what a frankengun.....
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So a barrel swap is one thing but it looks like the grip frame has been cut off and replaced...
The frame has multiple non matching serial numbers???
Am I seeing that right or am I just super confused - and if it's as I describe is it legal???
What am I missing...
Mike0 -
I do not see multi serial numbers, nor can I see where the frame has been altered.If you can point out these two things in the limited pics presented I will then change my opinion of it that follows:
These conversions were very common in the early "Dirty Harry" movie days, because of these movies you could not find a model 29 so a lot of other S & N frames were converted to 44 mag. by independent gunsmiths using factory parts and or by boring out cylinders and barrels and any other work needed.
When done right they made a lot of folks very happy back then.
Now they may be worth less than if they had been unaltered, but they filled a need, and most will still be very serviceable as a hunting gun and should be able to be purchased at a reasonable price.
This to me is not a "frankengun"0 -
58's came with fixed sights too. Couldn't have been cheap to have adjustable ones milled in and DnT'd.... If they wanted a 44 I don't see how it would be cheaper to go this route. JMO. 0 -
That is a shame because its a fairly rare gun in it has a S prefix SSN and was a M58. Finding a correct barrel, grips and cylinder would get close but the adj rear sight wrecks it. The 58's only had 4" "HEAVY" Style barrels like the fat barrels on the M10 and 64.
It would be a nice shooter but thats it. Too bad.
I have a M58 and its a great shooting gun in 41 mag. Nice and handy like a big M10 only in 41. I believe all M58's were P&R combat hammer and trigger. Most were blued but some were nickle guns. The had grips specific to the guns not magna grips and are hard to find. Those grips look like smooth combat grips that came on a 686/586 no dash.
At best I would say that is a 4-500 dollar gun on the best days so its already past where I would even think of bidding.
He has another bubba gun:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/808563069
Too bad this gun also has been shaved to accept 45 acp cartridges, which he doesn't state...................too bad a nice gun butchered.0 -
58's only came with 4" barrels too... 0 -
Over on the the S&W forums, there is a thread about 3 {THREE} made in 1974 special ordered in .44mag.
One is accounted for. If this would letter as one of the other 2.........GOLD!!!!0 -
babun wrote:Over on the the S&W forums, there is a thread about 3 {THREE} made in 1974 special ordered in .44mag.
One is accounted for. If this would letter as one of the other 2.........GOLD!!!!
That it would be.....but the barrel to frame fit doesn't look to be factory.0 -
Sorry - one pic looked to me to indicate an altered grip frame but may be mistaken.
Mike0 -
It could very well be a 29 that was mis-marked as a 58 at the factory. It did happen, and I have seen a number of mis-marked Smiths.
If it were mine, I'd get a letter.0 -
nunn wrote:It could very well be a 29 that was mis-marked as a 58 at the factory. It did happen, and I have seen a number of mis-marked Smiths.
If it were mine, I'd get a letter.
Case Closed +10 -
I have a 28-2 in 45 colt. I think many were changed over during the 70's. Don 0 -
I was willing to gamble on it, that it may be a factory error, so I placed few bids, but all I did was make that other feller pay more for it than he figured. 0 -
If I'm correct, I date that gun about 1961 or so. ??????
Must be a home made .44mag.
If not......
It's crying out to be lettered!!!!0 -
nunn wrote:It could very well be a 29 that was mis-marked as a 58 at the factory. It did happen, and I have seen a number of mis-marked Smiths.
If it were mine, I'd get a letter.
Look where the barrel and frame meet and the rear sight ends toward the front of the receiver. Its not a mis-marked gun its exactly what the guy says it is a M58 frame with a M29 barrel and cylinder with adj rear sight added.0 -
That could also happen as a factory error.
Back during the bad old days, when Smith & Wessons were in high demand and short supply, and MSRP plus $100 (or more) was considered a good deal, if we cops wanted one at a reasonable price, we had to buy from a Smith & Wesson Law Enforcement Distributor. There was ONE such outlet in the whole state of Arkansas.
Guns had to be of a type a police officer would use, no target guns, no .22s, and they had to be ordered on a PD letterhead with the Chief's signature. I got my Model 66 in 1975 for $150. One of our new troops ordered a Model 66, and it came in. I had to be in Little Rock on other business, so I agreed to pick it up for him.
The salesman got the next one in the stack out of the gun room, and laid it on the counter. I opened the box to check the new gun out, and it looked STRANGE. There was no barrel lug, and the front sight was way too short for the adjustable rear sight. Hmmm.......Someone had screwed a Model 65 barrel onto a Model 66 frame.
While I was marveling at this unusual sight, and trying to figure a way to own it myself and get Joe another gun, the salesman noticed, and he snatched it from my hands as if it were made of gold. He put it back in the box and hurriedly removed it from view. I told him I might like to buy it. He said, "Sorry. The owner gets all the factory errors. He has a lot of 'em."
I also saw a Model 29 with a .41 Magnum cylinder and barrel, new from the factory. Or, was it a Model 57 with a .44 Magnum barrel and cylinder? I don't remember, but the point is, factory errors happened, especially during the time that this Model 58 was made.0
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