The Mountain Gun was originally an N frame revolver with a 4” tapered barrel and a rounded stainless steel frame. I believe the first concept was the Springfield Armory commemorative chambered in 45 ACP but not called a MG. They have been offered in all the modern chamberings and eventually some of the blued models were included. The concept has also spread to other frame sizes. It is a reworking of the older non model numbered revolvers from the 1920s and 30s such as the Wolf and Klar offerings and the Heavy Duties. This photo is all N frames with 4” tapered barrels and spans 100 years. Kevin
This is an old 67-1 "pound" rescue. She was in solid working order, but had definitely seen better days as a law enforcement firearm. It was really scratched up, the grips were shot...it has a police inv # etched into the back strap. I gave her some TLC, some new grips. She's a real shooter with some nice and easy wadcutters. I'll say that it's far from perfect, but it's a labor of love.
Ok , I had not seen that thread. Entertaining read , it is. Your polished Taurus looks good to me ... It's not like you CeraKoted a 100 year old Luger. And regarding my 3" S&W m. 60 - it gets worse. It used to be laser etched "LadySmith". It ain't no Lady Smith! The Lady Smith was a small frame .22 made 100 years ago! I hated the misappropriated LadySmith logo , so I got rid of it. In the right light you can still see a ghost of the letters. I am quite happy with my 3" J frame .38 special in it's present condition. No regrets.
Just joined the S&W club today! Standard 629 6 inch barrel (maybe 6.5). These wheel guns are addicting, 3 of my last 4 purchases have been revolvers. Can’t wait to shoot this beasty!
Howdy Again Where was I? Oh yeah, I was gonna get to the non-blued hand ejectors. Nickel plated 32 Hand Ejector, 1st Model. Also known as the Model of 1896 for the year it was introduced. This was the first revolver with a side swinging cylinder that S&W made. Notice there is no thumbpiece on the side to open the cylinder. The cylinder was released to swing out by pulling the ejector rod forward. The front end of the rod is knurled in order to grip it. Chambered for 32 S&W Long, this was the first revolver chambered for that round. This one shipped in 1899. The bolt locking mechanism was a throwback to the old Tip Up revolvers of the 1850s. This photo of a blued Model of 1896 should help explain this. The cylinder locking bolt was in the top strap, not in the frame below the cylinder like with almost every other revolver. The bolt rotated around a pin in the top strap. There was a spring under the bolt that normally held it in the down position, with the business end engaging the locking slots in the cylinder. There was a rounded nub on top of the hammer. When the hammer was cocked, either single action or double action, the rounded nub raised the spring, which in turn raised the business end of the bolt, freeing the cylinder to rotate. The spring was actually a split spring, with two legs at the rear. The front end of the nub was wedge shaped. When the hammer fell, the wedge shape nub pushed the two legs of the spring sideways, allowing the hammer to continue to fall, but the spring continued to hold the business end of the bolt down and engaged in the locking slots of the cylinder. Exactly the way it was done with the old Tip Ups. Here is a view of the bolt protruding down out of the top strap on the old blued Model of 1896. I don't know this for a fact, but I suspect S&W was in a hurry to market a revolver with a cylinder that swung to the side. Colt had introduced their first revolver with a side swinging cylinder in 1889 and I suspect S&W was playing catch up to get a similar revolver on the market, which may be why they reverted to the older system. S&W figured out how to make a proper revolver with a side swinging cylinder in 1899. This nickel plated 38 Hand Ejector 1st Model (Model of 1899 Army-Navy) was chambered for the then brand new 38 Special cartridge. It shipped in 1899. Notice the lack of an under barrel lug for the front end of the extractor rod. That is the way you can tell a Model of 1899 when you see one. Nickle plated 44 Hand Ejector 1st Model, affectionately known as the Triple Lock because of the third cylinder latching mechanism built into the frame and yoke. 44 Special, this one shipped in 1915. At the other end of the scale, a tiny nickel plated Lady Smith, 1st Model. Chambered for 22 Long, not 22 Long Rifle. This one shipped in 1903. One of my favorite Smiths, a nickle plated 44 Hand Ejector 3rd Model. This one has been refinished but I don't care. It was carried by an officer during WWII. Notice how worn the grips are. Somewhere I have a very worn holster that came along with it. Shipped in 1929, 44 Special. On to Stainless land. Model 60, 38 Special, it shipped in 1975. Model 63 with all the goodies. 22 Long Rifle, it shipped in 1980. Model 65-3. It shipped around 1982, 357 Mag. Model 624. 44 Special, it shipped in 1985. For years I said I did not need a Model 29. Then one day I came across this nickel plated Model 29-2 and said what the heck. No, the 5" barrel is not the original length, it has been cut down to that length. Actual 5" barrels are pretty rare with this model. It probably shipped around 1967. 44 Magnum of course. That's pretty much it for my shiny S&W Hand Ejectors.
