[shuvelrider]

In regards to the # of screws, 3,4, or 5 screw model. Do I count the 3 screws on the sideplate plus the one the face of the triggerguard under the barrel? Explain the location of the screws, mine is an older model with S prefix in the serial#.
What is neat about this gun is that it is fully engraved on every surface to include the scew heads, a floral type pattern with a grizzly bear on the left sideplate. The cylinder flutes, hammer and trigger flats ( sides ) are jeweled polished.
I've yet to write S&W to do the factory letter thing, want to take some better pics to send them also, eventualy post when I learn how.
I was home on leave from Iraq in 2003 and went to look at some guns from a relatives estate (recently deceased) in Illinois, ended up buying 5 to include this one. Also bought,Win mod 27 (16g),Brit No 5 jungle,mod 1917 H&R .25 auto, and a early model Ruger Mark I with the red eagle grips. All thes guns where found loaded in different places in the house.
Total cost was $900, that or let them go to the estate auction. The relative was a day short of turning 90 years old and YES , I do shoot that old N frame. Its been shot before I owned it ,very accurate.

[Cocked & Locked]

Yep...count all those screws except for the spring tension screw on the grip frame. The top one on the sideplate (if your's has one) was eventually replaced by a small lip that slips under the frame, the remaining ones hold the sideplate on.

The screw in front of the trigger guard is for the cylinder/crane assembly. Remove it and that assembly will slide out to the front.

The trigger guard screw was eventually eliminated and it's function performed by the screw on the front of the sideplate.

Betcha knew all that though.

Sounds like an interesting H-P :cool:


another shovelrider here...'75 FLH

[Oro]

You also need to count the sideplate screw hidden under the right side grip panel. That is the rear-most one in the photo below, adjacent to the "knuckle" of the frame. Thus, there are four potential screws on the sideplate, and the one in front of the trigger guard. In the picture below, you can see the four sideplate screws clearly, the trigger guard one is not visible (N-frame S&W, circa 1916).

If your pre-28 (aka, "Highway Patrolman") has all five screws, and factory engraving, you may want to consider cleaning it well and shooting it less - that would make it a very, very early model - they came out in 1954 and in 1956 the upper sideplate screw (the one near the hammer, over where the firing pin would be in the frame) was deleted. A five-screw Highway Patrolman is a rare bird, and especially if "factory" engraved - worth finding out via a letter.

If you have all four screws shown below, plus the one in the trigger guard, you have a "Five screw" model made in 1954 or 1955.
If you have the three lower screws shown below, and the one in front of the trigger guard, you have a "Four screw" made 1956 to 1962.
If you have the three lower screws shown below, and none in front of the trigger guard, you have a 28-2 made 1962-1982.

Do NOT remove these screws and the sideplate unless you have some experience at it - they require special screw bits and technique to do so without damaging them, and a special procedure to remove the sideplate without chipping the finish or marring the sideplate-to-frame hand fitting. "Buggered screws" detract from collectibility and value, and also just look wrong.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd275/kamerer/S-W/455%20HE/IMGP2445.jpg

[shuvelrider]

It is a pre-28, will have to look at home to compare cuz my work computer didnt bring up your pics, memory tells me it is an earlier one . I dont mess with taking parts off so the screws are safe, thanks for the info kamerer. To C&L above, I ride a 68 glide-- old and slow but alot more fun .
I forgot to add that the gun wears a pair of phony stag grips (plastic),from what I read those were common way back, they look fairly decent on the gun. Eventually get a set of older target grips but they need to be the ones that are abit scalloped rather then rounded at the top , so it will follow the edge of the sideplate and not cover any of the engraving.

[SaxonPig]

The HP started at around S113000. I have one numbered in the S116000 range and it was shipped in Sept of 1954.

[shuvelrider]

To KAMERER---- got home from work and checked out my HP according to your info,joy joy, it is a 5 screw model serial# 127014. I,ll have to pursue the factory letter and see what I got, it could have been engraved afterwards also. It does have a line around the cylinder from cycling the action , but back in the day these guns were bought to be used. We just happen to be the curators of thes fine old guns now- days.

[Oro]

That's cool. And from the s/n saxonpig has, maybe it's a first year (it has to be first or second). To me "first year" of a long-running gun is neat. Not necessarily "better" than another, but it just says "pioneering" to me. That is very cool. We'd love to see pictures.

I have seen samples of factory engraving from that period in the SCSW that included a bear motif similar to what you described. Sounds like a very, very interesting find and something to enjoy. Oh, and I meant to mention, thanks for your service in Iraq.

[SaxonPig]

I believe your serial is actually S127014. For some reason many people ignore the letter prefix but it's a vital part of the serial number.

[shuvelrider]

Yep, thats the full serial#. Wrote out the form to send into the factory but need to do the pics thing yet, I'm more curious about the history of it and the reason for engraving, could it be part of a limited run--who knows? That aside , then how does a value get figured to place on it, what is the precedence . Got to find a pair of wood grips though to make it look right, this piece was $300 by itself from the story above, for wear and tear I would put it around 85-90%.

Trying to post pics of this thing but dont know how, pics are on a memory stick--help!!!!