Picked up a pre-war Heavy Duty yesterday.

[Checkman]

I was at a local pawn shop yesterday and I came across a pre-war Heavy Duty with a 5" barrel. In very good condition. Bore very clean. Timing good and no endshake. Service hammer and diamond magna grips. All the serial numbers match. Except for the magna grips which are post war though possibly they are from 1946 if I understand the Standard Catalog of Smith & wesson 3rd Edition. The pawnshop asking $400 for it. Naturally I had to get it. Serial number is 526**. The serial number list in the catalog shows that it was manufactured in 1938. Might be worth paying for a factory letter.
The pawnshop owner told me that I was the only customer to show an interest in it since he had put out on display a few days before. That was lucky because he gets some nice pieces in sometimes and eventually another S&W fan would have walked in and scarfed it up. For once that lucky guy was me. Also (for once) I had plenty of money in my Savings/Toy Account to cover the cost.
What is really incredible is that I have never come across either a Heavy Duty or it's counterpart the Outdoorsman in a store anywhere in Idaho. Others have told me that they've had similar bad luck in my state when looking for a 38-44 Smith & Wesson, either a pre-war (WWII) or a post-war. Guess it just goes to show that sometimes it's all a matter of timing and dumb luck.
I thought it was bad when I got hooked on Model 28's and the 586. That was nothing compared to this desire for the 38/44 revolvers.

A couple pictures.

[FrostShell]

Very cool. And that does look great for being such an old gun.

[madcratebuilder]

Good score. I would have jumped on that for $400 bucks.

[Hammer Down]

Hello Checkman
Nice Catch. Now get ya a Target sighted brother to it, The Outdoorsman Model. Here is mine Hammerdown

[Checkman]

Got one already. Model of 1950. Shipped from the factory in August of 1953. Here is the link to the S&W forum. You can read all about my Outdoorsman and how I got hold of it.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-han...fd-1953-a.html

[Hammer Down]

Originally Posted by Checkman

Got one already. Model of 1950. Shipped from the factory in August of 1953.

Hello Checkman
Very Nice. These Post-War Outdoorsman's are not easy to Locate. Mine shipped in 1951. It is no safe queen but can handle anything one can load in it in .38 Special Caliber. We Have Elmer Keith to Thank for the Birth of The HD and Target sighted model Outdoorsman's that would Handle the Extra High Velocity ammo they were designed for. He was working on a proven bullet design for them back in 1934 that he Him self designed. In that same time span, Philip Sharp worked closely with him , and asked him to design a bullet that would work in the Then Experimental .357 Magnum. Keith did design the .357 Magnum lead bullets with his special angled sealing crimping surfaces, but later when Doug Wesson sent Winchester Western a modified special heat Treated Outdoorsman to Test the experimental .357 Magnum Cartridge Winchester Modified Keith's Bullet design making it a copper Jacketed style bullet, changing Keith's design, By dropping one of the crimp surfaces and marketed it for the .357 Magnum. Later Lyman would design a Bullet Mold for the Keith style Bullets, but They Too left off one of the angled crimping rings that Keith had designed into his Bullets. Keith always complained that Lyman had left off his extra crimping surface in their Bullet molds and claimed they were not as effective or accurate as his initial design...Many Bullet Mold makers of today, claim to be selling Molds made after Elmer Keith's bullet design, but they are not exact to his original design and this makes me think they wanted to Modify the design to keep from paying Elmer Keith any Royalties off his Original Bullet design, Leaving off the extra crimping ring surface that Keith claimed Cut the Velocity and sealing effect of the bullet & Keith often expressed his displeasure of the Bullet Makers and Bullet Mold companies for doing this... Hammerdown