Smith N Frame Transition era .38 spl

[Lon]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/782063115

Not sure if this is a good deal or not. Figured someone may be interested.

@Dagga Boy
@Wayne Dobbs
@RevolverRob

[Malamute]

I dont know enough about the details of that gun and period to say much, other than the grips arent original to the gun or period.

The pics arent very clear, unfortunately.

No clear pics of serial number on the frame, cylinder and barrel to be sure they all match.

[RevolverRob]

Boy that sure is interesting looking. I don't know too much about N-Frames, admittedly. But I'm not sure Smith ever built a factory adjustable sight 4" .38/44. And I've never seen a 4" Outdoorsman that had the full upper rib barrel like that (they all had pencil barrels). What I suspect that is or was...was a 6.5" gun that was cut back to 4" and refinished. I'd have to letter that one from Smith, before I believed it was a genuine 4" gun.

If it's a cut and refinished gun, then I'd say if lockup is tight, it's a $5-600 gun, if it is a genuine 4" adjustable sight .38/44 then the price is good, depending on the finish (not that you can tell much from the pictures).

[Lon]

Boy that sure is interesting looking. I don't know too much about N-Frames, admittedly. But I'm not sure Smith ever built a factory adjustable sight 4" .38/44. And I've never seen a 4" Outdoorsman that had the full upper rib barrel like that (they all had pencil barrels). What I suspect that is or was...was a 6.5" gun that was cut back to 4" and refinished. I'd have to letter that one from Smith, before I believed it was a genuine 4" gun.

If it's a cut and refinished gun, then I'd say if lockup is tight, it's a $5-600 gun, if it is a genuine 4" adjustable sight .38/44 then the price is good, depending on the finish (not that you can tell much from the pictures).

I found a listing in the SCSW that corroborates they made a N frame like described. Value is anywhere from $2100(ANIB)-500(fair).

[Trooper224]

It looks like someones version of a frankensmith, ie. a chopped up Outdoorsman, chambered in .38-44.

It appears to be an old long action gun, but the grips aren't original and I doubt if the barrel is either. The photos are terrible (intentionally so I suspect), but it looks to have been refinished as well. It either has a trigger shoe installed or had one that's been removed. I can't really tell due to the lousy photos.

Big pass on this one.

[Duelist]

It looks like someones version of a frankensmith, ie. a chopped up Outdoorsman, chambered in .38-44.

It appears to be an old long action gun, but the grips aren't original and I doubt if the barrel is either. The photos are terrible (intentionally so I suspect), but it looks to have been refinished as well. It either has a trigger shoe installed or had one that's been removed. I can't really tell due to the lousy photos.

Big pass on this one.

Guy gives a name brand for the trigger shoe.

Of course, he also called that big ramp front sight a Partridge.

[Wheeler]

Boy that sure is interesting looking. I don't know too much about N-Frames, admittedly. But I'm not sure Smith ever built a factory adjustable sight 4" .38/44. And I've never seen a 4" Outdoorsman that had the full upper rib barrel like that (they all had pencil barrels). What I suspect that is or was...was a 6.5" gun that was cut back to 4" and refinished. I'd have to letter that one from Smith, before I believed it was a genuine 4" gun.

If it's a cut and refinished gun, then I'd say if lockup is tight, it's a $5-600 gun, if it is a genuine 4" adjustable sight .38/44 then the price is good, depending on the finish (not that you can tell much from the pictures).

The Outdoorsman would of had an actual partridge sight vs a Baughmann ramp. I’ve only seen the Heavy Duty’s (fixed sight version) with the old style half moon front sight.

[Malamute]

They made Outdoorsmans with post-war type adjustable sights, but I dont know when that started. I had a special order pre-war one with the super low adjustable rear sight polished and fitted down flush with the frame on its leaf and special order ivory bead front sight, but I dont think that was a standard production model. I believe they made both fixed sight and adjustable sighted N frame 38s for a while, they were cataloged until the early to mid 60s I believe. I have some Shooters Bibles from about 1950 to the mid to late 60s I can check in a week or so.

This gun was from the period when Smith would make about anything reasonable on order. if it wasnt a standard item, its possible someone special orderd it, and if original, would be worth something. The poor pics dont show the serial number on the barrel in the extractor rod recess. It was the 1950 target model that had the good adjustable sights as was common since then, and I dont think they cataloged or advertised the 4" 44 spl guns with ramped front sights, but they made quite a few.

The standard target and longer barreled Outdoorsmen of the post war period had the Patridge front sight (that is Patridge, a guys name that designed the square blade target sights, not partridge, the bird).

[Wheeler]

They made Outdoorsmans with post-war type adjustable sights, but I dont know when that started. I had a special order pre-war one with the super low adjustable rear sight polished and fitted down flush with the frame on its leaf and special order ivory bead front sight, but I dont think that was a standard production model. I believe they made both fixed sight and adjustable sighted N frame 38s for a while, they were cataloged until the early to mid 60s I believe. I have some Shooters Bibles from about 1950 to the mid to late 60s I can check in a week or so.

This gun was from the period when Smith would make about anything reasonable on order. if it wasnt a standard item, its possible someone special orderd it, and if original, would be worth something. The poor pics dont show the serial number on the barrel in the extractor rod recess. It was the 1950 target model that had the good adjustable sights as was common since then, and I dont think they cataloged or advertised the 4" 44 spl guns with ramped front sights, but they made quite a few.

The standard target and longer barreled Outdoorsmen of the post war period had the Patridge front sight (that is Patridge, a guys name that designed the square blade target sights, not partridge, the bird).

freaking autocorrect got me again. I do know the difference between patridge and partridge.

I'd love to see better pictures of the gun, I'd also want a letter verifying the production. I can't see $900 for a parts gun.

[Jim Watson]

The front sight does not look like any S&W Baughman ramp I have seen. The blade is too long with a long top flat.