HANDS OFF MY BARREL, DR. JONES!!!

[Bigslug]

You aren't chopping this one to 4"! I don't care how badass it looks when you toss it into your suitcase!

6.5" 2nd Model .44 Hand Ejector, born in 1921. Tight, in time, very shiny on the inside, and SLIIIIIIIICK. Just entered 10-day Purgatory.

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Paging Junk Collector: It's originally a lanyard loop gun (missing), and the original grips are gone in favor of the target stocks you see. . .which feel GREAT, but a proper restore may be desired.

Neat thing: It's got an A.E.F. eagle head stamped inside the frame, which my Standard Catalog says is a known thing - it appears the factory used up frames originally intended to become M1917's, but they got repurposed when the orders got cancelled at the end of WWI.

Gotta break out the slugs and gauges to confirm compatibility, but I think I'll be making a lot more of these:

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Yeah. . .need. . .sure.

[Zee]

That’s kinda nice.

[sakodude]

WOW! Nice find indeed.

[Wambli Ska]

I love old S&Ws and that’s a beauty

[JunkCollector]

Interesting grips
I'd like to see the insides when able.
The S&W sight may help a lot with them.

[shotgunshooter3]

I would have scooped that up in a heartbeat for the right price.

[Chiro1989]

Yeah, that is a cool find

[CPJ 2.0]

Needs original grips, bead blasted and matte blue finish, and the barrel chopped down.

Real men cut up collectors items.

[Diver43]

Great find. I would bring that one back to original form and cherish it.

[Elk Creek]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225597970561?h ... R7q4-MKMYw

You can find grips there too,

[Zee]

Speaking of……how much WAS it?

[breamfisher]

Needs original grips, bead blasted and matte blue finish, and the barrel chopped down.

Real men cut up collectors items.

Or carve personal info into them.

[bullsi1911]

That is NICE! Congrats

[JunkCollector]

Definitely like the gun and grips.
Something that stands out to me is the finish on the barrel and cylinder don't seem to match the frame
Does it all number correctly ?.

[Gene L]

I would put the proper grips on it and clean it up, but nothing else. Just because; a new finish won't hurt the gun but on the other hand, it won't help the gun either. It's a good find; glad you got it.

[Bigslug]

Zee: the price was either a steal or very fair, based on what's being asked and not bid on at GB.

Junk Collector: frame, barrel, and cylinder are all matching numbers. The purchase actually took a little longer than usual because it has a "non-serial number" under the crane where their newer guns get S.N.'d that we needed to hash out. All I can figure is a different alloy combo on the frame would account for the difference in patina. They started production in 1917 with serial number 16,000, and started up again in December 1920 at 16,200. This thing's in the 17,000 range and has that A.E.F. eagle head, so it would figure that the frame is whatever they were hammering out for Uncle Sam's M1917's, and they got back to business as usual for the .44 barrel and cylinder.

I'll post up pics of the guts when it comes home. I need some more schoolin' on Smith grips, but these appear to be of the "Coke bottle" style. They fit the frame very well and they did not come off easy for confirmation of the matching numbers - maybe a refinished set of factory grips? Dunno, but it's got a hole in the frame for a lanyard loop that these grips won't accommodate, so it certainly didn't start with them.

[bullsi1911]

Needs original grips, bead blasted and matte blue finish, and the barrel chopped down.

Real men cut up collectors items.

Go all in. Fitz Special that bad boy:

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[JunkCollector]

Excellent that is a huge difference.
Between the cylinder,barrel, ejector rod, and the frame
The ejector rod doesn't even show much use either.

Not having the made in USA stamp on the left side I think helps dates it to early post war..


Assume 44 special ?

I've had gunstores try to use assembly,fitting numbers as a serial
On most not all the best place is here.

I think it look "cool" with the lanyard and old grips.

[Bigslug]

I'm pretty sure that's the style of checkered grips this thing needs, but I've also seen very similar ones where there is no S&W medallion. In place of the concave divot where it would go, there's a convex bump - M1917 grips that got repurposed after the war maybe?

[Wambli Ska]

I'm pretty sure that's the style of checkered grips this thing needs, but I've also seen very similar ones where there is no S&W medallion. In place of the concave divot where it would go, there's a convex bump - M1917 grips that got repurposed after the war maybe?

I don’t think the grips that are on it were refinished. The checkering would be obliterated. I think those are original (not to this gun) S&W grips and probably worth close to what you paid for the gun if I’m inferring correctly as to what you paid. The difference is finish between frame and rest of gun is probably due to the a war era frame being finished with post war era barrel, cylinder etc.

The original grips for this gun probably did not have medallions as you deduced, at least not the gold ones that junkcollector shows because those were only made for a very short period of time, but definitely not the ones that are on the gun now. They would have been the same style without the medallions or the silver medallions. If you keep an eye out on GB the correct grips will show up and SOMETIMES you can actually get a decent deal on them. If you try to buy on a dedicated S&W site prepare to offer a kidney. Those guys know exactly what they have. Butt I’ll take a back set to whatever junkcollector says, he is my go to expert in such matters.

[Wambli Ska]

BTW I bought a pair of these which is the closest you’ll get with a modern repro grip, and they are excellent quality and darn good fit https://www.ebay.com/itm/204564992965?m ... media=COPY

They are made by Altamonte and at $65 + Shipping they are a good deal.

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[JunkCollector]

My take on the grips is definitely not factory.
No medallions
I do think they are old from right around the time S&W started making target grips.
I think the cutout on the left panel was done at a later point and tru-oil or similar was applied.

I've seen very similar ones before
I don't think the maker was ever really identified.
Or the correlation between them and s&W target grips and which came first.
There is speculation it had something to do with either Gagne or Ropers son who worked at S&W in that time frame.

A lot about nothing...eh

[Gene L]

The grips are in too good a shape to be original to the revolver. I think the speed loader cut is organic to the grips. They're target grips, nice ones at that, but on a worn revolver that is not a target model.

[GrapeApe]

Dumb question time...
Since it's a "post war" gun with a wartime frame, are you sure it left the factory with a lanyard loop?
Or was the frame finished to that point of having the hole before they quit with the "wartime" production and switched back into "civilian" mode??

[Bigslug]

Dumb question time...
Since it's a "post war" gun with a wartime frame, are you sure it left the factory with a lanyard loop?
Or was the frame finished to that point of having the hole before they quit with the "wartime" production and switched back into "civilian" mode??

At this point all I have to go on is the "Standard Catalog of S&W", which is saying lanyard rings were on "most" of the 2nd H.E.'s. Can't imagine they'd have shipped out a gun with an unfilled hole, but weirder things have happened.

Got a repro lanyard ring on the way and an inquiry sent off to Altamont. It looks like original specimen grips are medallion-free, but like Wambli says, close enough is close enough.