Tell me about the S&W Model of 1950 please.

[Old Fuff]

The Old Fuff will now go way out on a limb. When you get a letter from Mr. Jinks he may saw that limb off ... but anyway.

The only model S&W made at that time (1952) with a checkered topstrap was the (pre-model 27) 357 Magnum. All of the other target model, N-frames has the rib serrated (like the one in the middle of the picture).

I think your gun started life as a blued/61/2" barreled/45 ACP/ model 1950 .45 Target. This was later called the "pre-model 26." Someone, and I suspect it was a custom pistolsmith, shortened the barrel to 4 inches (give or take that 1/16"), relocated the front sight, and then used a checkering file to make the serrations on the barrel rib and topstrap into diamonds - in other words he turned serrations into checkering. He also checkered the rear face of the back sight, which is something S&W wouldn't do unless it was specifically requested. Last but not least, the gun was hard chrome (not nickel) plated.

Because it was intended to be a bullseye target gun, S&W didn’t pay a lot of attention to double action trigger pull. The single action was another matter. It should be splendid.

It may not be IDPA legal, but once the trigger pull/double action is straightened out it should make one heck of a belt gun. Post a picture and you'll likely get obcene offers from all over this forum .

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

BluesBear:

You said: "It seem that there was one days production (or so) of BARRELS for 1955 Target Model revolvers manufactured in which someone mistakenly used the Model of 1950 rollmark instead of the correct Model of 1955. S&W has always been a frugal company and therefore these finished barrels were used. ot is estimated that about 200 1955 models mistakenly marked 1950 exist."

And we know this because of the 25-2 stamp inside the yoke? All 25-2's
were 1955?

Does this piece have any collector's value? It's in 98.5% condition. Presentation case. No box.

 

[jdkelly]

Old Fuff,

I don't think the checkering on the barrel rib was done by hand, as it very uniform. Like the gun on the left in your picture it has this checkering on the front flat part of the frame top where it meets the barrel. And like the gun mentioned above it only has ribbing on the rounded part.

I've taken some pictures of the gun, as suggested, for Mr. Jinks and will get them processed as soon as I can (I'm still in the 1980s). If you'd like I could digitize them and e-mail them to you, should you care to post them.

If the gun was produced as a 45 ACP, then I should be able to use it in IDPA even with a shortened barrel, if not then it's just a shooter.


Respectfully,

jdkelly

 

[Old Fuff]

If your gun was confirmed by S&W to be one of those few 1955 .45 Target Models (25-2) that were marked "1950 .45 Target" it woud indeed have a collector's value exceeding that of a regular model 1955 .45 Target.

I would advise that you obtain a factory letter from Roy Jinks, Smith & Wesson's company historian. The cost would be $30.00, some of which is contributed to the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team.

Additional information on obtaining a factory letter will be found at www.smith-wesson.com

 

[Old Fuff]

jdkelly:

Mr. Jinks is also a product of the 1980's and prefers regular pictures. A snapshot will do. All he is intersted in is making a basic identification of the revolver before he goes digging out old records. People write and tell him they have such-and-such a model when it turns out later they had something entirely different.

When it comes to the bottom line, my opinion doesn't matter much, and his matters a whole lot. Rather then bother you with sending pictures to me I'll wait until you get your letter back. Then I might be very interested.

On the checkering. There is a remote possibility that this gun was built on a 357 Magnum (pre-model 27) frame, which would be checkered in the manner shown on the gun in the right of the picture, and a model 1950 barrel rib was checkered to match. But further speculation will yield nothing now, and a letter from S&W will clear up everything.

In any case I think you have a fine revolver. The only remaining question is, "can you use it in competition?"

 

[BluesBear]

Inching out on that limb with Fuff, my edumacated guess would be that it could possibly be a pre-27 to which has been fitted a 1950 barrel & cylinder, except for one thing, which puzzles me greatly...

jdkelly said,
Smith & Wesson is off set to the muzzle side by 0.15 inches when measured to the start of the frame.

That's not very much of an offset. If it had been a 6½" barrel that was shortened the Smith & Wesson should be offset quite a bit more than that. My guess would be ¾" to 1" offset if it had been cut.


So... (disregarding the refinish) is this gun;
A special order?
A real 4" 1950 Target that has been checkered?
A pre-27 with new barrel & cylinder?
A ???


If it were my gun, my check to Roy would already be in the mail!

 

[BluesBear]

PinnedAndRecessed,

Yes all Model 25-2 are the Model 1955 Target. In the condition you describe and with the wooden case it would be of interest to a S&W collector IF you have the letter confirming it.

Upon further research it seems that my estimate of 200 may be a little high. The actual number may be closer to 100 which makes a genuine 1955/50 mismark even more desirable.



The 1955 Target has always been of special interest to me because it was first S&W I ever owned and it's the year of my birth.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

Old Fuff: "If your gun was confirmed by S&W to be one of those few 1955 .45 Target Models (25-2) that were marked "1950 .45 Target" it woud indeed have a collector's value exceeding that of a regular model 1955 .45 Target. I would advise that you obtain a factory letter from Roy Jinks, Smith & Wesson's company historian. The cost would be $30.00, some of which is contributed to the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team."

I checked out the web site but couldn't find anything about a letter of verification.

Would I just send serial number, description and $30 to Smith and Wesson? In care of Roy Jinks?

 

[JNewell]

I don't think the checkering on the barrel rib was done by hand, as it very uniform.

That alone doesn't really signify much -- you'd be surprised at how well you yourself could do checkering with the proper tools and a little training!

Hope it letters out for you.

 

[jdkelly]

Just goes to show you I have no idea what I'm talking about, which is why I need the boards help!

I just dropped off a roll of film to be processed. In that it was in the camera since 2001 it will be interesting to see the results of last nights photo shoot, as well as what I was shooting three years ago.


Respectfully,

jdkelly

 

[Old Fuff]

Pinned And Recessed:

To obtain a letter from Smith & Wesson you will need:

A $30.00 check, made out to Smith & Wesson (not Roy Jinks).

A snapshot or similar photograph (not a JPG) of the revolver (to help with its identification.)

A letter giving a general description of the gun and the markings. Be sure to include the full serial number on the butt, and any prefix letters that preceed it. You may have to remove the grips to see the number.

Send all of the above to:

Smith & Wesson
P.O. Box 2208
Springfield, MA. 01102
Attn: Mr. Roy Jinks

Expect to wait 4 to 6 weeks for a reply. Roy is often backloged and researching hand-written records takes time.

 

[uglygun]

I've got one of those 25-2 45ACP revolvers marked with the wrong scroll mark on the barrel, when the gunshop called saying they had a "target model of 1950" down there for 500 I couldn't drive fast enough to get there. I got there only to see it had the 25-2 barrel, I still bought it all the same. It makes a nice sibling to my 25-3 in 45LC but it doesn't sing to me like a 1950s 45ACP Target Model.

 

[Majic]

One minor point that some may have forgotten is that even if the revolver letters (and I hope it does) it won't have much collector's appeal because it has been hard chromed. It will never be nothing more than a shooter. An interesting shooter to say the least, but valued no more than that.

 

[BluesBear]

Yes Majic, you are correct, However jdkelly is wanting the chromed one is has for use as a shooter. Since the serial numbers match in all locations it appears to be all original parts and does indeed have the tapered 1950 barrel since the heavy barrel hadn't been introduced in 1952.


PinnedAndRecessed has the 98% original 1955/50 mismark and was asking about collector value.

 

[jdkelly]

I received a letter back from Mr. Jinks of S&W regarding my Model of 1950. In the letter Mr. Jinks tells me that my revolver left S&W in Feburary of 1952 with a 6.5" barrel and a blued finish.

I had shot the revolver before sending it to my gun smith for a trigger job. It shot fair given the heavy trigger but had light primer strikes. As the revolver is still with the smith I can't give you an update on it, but I hope it will be a good shooter.

Thank you for the help everyone gave me, you guys know your Smiths.

Respectfully,

jdkelly

 

[Old Fuff]

I suspected you'd get the answer you did, however after the trigger work is done I think you'll find it to be the shooter you always wanted. It should make a fine belt gun.