#349 - S&W Mod. 15-2

This new arrival may not be collectible to the purists since it is not in it's original factory shipped configuration...It appeals to me because it has character, has been well cared for and cherished, plus it has a backstory which can only be guessed at...This makes it a survivor just like the many collectors who savor these older guns...Mike Helms of the S&WHF confirmed to me it was shipped June 1965 with a two inch barrel...At some point in its history the barrel grew to a six inch...Pending a letter to confirm any details, at this moment it is configured for target use with R/R and W/O adjustable sights with the front sight on a pinned Baughman base...Models 15 with 2" barrels have always been shipped with black sights in my limited experience, and this suggests the rear sight may have come from the same donor gun as the barrel...It also has a wide target hammer and wide target trigger which I have never seen factory shipped on a 2" gun...The barrel bears a special interest as it is configured as a heavy barrel with proud pins holding the Baughman base, likely of an earlier vintage than the frame...The pins show no sign of having been moved since original installation at the factory...There are no service marks nor service codes on the gun to suggest any of the work was done at the factory service department...There is a factory trigger overtravel stop which I have known to be installed on 2" guns before original factory shipment...

This is a very interesting gun to me, and will be lettered at my earliest opportunity...It came to me wearing nice hardwood target grips imported from the Thailand aftermarket...I prefer original S&W stocks on all my guns and have replaced these with walnut S&W target stocks bearing black washers and diamonds around the escutcheons as I believe may be correct for that era of shipment...These have been darkened somewhat with a mahogany stain...The photos immediately following are pre-cleanup views of the bare grip frame and replacement stocks...More pics after a trip through Dunkin Gunwash...