Picked up a nice 15-3 last week

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amd6547 said:
I bought my 15-3 during the great police revolver sell off glory days, when the gun show tables were full of K-frames. I paid $175 for this one, and it is indeed a Masterpiece. Pinging the 50yd 10” steel plates is easy.
As for grips, I go back and forth between these Targets, and PC-Magnas with a Tyler T-grip. In the latter configuration, I’ve carried this revolver IWB, in a Bianchi #3. View attachment 979583
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$175 for a nice 15? Somebody saw you coming and gave you a could screwing. If only we could go back in time and grab several at that price.
 
Riomouse911 said:
Ok, I popped the grips off and the S&W logo button out and took an old sock soaked in acetone to the grips.

View attachment 979779

The red stain did wipe off, it took me about five minutes per panel to bring out the light-walnut brown color of the wood. I oiled the grips, replaced the buttons and voila’!

View attachment 979778

Thank you Jonsey814 for the tip, I got to keep the grips I like and the gun now looks great :thumbup:.

Stay safe.
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Those look Great nice job !
 
Bush Pilot said:
$175 for a nice 15? Somebody saw you coming and gave you a could screwing. If only we could go back in time and grab several at that price.
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amd6547 said:
Well, at that time, heavy barrel Model 10’s were $150...so I did pay an extra $25 for adjustable sights...
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Same time frame, mine was $190, I chose the best from 3. Model 10's were 150 and Model 36's were the same. If I could go back in time.
 
Riomouse911 said:
I’m hoping to give it a try tomorrow.
I bought my first couple of sets and they were walnut brown like the 17-3 at the top.

View attachment 979582


The last few sets have been almost red-pink like the 14-3 below. :( I have some walnut stain and oil to finish them, I’ll post what happens when I’m done.

Thanks again!

Stay safe.
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Riomouse911,
You mentioned that you thought these were Thai grips. Where did you order them from, Ebay or Amazon?

You had also mentioned Altamont Ropers. I have been considering a set of those to try on my 19-4.

Thank you
 
Pat Riot said:
Riomouse911,
You mentioned that you thought these were Thai grips. Where did you order them from, Ebay or Amazon?

You had also mentioned Altamont Ropers. I have been considering a set of those to try on my 19-4.

Thank you
Click to expand...

Amazon for these, but the others who bought off of eBay thought they looked identical to the Thai grips they’ve bought.

The Altamont Ropers run about 95 bucks shipped, these about 65. I like the look and quality of the Altamont Roper grip, but they’re not my first choice for grip shape. (If they were a similar sized fingergroove style those would be what I’d buy.)

With wooden grips in my mitts, the grooves seem to keep my hand in position well so I like them. The target style grips that are shaped narrow to wide from top to bottom often requires me to regrip a lot during a rapid fire string... especially with magnums.

Stay safe.
 
Riomouse911 said:
Amazon for these, but the others who bought off of eBay thought they looked identical to the Thai grips they’ve bought.

The Altamont Ropers run about 95 bucks shipped, these about 65. I like the look and quality of the Altamont Roper grip, but they’re not my first choice for grip shape. (If they were a similar sized fingergroove style those would be what I’d buy.)

With wooden grips in my mitts, the grooves seem to keep my hand in position well so I like them. The target style grips that are shaped narrow to wide from top to bottom often requires me to regrip a lot during a rapid fire string... especially with magnums.

Stay safe.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I found these one Amazon. Look familiar?
DOXICON&NOMIX Hardwood K Frame Square Butt Smith and Wesson Handcraft Handmade Grips Revolvers Checkered https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07654JNRB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3F31TXYYJZTXEAD6X79Q
 
Thanks for the lead on the Thai stocks...I am thinking of changing out the stocks on my Model 67 (no dash first year production). It is not a Model 15 with the beautiful bluing, but I like it none the less and don't worry about holster wear, etc. It is very accurate.

I do need to get a Model 15 in my safe.

49785002412_4d463b522e_o.jpg
 
I’m a stainless fan as well, if I could find a 67 in as nice a shape as yours (at a price that won’t break me) I would buy it in a heartbeat. :thumbup:

It looks like you could get a full hatband out of that rattler!

Stay safe.
 
Riomouse911 said:
I bought a pretty nice S&W 15-3 a couple of weeks ago and on Monday I finally got it out of the regulatory 10-day penalty box (For the children!) and brought it home.

View attachment 979218 View attachment 979215 View attachment 979217

There were a few small freckles in the finish and a touch of muzzle-wear, but other than these very minor cosmetic things it locks up tight and has a good trigger pull. The original grips that came on it and I do not get along, so I went back to the aftermarket finger groove grip well and ordered another set. These came out of the box sort of red-pinkish, a color of which I’m not a fan of, which is too bad because these really fit my hands very nicely. I may swap them out again at some point for some walnut Altamont Ropers... or I may just leave it as-is if they grow on me.

View attachment 979216 View attachment 979214

The very first set of shots I fired was a two-hand DA group at 10 yards with 148 gr WC bullets over 2.8 gr Bullseye. I didn’t touch the sights when I bought it but I could hardly have set the sights for myself any better. The 24 rounds landed right at POA just a hair to the right.

View attachment 979212

After shooting a couple of other guns, I moved my B-27Q to 12 yards and fired a 24-shot DA string using 158 gr coated SWC over 4.5 gr Unique. Again, a pretty good group right about where they should go.

View attachment 979213

This is the fourth or fifth .38 or .357 K frame I’ve brought home in the past few years that has been in great mechanical shape and a perfect fit for my hands and eyes from the first shot fired. I haven’t had the same good luck with a couple of rimfire revolvers I’ve bought in the past couple of years, I’m hoping to change that streak of poor rimfire luck soon. :)

Stay safe.
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Pardon the typically bad photography
index.php

My 15-3 with Rogers plastic grips. They fit me real well. I guess now I need to burn some of the 148gr HBWC I made last weekend through it this coming weekend.
 
I think someone has set up here in the USA to import & sell the Thai grips on Amazon. I have 4 or 5 sets that I got on EBay. The same styles are now on Amazon, as of the past couple years. They seem to be about $10 more on Amazon, but you get them a lot faster
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
Pardon the typically bad photography
index.php

My 15-3 with Rogers plastic grips. They fit me real well. I guess now I need to burn some of the 148gr HBWC I made last weekend through it this coming weekend.
Click to expand...
Same pattern I have, just a different material :thumbup:.

I shoot the 2.8 gr Bullseye 148 gr WC load all the time through several different .38 and .357 revolvers. I can’t ever recall a new-to-me gun shooting that spot on the very first time I pulled the trigger.... and staying spot on for 23 more. :)

About one click to the left and I have my zero.

Stay safe.
 
Riomouse911 said:
Same pattern I have, just a different material :thumbup:.

I shoot the 2.8 gr Bullseye 148 gr WC load all the time through several different .38 and .357 revolvers. I can’t ever recall a new-to-me gun shooting that spot on the very first time I pulled the trigger.... and staying spot on for 23 more. :)

About one click to the left and I have my zero.

Stay safe.
Click to expand...
Yup. 2.8gr Bullseye. I switch back and forth between the Speer swaged and Buffalo Arms cast bullets (358-148-WC). Both are really nice but the Buffalo seats a little above flush so it’s easier for crimping.
 
Riomouse911 said:
I’m a stainless fan as well, if I could find a 67 in as nice a shape as yours (at a price that won’t break me) I would buy it in a heartbeat. :thumbup:

It looks like you could get a full hatband out of that rattler!

Stay safe.
Click to expand...

I picked up that 67 in 2013 or so, and if I remember correctly it was about $350 out the door. I don’t think the original owner used it much at all...it was about 98% or so. After I bought it the FFL called me and said the wife of the prior owner wanted it back and they would refund my purchase price entirely. I declined her gracious offer.
 
Ya DR505, I would’ve hesitated right about eight seconds coming to the same conclusion you did. ;)

These are great revolvers. My beat-up AIM Surplus Model 64 (fixed sight/stainless Model 10) is another winner in the fold. Someday I’ll bead blast it, the previous owner apparently used it to drive nails or something. It locks up tight and has a great trigger pull, but the finish is hashed :(.

Stay safe.
 
I really enjoy using the model 15 as a range gun. It has great balance with a 4 inch barrel and HOGUE grips. I keep one loaded with FEDERAL HST 130 grain jhp as my back-up house gun.

Jim
 
Bought my Model 15 off a long retired lawman up in Northern Nevada towards the end of his life. The wear on the blueing in certain spots shows a long life of being carried and used but lovingly maintained. Liked it so much i bought a Model 15 snubnose and a K38 6 inch barrel to have the complete set. I throw on a pair of older Pachmayr rubber presentation grips when i want to save the nearly new Altamonts he had put on shortly before the sale.
 
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