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Pizza Bob

Smith & Wesson Heritage Series Revolvers

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Just after the turn of the 21st century the S&W Performance Center manufactured a series of revolvers in partnership with some of their distributors and other vendors. These were not replicas or reproductions, but rather a homage to those revolvers of the first half of the 20th century. All but one model were done in classic revolver calibers – those being .38 S&W Special, .44 S&W Special and .45 Colt. The one non-classic, but iconic, caliber was .44 Remington Magnum. Also as a tribute to the Model of 1917, .45 ACP models were included. The Heritage Series were done in limited numbers, with issues running from as low as 102 guns to a maximum of 327.

The largest purveyor of these was the distributor Lew Horton. There was also a run of Model 25’s for the distributor Sports South. Contributing vendors were Doug Turnbull Restorations, who did the real color case hardening of the frames on some models, and Altamont, the supplier of the stocks, most of which were, what are called, Legacy Panels – finely checkered minimal stocks with outstanding grain.

The majority of these guns were delivered in gold cardboard boxes with blue metal reinforced corners. These were similar to the boxes used during the early 20th century and bore the likenesses of Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson on the lid. Some of the early production guns were delivered in Performance Center aluminum cases rather than the gold boxes.

There were three finishes used on the Heritage Series guns. Not all finishes were available on all models. The finishes used were, of course, a deep lustrous blue and a shiny bright nickel. Those along with the previously mentioned Turnbull color case hardened frame that was used in conjunction with a blued cylinder and barrel.

One model was a tribute to Ed McGivern. The Model 15-9 (available in all three finishes) has a plate affixed to the gun’s side plate, commemorating his setting of a speed record, which has yet to be broken. That record is for five shots on a playing card at fifteen feet, in two-fifths of a second. He backed it up with another five shot run of nine-twentieths of a second. This was set in 1934 when McGivern was 57 years old.

These revolvers first captured my attention when I was just perusing various sites looking for revolvers chambered in .44 S&W Special – a favorite caliber of mine. I found the Lew Horton Model 24-5, with the color case hardened frame, shown here. It was from early in the production run (#25 of 327) and as such came in the PC aluminum case.

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This piqued my interest in these guns, so I started looking for others. I soon found one of the blued Sports South Model 25-10’s in .45 Colt. Unfortunately it did not have its original case, but it was an especially low number gun, being #10 of 150. It has been hard to determine what stocks this gun came with originally. It came to me wearing faux ivory Magna’s with medallions and a Tyler T-grip. In the package was also a set of the Altamont Legacy Panels, which I suspect were original to the gun. However, I have seen pictured, and referenced, Altamont Target stocks – replicas of S&W target stocks used from the 50’s to the 80’s and duplicated by Altamont for S&W on the Classic line of revolvers. Since I already have revolvers with the Legacy panels, and not in love with Altamont’s Target stocks, I went another direction and installed the set of Altamont Roper tribute grips, in Pau Ferro, that you see pictured. These are in keeping with the nature and time of the gun.

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Both of the above revolvers were built on my favorite frame – the N-frame. But there was something missing in my meager collection. What better to fill that hole than the model that was a tribute to the author of Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting, Ed McGivern, the K-frame Model 15-9. I was fortunate to find one in pristine condition, in the nickel finish, complete with gold box and all documents. This is also equipped with the Legacy Panels and was #81 of the 139 produced.

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I didn’t realize it until I was in pursuit of the 15-9, that is, there was no set design from the outset, but what I ended up with is the trifecta of revolvers. The three iconic revolver calibers (.38 / .44 / .45)  in Heritage Series, target version (adjustable rear sights) guns, in each of the three finishes available (color case hardened / blued / nickel). I think I’m done for a while.

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Just as a side note, the 24-5 came from Missouri; the 25-10 from Colorado; and the 15-9 from Massachusetts.

 

 

ADDENDUM: Well, that didn't last long , what is glaringly absent from the above is a rimfire revolver. Smith did make a Heritage Series Model 17, but a unique opportunity presented itself this past weekend - a gun auction at a local (to me) auction house. Among the offerings was a post-war (1950) K-22 revolver in excellent condition. Not quite of the period of the Heritage series, but close and genuine...

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Now, maybe I'm done - but doubtful.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

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2 hours ago, Tunaman said:

Wow.  Beautiful stuff there.  Can you tell us what they cost and what are they worth?  Sure to be a gold mine someday if not already.

Thank you, and no.

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