surprised if it was blank, as I said. I think if its numbered, it could be anything from 1961 to 1980ish, assuming that the chambers are recessed. As DCWilson pointed out, the extractor is stepped down, which indicates the left hand thread. It looks like a band because of the knurling, but the last 1/8in of the extractor is all the same width, and narrower than the rest of the rod. The extractor number doesn't really tell us anything, because the frame itself is devoid of all factory markings. There isn't enough info here to suggest that any of the main parts are original to each other.
A neat gun, and neat story, nonetheless!
