I was not prepared as to how big this gun is. I must have looked like a newbie right there in the store. This thing is very solid and heavy. Everything on here works very nicely.
Naturally, my first question to myself was, "Can I shoot it?" So, I started to ask around. (Many, many thanks to those who took the time to speak with me and answer my questions.) So, I posted a few questions on some other gun forums and received some really great responses.
The first one was a person taking me to this other forum. There a member talkes about things you might consider when purchasing a revolver.
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/sho ... adid=57816
It mentions some interesting points and I learned a great deal from the post.
One member asked,
So, I looked, and sure enough, there it was.The grips are yelling "Brazilian Contract" at me. What does the other side of the frame look like? Is there a goofy emblem stamped on the sideplate?
There is a star emblem on the other side with some Spanish writing underneath. And, below that there is what appears to be the year "1937". I later found out that it was probably Portuguese and not Spanish.
So, I asked for a link to information that explains the significance regarding the Brazilian Contract? Another member responded back with these two links.
http://www.geocities.com/swede94/sw1937.html
http://www.geocities.com/swede94/us1917.html
Naturally, this increased my interest even more. I actually have a S&W 1937 revolver and not a 1917. Further explaination from another member said,
So, it looks like somebody found a reason to use acetone on their gun too. Funny it's MK's former revolver that "triggered" the idea.Those guns were made for the Brazilian government in that time frame. They were the only large production guns in the 1917 series N frames to use those grips. The guns are probably what we should consider as a variant of the US Military 1917s. What distinguishes them as much as the crest on the sideplate and the grips is how worn many of them seem to be. Nice guns, just a lot of use. The dark color wood I think is embedded grease and oil. Under it all is some very nicely grained and sometimes figured american walnut.
To dress the grips up a bit but keep them original, you can take them off the gun and soak them in acetone. Its amazing stuff, and just another thing I learned here on the forum. The acetone doesn't soak in or make them wet, it just lifts the oil and grease out. What you get is pretty close to the original color. If you notice the tops of all the diamonds in the checkering is pretty much worn off. Someone good with a checkering tool can re-point them and you get a totally different looking gun.
All in all, I am extremely happy with this gun. I remember telling myself when I started this hobby that I was going to get everything but the gun. Oh well. I plan on taking the gun to a gunsmith and having it checked before firing. I figure it would be a good habit to get into when purchasing used arms.
Again, thanks to all who answered my questions. Your advise was very helpful.
High Regards,
Pyroxene