coulda cried

[Oldschool shooter]

Stopped at my LGS this afternoon. 2 guns in the showcase on consignment. One was a pre model number 45ACP revolver. Had a lanyard loop on the bottom of the grip frame. S&W l9go on the left side, on the right was a Large star within a circle. Undervthe circle was 1937. Looks like somebody got too aggressive with a buffing wheel, as all markings are hard to make out. High polish blueing. The other was a nearly new Model 28-2. Locked up well, and a barely visible ring on the cylinder. Unfortunately, somebody engraved their initisls on the left dide of the frame, then teied to grind them off and cold blue over it. I've seen better grinding of the Chrysanthemum on a surplus Jap rifle. Could probably pick up the pair for under $800, just makes me sick that they have been defaced like that.

 

[Reinz]

Sad story indeed, but sounds like a deal for some good shooters.

 

[Kookla]

Bustamonte, I hate you....

 

[Oldschool shooter]

Bustamonte, I hate you....

I read that article years ago too.

 

[Oldschool shooter]

Sad story indeed, but sounds like a deal for some good shooters.

I haven't written either of them off. Probably pass on the 28, would like one with the target hammer and trigger.

 

[Oldschool shooter]

Wasn't that written by Skeeter Skelton?

Bustamonte, I hate you....

 

[Kookla]

Wasn't that written by Skeeter Skelton?

Yes, you can read it here. One of my favorites.

 

[Oldschool shooter]

Thanks. Funny how we can rwmember things like that from so long ago

 

[PapaG]

I'll take both.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Your Smith and Wesson is a Model 1917 -- or would be if made for the US Army. I believe this revolver was made under contract for Brazil.

 

[no.5enfield]

Yes, you can read it here. One of my favorites.

Thanks for sharing that link. I had never read his work until now. I’ll definitely be buying his books.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Ya, Brazilian M1917. My Dad has one. Nice gun for $400ish.

 

[ThomasT]

Speaking of 1917s I was with my dad way back when I was around 6 years old. I went with him to Leonards Farm And Ranch store to buy something or another. While we were ther my dad spotted two 55 gallon barrels of handguns for sale. So he dug through the barrels till he found a gun he wanted. It was a 1917 Colt made to shoot 45acp in moon clips. And the price he paid for that gun?

Six Dollars.

It was the first gun I ever fired. I just shot it at nothing but it was cool. He later gave it to his younger brother when he became a policeman on the Ft Worth PD. My uncle had it chrome plated and put pearl grips on it and called it his "Pimp Gun". My my uncle died I tried to buy it from my nutty aunt but she let someone talk her out of all my uncles guns for the low, low price of $40,000 dollars. She was too stupid to know that she sold those guns for .25 on the dollar. My uncle was a huge gun collector and also had his dads guns, most of them and his dad, my grandfather was a custom gunsmith and collector from way back.

 

[Pat Riot]

Oldschool Shooter,
When I find guns like that I call them “Drunk Guns”. Because, more than likely, whoever does things like that must be drunk at the time.

I found a couple like that at one shop in Oregon that I used to frequent. One was an old S&W 1905 that some knucklehead used one of those electric pencil engravers on to write his name on the left side of the frame. Another was an S&W that someone tried to engrave but slipped a few times and gave up. The flowery vine they were attempting to engrave looked more like a ragweed plant.

Someone did buy them though.

 

[nofendertom]

I was always of the opinion that if it was your gun you could do with it whatever you wanted ---scratch your name on a Hi-point or a Python I don't care
it is your gun --- do what you want.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I was always of the opinion that if it was your gun you could do with it whatever you wanted ---scratch your name on a Hi-point or a Python I don't care
it is your gun --- do what you want.

I don't disagree with you -- you can do as you please with your own property. But doing that on a Python will cost my many $$$$ in reduced value.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Never have too many soooooo...get em.

 

[Ed Ames]

Oldschool Shooter,
When I find guns like that I call them “Drunk Guns”. Because, more than likely, whoever does things like that must be drunk at the time.

... One was an old S&W 1905 that some knucklehead used one of those electric pencil engravers on to write his name on the left side of the frame.

I don’t think “drunk” is likely.

Back when tools were expensive and intended for long term use, and people had less money, marking valuable personal property was common. It seems to have died off with the younger generations who grew up surrounded by cheap disposable stuff and more money than they know what to do with.

For example, I have, over the years, inherited a small pile of tools ranging from wrenches to revolvers that had names or SSNs scratched or e-penciled into the metal. Some had names from my mother’s family, some my father’s family, and some had maiden names of great grandparents, so it wasn’t just one family. The marking was all done by people born 100+ years ago. I’ve seen similar from other people as well, again usually marked by people born 100+ years ago.

As for the quality of the engraving, if you tried it you’d understand.

 

[Pat Riot]

I don’t think “drunk” is likely.

Back when tools were expensive and intended for long term use, and people had less money, marking valuable personal property was common. It seems to have died off with the younger generations who grew up surrounded by cheap disposable stuff and more money than they know what to do with.

For example, I have, over the years, inherited a small pile of tools ranging from wrenches to revolvers that had names or SSNs scratched or e-penciled into the metal. Some had names from my mother’s family, some my father’s family, and some had maiden names of great grandparents, so it wasn’t just one family. The marking was all done by people born 100+ years ago. I’ve seen similar from other people as well, again usually marked by people born 100+ years ago.

As for the quality of the engraving, if you tried it you’d understand.

Well, I do recall my Dad and his drunk buddies doing some pretty dumb things with a pencil engraver when I was a kid. Two of them engraved their revolvers with their names. Hence my name for etched guns “Drunk Guns”.

You assume that I have not tried engraving. I assume that you have. I did try it. I wasn’t daft enough to try it on a quality gun. I bought banged up pieces of guns at gun shows, like; a Ruger grip frame, S&W side plates, a couple of scrap barrels. Stuff like that.
“A man has got to know his limitations” as the saying goes.
I found that my talent for engraving matched my talent for art and sketching - Terrible!
I will leave the art and engraving to others.

 

[Ed Ames]

You assume that I have not tried engraving. I assume that you have. I did try it. I wasn’t daft enough to try it on a quality gun.

Well to be fair the guns mentioned in this thread were mass production cheap guns, not fine firearms. Look at the OP: The model 28 was a budget version of the 27 targeted at police officers who needed a gun to keep their job (not because they like guns), and the .45 sounds like a Brazilian contract gun - AKA cheap surplus gun that sold for the inflation-adjusted equivalent of $100-$200 (maybe less, from some stories I’ve heard) or so after Brazil was through with them. They may have collector value today but they were in their day equivalent to a S&W Sigma and a surplus CZ or Beretta these days...value price tool grade firearms.

 

[Coyote3855]

My Dad marked all his tools with his cattle brand or green paint (our last name), but he never marked his firearms.

I have Franken Colt, mixed Official Police and Shooting Master parts that has not one, but two sets of initials scratched into the frame.

 

[.455_Hunter]

My K31 Swiss has the names of two people it was issued to engraved on the bottom of the magazine.