A while back a gun smith friend gave me this gun. It had been given to him as compensation for services rendered. It's a 1937 S&W 45 ACP contract for the Brazilian government. This one still sports the original 5.5" barrel, with a humongous front sight and base added. The top strap has been milled for a S&W adjustable rear sight - the original was the standard, fixed gutter sight. Interestingly the unknown guy who put this together did nothing to the internals. It was as issued back in the '30s.
Attachment 105012
Someone in the past had attempted to turn it into a target revolver (like in the 1950s) but it wasn't a ver good representation of the breed. My friend hang on to it for a while but admitted to me he was never going to shoot it. Since he knew I had a 45 ACP revolver already, my blue steel 45 ACP Mountain Gun, he thought I might like it. Needless to say I didn't. I even shot it once with little success...no need to go into details.
Took it back to the now retired gun smith who had given it to me and we discussed what it would take to make it a usable firearm for me. After several months f beating on it, as the spirit moved him, he gave me this:
Attachment 105013
It now sports a 3.5" barrel; a full length soldered on rib - contoured to fit the shape of the old barrel: a fixed rear sight that's fitted tightly enough in the milled out top strap and anchored with a serious screw to hopefully lend some strength; and a re-shaped trigger meant for DA only shooting.
It looks kind of funky because it's dirty from a 48 round (Mooncliped of course) shooting session. I've had it out three times now, last time being yesterday, and I like this old warrior better every time I shoot it. My gun smith to an already "ruined" gun from ugly an not useful to "ain't that a hoot!" I smile every time I pick it up.
Dave
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