[cannon4u]

so this piece started off as a heavily modified Smith that belonged to an old school Sheriff in Louisiana. He had hands like an ape and carried this piece as his main handgun....no one messed with him!

I sent it off to have a gunsmith smooth out all the kinks and rough edges. I don't carry it but I like playing with it and showing it off. I use it as a "Texas BBQ Gun."

pic link: http://i40.tinypic.com/25sq6va.jpg

I found an old school holster that dates pretty close to the guns time-frame. The knife was made in the same year as the Smith. Grips by Grasshorn (I aged them in tea).

When I got it, the sight bar had been completely removed and it didn't even have a front sight. It came with a pair of pretty scraggly wood grips and none of the cut lines were uniform or straight. I sent it to a capable Smith with instructions of just cleaning everything up...the pistol also had been modified to double-action only.

The front sight shotgun bead was another old school policeman's idea and I thought it might be kinda cool....so viola!

additional pic: http://i44.tinypic.com/2urs3yo.jpg

Cheers.


*yes, I know: the gun is dangerous...I shouldn't carry it...its a lawyer magnet...I am liable to shoot my pinky toe off...why would someone do this to a nice gun...Only Colt (Henry Fitzgerald) did "Fitz guns".

As a 42 year old, my "modern friends" kinda chide me about the books in my library as written by Fitzgerald, Cooper, Skelton, Sykes, Gaylord, Applegate, Jordan, Askins, Keith, McGovern, Hamer, Gonzales, etc....But these guys are MY heros!

 

[Bearbait in NM]

Cannon,

Rather than Hail Mary's for your transgression, whack yourself on the noddle 10 times with that little "device" pictured with the revolver and go in fear of not being chided by the ignorant.


I always thought the Fitz's would have been carried in something less "duty" than the holster pictured. Perhaps the pocket or IWB. Maybe you have the scoop on how the Sheriff carried that gun. Pretty cool, all the way around.

Craig

 

[Oyeboten]

How nice!


However...this is a 'Pocket' Revolver, not a Holster Revolver.


Here is a similar one -

The purpose of these modifications are for the Revolver to be carried in one's front Pants Pocket or in the side Pocket of a Jacket or Coat.

Is yours a 'Model 36'? ( It would be stamped inside the Crane Hinge area ).

 

[Cruiser RN]

They sure do look nice but I would not have the intestinal fortitude to carry one.Enjoy and stay safe....Mike

 

[Wyatt Burp]

What a great little gun. You didn't mention it, but it looks like Oyboten is right that it's a 5 shot 36 squarebutt. Oh, and nice aging on those grips. I bought a pair of elks for a Colt SAA from a guy who sold them on G.B. and he aged them a little. Your's are darker and match the gun nicely.

 

[cannon4u]

Haha...yea I was ready for the grunts and growns from the Board. The funny thing is while doing my research on the piece, I harked back to the originator of the Colt ones, Mr. Fitzgerald himself...from doing basic net research from the 1930's to today I am unable to find one single instance of an accidental discharge (AD) or issue caused by the cut out trigger guard. Oh you will hear loads of "experts" say how dangerous it is and that his cousins next door neighbor's buddy shot his pecker off with one BUT I sure can't find a solid record of it posted. It was just a different time back then (even through the early 1960's there are example of lawmen doing it), we know it is unsafe today BUT it is kind of a interesting chapter and verse in gun lore. I am a CCW, a FFL and SOT and I wouldn't carry it BUT between you and me I show it off sometimes at the range and it does get its share of oogling and admiring glances. Heck the trigger pull is so dang hard on the thing I really can't see it being any more unsafe than a Glock.


re: S&W Model 36, squarebutt .38 special. *made around 1966.

 

[Oyeboten]

Anyway, I really like your S&W there cannon4u..!

What a cool find and a neat bit of real History!


The little S & W Model 36 made for a very nice Pocket Gun when modified in this way.


I also have never found one authentic account of any mis-adventure with the 'open' Trigger Bow or Trigger Guard.

One draws with one's middle finger around the Frame below the Ejector.


Some of the advantage is one can be standing, one Hand casually in one' Pants Pocket, and, talking or whatever, and, at the same time, be prepared to draw, should the need arise, and, with nothing to give away one's readiness.

I have a second S & W 'Chief's Special' modified this same way, which supposedly belonged to a NYC Detective in the early 1950s. It is a 3 digit, pre-36, but it is not handy and I do not know whare I may have put any images of it.

These modifications were much more widely known and practiced back when, ( 1930s through 1960s )
than they are to-day.

The one shown in my post above, I did the modifications to in 1988 or so, shortening the Grip to make it ride well and discretely in the front pocket of ordinary Levi 501s.

I was riding my Motocycle all the time then, and this was my Carry for that.

The open Trigger Bow also made it easier to manage the little Revolver while wearing Riding Gloves.


The "5 Screw" Era of the S & W Revolvers, made the open Trigger Bow a little less elegent, since the 'fifth' Screw was sort of in the way of the upper area there.

Once S & W abandoned the 'fifth' Screw, their general line up of Revolvers then, instantly became much more suitable for the modification.


I have been brooding for some time now on getting a cosmetically 'beat' but good Mechanicals, S & W Model 10-5 Snubby, and, doing the mods to it.

Too big for Levi 501 front pockets, but, other brands of Work Denims have deeper or more ample Pockets, which one can re-inforce to hold up alright with the weight and down-muzzle of the Revolver...and, would still be a very nice way to go for Coat or Jacket Pockets which have enough room for it.

The six Shot Model 10 being a little heavier is a lot more friendly to the Hand when using Buffalo Bore or 'FBI Load' Cartridges, than is the little Model 36 or Chief's Special...allowing better follow up shots to be more precisely 'On Target' with less delay or effort from managing recoil.