S&W Pre Model 29: Does This Look Right?

[FrankB]

Someone posted a YouTube video about this revolver, but the breech face looks kind of funky. He said it’s never been fired.
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[LtDave]

I just looked at 2 well used K-38's I had handy, one from 1954, the other from 1967. No 50's or 60's vintage N frames available. The machining is much smoother on the K frames than your pictures show. Could be the tooling used that day was due to be replaced due to wear? You might want to peruse Gunbroker and check out some of the photos of Pre '29s there for more comparisons.

[FrankB]

Here’s a pic 9f my 1957 Model 36, and it looks nothing like the Pre Model 29. Just curious....
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[okie john]

It's impossible to say anything definitive without actually handling the gun, but based on these two photos, I believe that this gun has been fired.
The thinning blue as circled in the first photo comes from the extractor star and ratchet striking the frame during recoil.
There is similar thinning in the blue around the firing pin hole in the second image. This comes from the case moving back slightly against the frame when the gun is fired. This is your main tell-tale, and in this case, you can actually see part of an arc corresponding to the rim of a case starting just above the clearance cut where the ratchet slides past the recoil shield.
There's a turn line evident on the rear of the cylinder in the first image. This doesn't necessarily mean that the gun was fired, but it does indicate that it has been handled and/or dry-fired quite a bit.

I'd want to handle it in person before reaching for my wallet, especially if the buyer wants a premium for an unfired gun.


Okie John

[FrankB]

okie john

The revolver isn’t for sale as far as I know. The YouTuber said that Massad Ayoob and Hickok45 were both of the opinion that it had never been fired. I just can’t see why S&W would carve that groove for the cylinder pin.

[okie john]

I’ll defer to both of those guys.


Okie John

[Bucky]

bac1023 has a pre 29. Perhaps he can chime in.

[Trooper224]

It looks unfired to me, due to the lack of strike marks on both the recoil shield and the firing pin bushing. However, it does appear to have been handled repeatedly, opening and turning the cylinder, etc.

[willie]

This type wear would be seen in movie prop guns played with by idiots and fired occasionally with blanks. When this amount of rub wear exists, the term unfired means nothing. Barrel of yoke(crane) is bent upwards causing drag marks at top. Slamming cylinder shut in Hollywood style most likely did this. Believe me when I say this revolver was not born this way.

[muzzleblast]

Never fired, outside of the three factory test rounds in alternating chambers... I dunno. But, I'd doubt you will soon see one with less evidence of use. JMHO.

[JTMcC]

It looks unfired to me, due to the lack of strike marks on both the recoil shield and the firing pin bushing. However, it does appear to have been handled repeatedly, opening and turning the cylinder, etc.

That was my first thought as well.

Handled repeatedly might be an understatement based on that turn line.
I drug out my 1950's S&W's (well worn) and they are silk like smooth where your pictures show 3rd world level machining on the recoil shield. They also display less turn line after thousands of rounds but pictures can lie as we all know.

Maybe I'm smoking crack, but that turn line on a "unfired revolver" is a little bit disturbing. I would investigate thoroughly before buying that story.

I'm no S&W guru so take it for what it's worth.

ETA: post a link to the video OP, we'd like to see it.

[FrankB]

JTMcC

I’m not questioning Justin’s integrity, nor his intelligence, just the crudely machined channel cut across the cylinder pin arc.
https://youtu.be/-T5662WjIpk

[JTMcC]

JTMcC

I’m not questioning Justin’s integrity, nor his intelligence, just the crudely machined channel cut across the cylinder pin arc.
https://youtu.be/-T5662WjIpk

Thanks for the link, I'd shoot the crap out of the gun with a Keith bullet and 22 grains of 2400. Or sell it and buy one I could shoot into looseness without harming anyone's conscience.

But like you, I just marvel at the rough machining.

[Lost River]

This is an M24 (dash 3) that is new in the box. 1980s production, but it might give a little indication of what an NIB revolver's breech face should look like. Bearing in mind that there is a significant amount of time difference in the years of manufacture, but they are both N Frame .44s from S&W.

Pardon the lack of super sharp detail, they were taken with my phone, as my camera is MIA at the moment.



https://i.imgur.com/huS8bdm.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/HO3O3c5.jpg

When I find my regular camera I will take some better pics of the revolver. I have not dug this gun out in quite a while.