Vintage Smith & Wesson gurus! help!

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QuarterBoreGunner

QuarterBoreGunner

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Ok kids, put your thinking caps on for this one.

I'm looking at this GunBroker auction for a nice 3rd Model Perfected Target .22 single shot with a 10" barrel. Looks clean and clear, except for one little thing.

There's a very odd addition to the end of the barrel that for the life of me I can't figure out what it is. The seller posted a (blurry) picture; says it's a professional install but I can't figure out what it would be for. Take a look:
pix2825238940.jpg

Full picture:
pix2407265283.jpg


So what is this? Obviously it's threaded for something; but what? Muzzle weight? On that barrel length? Compensator?

Any clues guys and gals?
 
Threading for a suppressor? Odd to see it on a S&W, let alone one this old, but anything is possible when Bubba is about!
 
Threaded for a silencer back when an American could buy such things without having to get government permission and pay a large tax.

(Yes, folks, they called them silencers back then. "Supressor" is relatively modern technoid jargon.)
 
Strange as it may seem, I think Jim is right. It could be for a recoil compensator, but on a single shot there would be no purpose for one. A barrel weight would have been slung under the barrel, not in front of the muzzle. I am 90% sure it wasn't done at the factory, but anything is possible.
 
Jim may have it. Some old boy in the old days with old money may have wanted to practice in his garage.! After all it is a target pistol.

Either that or an old time hit man with an extraordinarily high degree of confidence in his shooting skill......not.
 
Yep, it looks like it's got an adapter for a supressor on it. The question is...How easily can it be removed, and will doing so damage the pistol?
 
Two things I can think it might be for and one has been stated.

It looks like a fitting for the ancient Maxim suppressor or the gun was screwed into a movable fitting at a shooting gallery.

The handgun would have been screwed to a square steel plate that was attached to a rod that allowed the gun move right and left and up and down a certain amount for aiming.

The fitting prevented someone from swinging the pistol out of the shooting gallery and into the crowd and it also prevented the pistol from being stolen because there were usually cross pins that locked the threaded portion into the plate and prevented someone from unscrewing the gun from the fitting.

I will venture to say while this pistol may look unique to you, they were pretty common in the days of travelling fairs and most vendors devised their own ways of securing the guns to the booth tables and I doubt you will find the fitting to be "Factory" applied.
I can't tell from the pictures but I bet if you look close at the muzzle fitting at the area where there is no threading in front of the stop flange, you will see a slot for a securing crosspin somewhere along that circumference.
If there is no cross slot then I am going to have to go with threading for a Maxim suppressor.
The front sight is high enough that it could be picked up even with a soup can size Maxim installed.
The grips and overall condition are pretty crispy for a fair gun too unless somebody refinished the pistol at some time.
Does the seller tell you what kind of condition the bore is in?
This doesn't matter anyway because the gun may have been relined at some point too.
If you buy this thing get a ten day money back guarantee and have a gunsmith skilled in what to look for standing by for when you receive it.
Caveat Emptor.HTH
 
I'd say with 99% certainty it's for a suppressor. I'd be interested to know if there are any import marks on the gun, as that modification was/is far more common "over there".
 
Ok, I'm hooked, whatever this fitting is, my curiosity is piqued. I'm going to make a bid and see what happens. If I end up winning, I will definitely get a letter from Mister Jinks and post close up pictures.

Onmilo; that's very interesting stuff, thanks for the info.
 
Bids

I've seen two third models for sale at other locations within the last week. Neither had the threaded barrel and both were nice but not as nice as yours. The asking price was $995.00. If that's any help.
 
Definetly for a can, that is why ther is a shoulder to lock it on the muzzle and make sure it stays in-lin with the bore. Sweet To bad the original Maxim can is long gone I'll bet the can would be worth more than the gun.

Note: USFA is making a copy of the original maxim. They had it at the shot show.
 
It's an adapter installed to place and secure a bipod. After all, it is a Target Pistol.
 
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