Am looking at an M&P 1905 .38 Special in NRA VG condition for possible purchase. It's serial number is 4693XX. It appears to fall into the broad range of M&Ps made between 1920 and 1925. The dealer swears it hasn't been re-blued; it has a little holster wear on sharp edges and end of the muzzle. The grips are nice and have the "diamond" around the screw but there is no "S&W" Medallion on the upper end of the wood grip. Does anyone have an idea when the grips starting having the medallion? Any idea of what the worth of such a revolver is? The Bluebook values vary a lot from what old police guns bring on the street; so, I would appreciate input from collectors out there.
When Did S&W M&P grips add the medalion?
- Thread starter CW3RDL
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At that time frame the stocks are correct without medallions.
around here it would be about a 400 dollar +/- gun
around here it would be about a 400 dollar +/- gun
Targets Guy
US Veteran
The medallions first went away about 1920 and then came back about the late 20's.
I show s/n 511760 shipped 11/25 so that one should be a 1924 or 1925 and not have medallions.
Here is a 1924
and a 1926
Value? Really a personal decision but $300 to $400 or lower.
I show s/n 511760 shipped 11/25 so that one should be a 1924 or 1925 and not have medallions.
Here is a 1924
and a 1926
Value? Really a personal decision but $300 to $400 or lower.
The very first hand ejectors-1899 to 1915, had no medallions. The upper part of the grips was concave. Around 1915, dished gold medallions were introduced. About 1920, medallions went away. The upper grip part was convex. In the late 1920s, silver medallions were introduced.
DWalt
Member
Grips used by S&W during the decade of the 1920s were convex round tops (diamond checkered wood) without medallions. They were SNed in pencil on the rear side of the right panel, but it is often very difficult, if not impossible, to make it out.
4693xx suggests shipment in around late 1923.
4693xx suggests shipment in around late 1923.
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Illustrations (walnut only):
1899 - c. 1910
c. 1911 - c. 1919
Square butt
Round butt
c. 1920 - c. 1929
c. 1930 - c. 1942
Service type
Magna type
Outside
Magna type
Inside
1899 - c. 1910
c. 1911 - c. 1919
Square butt
Round butt
c. 1920 - c. 1929
c. 1930 - c. 1942
Service type
Magna type
Outside
Magna type
Inside
Well, okay.
Black hard rubber, round butt - available from 1899 until the early 1950s (scarce by then)
Black hard rubber, round butt - available from 1899 until the early 1950s (scarce by then)
Your example is a good one to get the ship date down to just a few years. The MADE IN USA ordered in May, 1922. The mushroom shaped ejector rod knob ordered changed to a barrel shaped knob on January 2, 1927. Your revolver has both, so made and shipped from 1922 to 1927. It is interesting that changes to stocks occurred almost exactly every ten years on the decade change. I have seen a 1910 K frame with gold washed medallions that lettered shipped in January, 1910. Also, have a note that there is a February, 1920 K frame out there with convex stocks. Don't have proof that either stocks had matching serial numbers, but looked and lettered as appropriate.
Thank you, Gary.
A few years ago I made the statement on this forum that the gold washed medallions came out in 1910. A couple guys "corrected" me, saying it was 1911. Also, I have a letter from Roy on one of my guns that says "about 1911." So I've used that year since. I'm glad to hear about examples from 1910 - even one as early as January! I'll change my notes.
I'm sure there was overlap, just as there always seems to be with S&W changes.
For instance, citing the date that a particular change is ordered is one thing. Assuming that all guns produced after that date will have the change is a big mistake. It never worked like that. What came down in a management order was almost never implemented immediately. I could cite multiple examples.
I am sure that there were K frames made in 1910 with concave stocks and, as most often found with S&W, everything was a transition of some sort. I sometimes wonder why we give the official term "transition model" to certain model changes, since there was most likely an overlap in production for everything that changed at the factory. Parts inventory never perfectly matched expected changes in production. Couple that with the fact that S&W never threw anything usable away, resulted in overlaps for every change that happened.
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