My 1950s.

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SaxonPig

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Like a lot of guys in the 1970s and 1980s I read the work of Skeeter Skelton. He most often carried a 5" M27 or a 4" 44 Special 1950 Target Model (Fourth Model Target 44 Special). I was certainly influenced by his taste in revolvers and wanted similar pistols. The 27 was no problem. The 5" option was a regular production item and there is no shortage of them. The 4" 1950 is another matter. These were apparently made on special order and very few are known to exist. That didn't stop me from looking. But I never saw a 4" 1950 and the prices on the typical 6.5" Fourth Model Target made me blanch.

In 1983 S&W introduced the Model 24-3. Similar to the 1950 but with the barrel retaining pin deleted as was true with all post 1981 Smiths. In 2002 I bought one with a 4" barrel but I admit I couldn't get past the lack of the barrel pin. A minor thing, but it bothered me. The real crunch came when I took my unfired revolver to the range (guns don't remain unfired for long once they fall into my hands). It didn't produce groups so much as patterns. At 50 feet it couldn't stay in a 12" circle. I don't know why it shot so badly but utterly disenchanted I sold it to someone who would never shoot it again. He wanted a 4" 24-3 in the box with perfect bluing and he got what he wanted. I still wanted an original 1950.

So it's 2005 and I got an ad from a well known dealer in classic handguns. In the listing were two 1950s with 5" barrels. I wanted a 4" but this was likely as close as I would ever get. Both had started out as standard 6.5" pistols but had been returned to S&W in 1970 for some custom work. One had a new 5" barrel installed. Apparently Smith had 5" replacement barrels in stock at one time and this may have been the last one they had in inventory as the second gun had it's barrel cut to 5" length. This is obvious as the first gun lacks the serial under the barrel while the other one still has the serial in place. One was in the usual satin blue and the other had the optional bright blue finish. I have heard the higher grade of blue was a $20 option back then. During the rebuild, both had also been fitted with the smooth target trigger.

The pistol with the replacement barrel had the dull blue and was offered at $950. The chopped gun had the better finish and it was priced at an even grand. This was a lot of money to me. But I wanted one of them... badly. I called and had the less expensive gun put on hold. I would forward a money order and my C&R the next day.

That evening I casually mentioned to my wife that I had found a 1950. I explained that I had searched for one in vain for about 25 years and finally found the pair and had bought one. Her response was to look at me and ask "Why didn't you buy BOTH of them?"

I didn't have a good answer to that question. I called the dealer and amended my order to include the second revolver as well. That was a lot of money for me to pay. I think the guns were likely a little overpriced as the dealer was not known for his discount pricing. My blood ran cold at the thought of spending that much on a pair of revolvers. But I wanted them and eight years later I don't regret the purchase.

They arrived wearing their original Magna stocks with the correct serial numbers on them. They are pretty but on N frames with barrels over 4" I prefer the larger style wood.


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I hunted up some period correct target stocks. The original stocks are stored.


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The target shows that these shoot a little better than did the 24-3 I tried earlier.

The serials are S140775 and S143776. At first glance the 775 and 776 make it appear as if they are consecutively numbered but they are actually exactly 3,000 apart. The higher number shipped first, on April 26 1955. This is exactly one week to the day after I was born. The destination was New Orleans. The lower number gun shipped in August to Kansas City, Mo.

They have been together as a pair for at least 43 years at this point. I'll never sell them, my wife will do that. It would be nice if they could stay together but there's no way to guarantee that will happen.
 
Herr Pig, those are gorgeous. I have a 5" Model 27, which is the best-balanced of all the Model 27's, IMO. The .44 Model of 1950 Target is still on my search radar.

PS - Are the Magnas on the bottom revolver that light, or did they get a bit washed out from the flash? At any rate, those are gorgeous stocks.
 
SP, Good lookin' pair. A special treat after looking for them that long.

I took even longer to break down and spend the money for a model 19 and then went on a binge and bought two more.

Shoot them in good health.
 
Ol' Skeet loved the S&W Double Actions and the Colt SAA. Not to mention the Ruger Blackhawks, he was fond of those too. I learned a lot reading his articles as a kid and it forged a lot of the opinions and preferences that I have today.

Now I have to go dig up my old copy of Good Friends, Good Guns, Good Whiskey.
 
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