S&W .38 special target. One of my favorite pawn shop rescues.
Written on August 1, 2013 By Tony in Handguns, Revolvers
A few years ago I stopped by one of my favorite pawn shops. I have bought a number of guns in this shop over the course of the last 15 years or so, and while often what they have is overpriced, I occasionally find a good deal that I can’t pass up.
On this particular day, I asked to see a revolver that had been sitting in their case for several years with a price tag of $1200 on it. I asked to see it because the tag had been crossed out, and in place of the $1200 price, a new price of $300 was scrawled with red magic marker.
S&W model 1905 target
After handling the gun for a few minutes, the kid behind the counter told me that if it didn’t sell that week, the shop owner was going to hack-saw the barrel and make it into a “snubbie” because “they sell better”. I don’t know if that was true, or if he just saw me coming a mile away, but when I heard that, I instantly felt empathy for the little gun. I told him on the spot that I would allow no such thing to happen, and asked him to ring me up.
After bringing my new treasure home, I spent a little time cleaning it up and getting it ready for a leisurely life in the safe with the occasional range trip. After asking some folks about it who know a lot more about vintage S&W revolvers than I do, I learned that it was a model 1905 Target model, fourth variation, made in roughly 1915, the front sight had been modified, the grips were wrong, and they also confirmed that the gun had been refinished by someone other than the factory.
I ended up selling the grips, since they weren’t original anyways, and almost paid for the revolver with the proceeds. I put a set of 1970’s vintage Herret target stocks on, and pulled the side plate off to clean out some grit I could feel in the action. The double action trigger pull still isn’t perfect, but the single action is very nice, and that’s how I normally shoot the gun anyways.
I’ve shot the gun several times, and it does indeed deserve the reputation as an accurate gun. I loaded up some bullets from an early Geo A. Hensley #9 wadcutter mold over a light charge of bullseye, and they shoot as well as I can, and probably better. Average groups from a rest have been a little over 1″ at 25 yards.
I have been back to the pawn shop several times since then, and I have picked up a few other gems. I’ll write more about them later, but for now, here’s the old smith. I hope I’m as good looking and functional when I’m 98 years old!
Updated model 1905 Target