New (to me) S&W 44 HE 4th change (a/k/a pre Model 24)

[FISH4BUGS]

I am like a kid in a candy shop. I just picked up a S&W 44 HE 4th change in 44 special. As far as I can tell the gun has been carried a lot (the wear in the vintage Lawrence Holster fits the gun perfectly) and shot very little.
Birth date is around 1950 give or take a bit.
I just did a deep cleaning and it actually came out rather nice.
The gun is not pristine....not even close. I'd give it a 90% bluing with the cylinder thinning. Not even the original grips are on it. The barrel has holster wear and the bluing in the high places is worn. It has been carried a ton but no way abused. The screws are perfect.
IT IS A SHOOTER.....and shoot it I will. H&G #503 w/ 5.5 gr WW231. I may bump them up a bit and see how zippy I can make 44 specials. But once I get that experiment out of the way, I will go back to my 5.5 gr loads.
I am tickled to say the least.

Attachment 214310 Attachment 214311

[Dpmsman]

Color me green with envy! I love the actions on those older Smith’s. Just beautiful revolvers. Congrats

[Thin Man]

If you do not already have a Lyman mold #429421, get one. This mold is for the 255 grain SWC pattern. Next you will need a pound (or 3) of Unique. Load 44 Special brass with 7.0 grains of Unique over a standard large pistol primer and seat the above boolit on top. Then get ready to smile at the pure fun this load will bring you. Enjoy, and congratulations for finding a jewel of a revolver.

[FISH4BUGS]

Color me green with envy! I love the actions on those older Smith’s. Just beautiful revolvers. Congrats

Thanks and I agree. I collect (and shoot them all) early Colts and S&W's and the actions in either of those guns (pre mid 60's anyway) are like glass.
I have an early S&W Model 28 (about 1962) and a S&W pre 29 (1956) that you would swear the actions have been worked over. They haven't. They are just that way from the factory.
Those were the days of great craftsmanship and quality....and they are real treat to shoot.
It has been fun working up a cast bullet load for all these guns. It is even more fun to take them to the range and shoot them.

[FISH4BUGS]

If you do not already have a Lyman mold #429421, get one. This mold is for the 255 grain SWC pattern. Next you will need a pound (or 3) of Unique. Load 44 Special brass with 7.0 grains of Unique over a standard large pistol primer and seat the above boolit on top. Then get ready to smile at the pure fun this load will bring you. Enjoy, and congratulations for finding a jewel of a revolver.

I tend to keep my casting and reloading simple - my go to 44 caliber mould is a 4 cavity Hensley & Gibbs #503 - the Keith designed bullet at roughly the same weight and design as the #429421.
I actually DO have a Lyman single cavity 429421 that some day I will have hollow pointed by Erik Ohlen @ Hollowpointmold.com. He does wonderful work.
As for powders, I stick with Winchester powder - 231 for standard loads, 296 for magnum loads and 748 for 223 and 308.
My guns are certainly capable of shooting better that I can ever do. My load of 5.5 gr 231 is a nice light load as is your suggestion.
I agree - this is a jewel of a revolver and I feel very fortunate to have snagged it.

[rintinglen]

That there is a gun I would have loved to buy. And own. And Shoot. Congratulations on a swell find.

[Thumbcocker]

Drool. It is your gun and your business; but you might want to go with standard pressure loads out of respect for the age of the gun. 8.0 of power pistol under your 503 will get over 900 fps and still keep standard pressures. If you want more than that use a magnum gun.

[Preacher Jim]

I have had its twin for years best I have ever owned. you will love that toy

[FISH4BUGS]

Drool. It is your gun and your business; but you might want to go with standard pressure loads out of respect for the age of the gun. 8.0 of power pistol under your 503 will get over 900 fps and still keep standard pressures. If you want more than that use a magnum gun.

Oh I certainly will. I agree wholeheartedly.
I have been around long enough to understand what happens with a steady diet of heavy loads in ANY gun.
I have owned an early 1970s S&W 3" Model 36 (my carry gun) for some 30 years that has probably 10,000 rounds though it (H&G #51 w/ 4.0 gr ww231) and it still locks up tight as a drum.
If I want to shoot magnums, the 5 screw pre 29 is what that is for....although I keep those to a minimum. I must be turning into a weenie in my old age.
My typical plinking 44 magnum load is the H&G #503 with 8.5 gr WW231...maybe 1150 fps. Not a whole lot more than the top 44 specials.
This gun is to be a shooter and I can assure you that it will be taken care of. No full house loads steady diet.
I consider myself lucky to have been in the right place at the right time with the money to buy it.

[FISH4BUGS]

Took the pre 24 to the range and shot 100 rounds through it. Cast with H&G # 503's and loaded with 5.5 gr WW231......very nice light load. I shot all 50 yard off hand and shot at orange pieces of clay targets laid out on the berm. (Am I the only one that likes to see dirt move rather than punch holes in paper?)
I can't say I hit all of them all of the time but the vast majority of the shots were pretty darn close. Minute of beer can at 50 yards works for me.
Single action let off is very nice, light and crisp. Double action is smooth and not very heavy all the way through let off.
It feels like an action job but it is actually typical of the quality of the factory hand fitting work in the early 1950's. Those days are long gone sad to say.
The Altamont grips bit into the palm of my hand a bit. I am shooting nice light 44 specials and I am not happy with that but i think some Pachmayrs are in order. I called Altamont for suggestions on what to do with these grips but no return call yet.
The gun cleaned up great and there was not even a hint of leading anywhere on the gun. 231 is not a clean powder but hey - cleaning your guns is part of the deal.
Overall I am very happy with it and very much looking forward to casting more #503's and loading more 44 specials.
It is a real treat to shoot with this almost 70 year old big bore Smith.

[Drm50]

I have 2, m24-3s both 6". I shoot nothing but WCs and Unique in mine. Ones NIB with fixins, I
would like to find a 44HE at a reasonable price in high condition shooter. The only thing I could
never figure out is why guys go out of their way to get 38sp, 44sp and 45Colts and the first thing
they want to do is see how much they can hot rod it. I got a S&W or two and never abuse the guns by trying to make magnums out of them. Even the magnums I don't go crazy on. I have
old Ruger SAs to shoot hunting loads.

[FISH4BUGS]

Good luck at finding a high condition shooter. If/when you do it will be big bucks. I saw a NIB 44 HE made in 1950 go for $3500 recently....3 T's and perfect. Not even turned and impossible to upgrade ever....and that did not include the buyer's premium.
The only way I am prevented from shooting any of my guns is if they are NIB. I have been collecting too long to forget that a gun that has been fired cannot be sold as NIB and bring the high prices.
I bought this gun because i COULD shoot it and I would not hesitate to do so. Honest wear with about 90% bluing left, not even original grips.
I have 500 44 specials loaded with nice light loads. Like you say, if I want to shoot magnums I can do that with the magnums....a 1960's Model 28 357 and a 1956 5 screw pre 29....even then I don't shoot a lot of them.
If I want to push the 44 specials to top performance I have a Ruger GP100 3" 5 shot 44 special that will take everything I put in it. That is the gun that got me started on the 44 special kick and probably will wind up as trading material.
I'll keep the loads light in the Smith. Frankly without a chrono I can only guess and watch for flattening primers.

[Dale53]

FISH4BUGS;
Congratulations on a great catch! I am a big fan of the .44 Special and have several. They are a superb choice for both the Range and in the Field. My favorite field load is 7.5 grs. Of Unique behind the Mihec version of the H&G #503. This will give you about 950 fps.

However, I have also come to enjoy 4.0 grs. of Red Dot behind a 200 gr. dbl. ended W/C from a Group Buy mold.

Here’s raising a glass to this old favorite!

Dale53

[pmer]

I was just shooting 44 special in my model 29-10 using boolits from one of Mihec's 503 moulds. From a group buy that Dale53 ran some years ago. They weigh 261 grain's ready load. 4.7 Titegroup, 7.2 Hs6, we're excellent. 6.9 Unique was great but a little sticky to extract but 6.6 Unique had all the holes touching each other!

Couldn't argue with any of the targets. Congratulations on a getting a shootable collector 44 special.

[lightman]

That’s a nice pistol. I wish I had bought more “N” frame Smiths when they were affordable.

[Frank V]

I am like a kid in a candy shop. I just picked up a S&W 44 HE 4th change in 44 special. As far as I can tell the gun has been carried a lot (the wear in the vintage Lawrence Holster fits the gun perfectly) and shot very little.
Birth date is around 1950 give or take a bit.
I just did a deep cleaning and it actually came out rather nice.
The gun is not pristine....not even close. I'd give it a 90% bluing with the cylinder thinning. Not even the original grips are on it. The barrel has holster wear and the bluing in the high places is worn. It has been carried a ton but no way abused. The screws are perfect.
IT IS A SHOOTER.....and shoot it I will. H&G #503 w/ 5.5 gr WW231. I may bump them up a bit and see how zippy I can make 44 specials. But once I get that experiment out of the way, I will go back to my 5.5 gr loads.
I am tickled to say the least.

Attachment 214310 Attachment 214311

Ohhhhhhh first congratulations.
That's a great catch those haven't been made in a very long time & I think are possibly the apex of factory handguns. Fit & finish are likely as good as it will ever get. Enjoy that gun it's a beauty. The holster is a great classic too enjoy both.
Thanks for sharing many happy shooting sessions.

[FISH4BUGS]

Ohhhhhhh first congratulations.
That's a great catch those haven't been made in a very long time & I think are possibly the apex of factory handguns. Fit & finish are likely as good as it will ever get. Enjoy that gun it's a beauty. The holster is a great classic too enjoy both.
Thanks for sharing many happy shooting sessions.

Thanks for the kind words.
There really IS something special about pre-1960's era S&W's and Colts. The workmanship is superb and the actions are like glass. I also shoot a 1956 5 screw pre 29 44 mag that is also a shooter. This one has about 98% blue and replacement grips, so it is a shooter. No case and tools.
Likewise with the mid 50's Colt Officer's Match 38....smooth as glass and uber accurate.
I guess we are building guns today with the mass market in mind, and not quality. To get this kind of quality requires a custom build and LOTS of money.