From 1996 to 2001 I lived in a small town in Utah. There were a couple of pawn shops, a home FFL dealer and a guy who operated a gun shop out of a 10x20 shed in his front yard at his rural home.
He would sometimes have a gun or two on display. Kept a few boxes of ammo and some accessories but otherwise very little in inventory.
One day I stopped by to gab (he was there a couple hours each Saturday and Sunday afternoon) and I was shocked to see about 40 S&W revolvers crammed into the glass display case. The local sheriff's office had sold him all their old service pistols that had been setting in the department storeroom for 10 years since they switched to Glocks. (Give up a S&W for a Glock? Shudder!)
All the revolvers were 4" Model 19-3s showing moderate to heavy wear to finish. All except one, that is. Way in the back was one revolver that while similar in appearance to the others was obviously not identical. It stood just a bit taller, and looked a bit brawnier. I asked to see it and the dealer pulled out a 3.5" N frame 357 (some would call it a "pre-27" but I shall not).
The serial indicated a manufacture date of mid 1955 but right away I saw that something was wrong. The gun had what S&W collectors call a "4 screw frame." The earlier guns had 5 screws showing in the frame but around S176,000 one was eliminated in a design change creating the "4 screw" version. The serial was S138,000, some 38,000 before the change and yet it was the later version.
More mystery occurred when I had the gun "lettered" by the S&W historian. Despite the mid 1955 serial the gun actually shipped March of 1957, about 2 years later than the serial would suggest. Perhaps the then new Model 19 made these a slow seller at the time and it set in inventory for a while? The historian had no explanation for the gun having the wrong frame.
But getting back to the day I spotted it in the dealer's case, I looked at it and noted the heavy wear to the blue finish. The stocks had chips and gouges. All the 19s were priced at $275 -take your choice, first come first served. I asked the price on the older N frame and he shrugged. "$275, same as the rest."
It was all I could do to keep from ripping the pocket from my jeans as I went for my wallet. Looking back I should have bought at least one of the 19s, too.
When I got the gun home I pulled the stocks and found they were numbered to the gun. A name and a 1960 date were scratched into the back of one of the stock panels. I called the Sheriff's Office but nobody recognized the name. Not a deputy.
I still have no idea how the gun came into the SO possession. Maybe it was confiscated and because it was similar to the issue weapons used by a deputy. I don't know. I also don't know why the frame is incorrect. Or why it sold so late from its date of manufacture.
What I do know is that this revolver has the smoothest and nicest action of any S&W I have ever tried. It looks tired but is a dream to shoot. I replaced the battered stocks with a better set. Otherwise it goes out as is. I have carried it as my CC pistol many times.
He would sometimes have a gun or two on display. Kept a few boxes of ammo and some accessories but otherwise very little in inventory.
One day I stopped by to gab (he was there a couple hours each Saturday and Sunday afternoon) and I was shocked to see about 40 S&W revolvers crammed into the glass display case. The local sheriff's office had sold him all their old service pistols that had been setting in the department storeroom for 10 years since they switched to Glocks. (Give up a S&W for a Glock? Shudder!)
All the revolvers were 4" Model 19-3s showing moderate to heavy wear to finish. All except one, that is. Way in the back was one revolver that while similar in appearance to the others was obviously not identical. It stood just a bit taller, and looked a bit brawnier. I asked to see it and the dealer pulled out a 3.5" N frame 357 (some would call it a "pre-27" but I shall not).
The serial indicated a manufacture date of mid 1955 but right away I saw that something was wrong. The gun had what S&W collectors call a "4 screw frame." The earlier guns had 5 screws showing in the frame but around S176,000 one was eliminated in a design change creating the "4 screw" version. The serial was S138,000, some 38,000 before the change and yet it was the later version.
More mystery occurred when I had the gun "lettered" by the S&W historian. Despite the mid 1955 serial the gun actually shipped March of 1957, about 2 years later than the serial would suggest. Perhaps the then new Model 19 made these a slow seller at the time and it set in inventory for a while? The historian had no explanation for the gun having the wrong frame.
But getting back to the day I spotted it in the dealer's case, I looked at it and noted the heavy wear to the blue finish. The stocks had chips and gouges. All the 19s were priced at $275 -take your choice, first come first served. I asked the price on the older N frame and he shrugged. "$275, same as the rest."
It was all I could do to keep from ripping the pocket from my jeans as I went for my wallet. Looking back I should have bought at least one of the 19s, too.
When I got the gun home I pulled the stocks and found they were numbered to the gun. A name and a 1960 date were scratched into the back of one of the stock panels. I called the Sheriff's Office but nobody recognized the name. Not a deputy.
I still have no idea how the gun came into the SO possession. Maybe it was confiscated and because it was similar to the issue weapons used by a deputy. I don't know. I also don't know why the frame is incorrect. Or why it sold so late from its date of manufacture.
What I do know is that this revolver has the smoothest and nicest action of any S&W I have ever tried. It looks tired but is a dream to shoot. I replaced the battered stocks with a better set. Otherwise it goes out as is. I have carried it as my CC pistol many times.
