An odd S&W revolver

So recently I acquired a slightly unusual Smith & Wesson M&P .38 Special revolver. This revolver, according to the info under the crane and serial, was made between 1954-1956. However, at some point, a previous owner had it Parkerized. It's almost impossible to tell the Parkerizing isn't original, except for some slight pitting on the backstrap that indicates the original finish had been eaten through and Parkerizing done over it. I like it, though. It gives it almost the exact appearance of a World War II Victory model, and I've ordered some Victory rounded grips to put on it to complete the look.

Here's some pictures. The pictures were from the Gunbroker seller because I just have a crappy cellphone camera right now; I need to stop buying guns for a bit and buy myself a camera!





It shoots well, and is quite pleasant with standard .38 Special. The trigger is incredible, both in single and double action. Smith & Wesson said to not use +P with it, though. I'm not too surprised; if you look closely it's effectively the exact same gun as the WW2 Victories, which were originally built for .38 S&W, a much lower-powered cartridge. Because of this, it's no shock that it really shouldn't be used with +P.

Overall I'm very pleased with my purchase. It's an odd duck with the Parkerized finish, but that's a large part of why I like it. That grey finish is unique and low-glare, and the trigger is spectacular. Not bad for my first revolver, if I do say so myself.

Thanks for the comments. Yeah, it definitely has a wide trigger. I didn't realize it wasn't common, though. I assumed it was just one of their standard post-war changes. The trigger IS incredibly nice on it. Far better than some of the later Smiths I've used, such as my late grandfather's Model 10-5.

Nitesite, the finish really drew me in, too. I just really love that grey Parkerized finish. That's a large part of why I was wanting a Victory, in addition to the grips. I thought the finish might have been original until I took possession of it and found the very slight pitting that proved it wasn't. They did such a good job it might well have been. It really improves the shootability by reducing glare, too.

Bannockburn, nice. I purchased a set of grips like that for mine. I should have them shortly.

So I got my Victory grips, but the screw I've got is too long. Anyone got a resource where I can order S&W grip screws?

Edit: Nevermind. Numrich had an original Victory grip screw. Ordered one.

The more I learn about this, the more I think I really scored for $350.

Tipoc, I think the hammer is standard. Comparing it to another post-war pre-Model 10, it's identical. It's just a little more refined than the wartime production.

Finally got a camera, and got my Victory grips. So here is my "Post-war Victory":


http://www.flickr.com/photos/94852007@N05/8640682023/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/94852007@N05/8641783898/

Apologies, but I haven't cleaned it since I shot it last.

I know this much about the finish: it was done because the original bluing had been eaten through. There are some very tiny pit marks on the backstrap indicating rust. It's hard to say at what point in the gun's lifespan it was done. Obviously someone noticed the damage very early and had it refinished because the rest of the finish is perfectly smooth, with no signs of pitting. I don't believe it was shot much, if any, after being refinished due to a lack of turn line on the cylinder when I got it (I've since put 42 rounds through it, and there is a visible turn line).

The rest of the gun, other than the grips, is original and correct for the period, 1954-1956. It's not a mongrel, just one that's been refinished in order to protect it. I think I got a steal for $350. I was wanting a Victory, but spotted this and wound up with something a lot nicer at a cheaper price.