S&W dated K-frame grips

tone59

I see the year stamped on the inside of some factory SW K-frame rosewood checkered target square butt grips.
I have also seen others without a date.
The dated ones look to be mostly from the 80s and 90s.
Can someone tell me about when the date stamping began? And whether or not a model 19-3 4in. made in 1976 would have came from the factory with dated grips.
Thank You

22hipower

I'm not sure there is a definitive answer. Most S&W target stocks I've seen have no dates, and, as you note, the ones which do are generally from the '80s/'90s. A 4 inch 19-3 could have come with target stocks but quite possibly would have had magna service stocks. By 1976 I don't think S&W was regularly stamping the sn on magna stock panels and rarely put them on target stocks. Pretty hard to tell if target stocks are original to a specific gun if they are of the style used at the time the gun was manufactured.

tone59

thanks 22hipower.
looks like the magna style were common on the 2.5in and the target on the 4in.

dcs shooters

If the 19-3 had the target hammer-trigger it came with the target stocks [;)]

MG1890

quote:Originally posted by dcs shooters
If the 19-3 had the target hammer-trigger it came with the target stocks [;)]


Agree. I have a boxed 19-3 that's triple T's.

tone59

After viewing the 84 19s up for bid on the auction side...
I believe the 4in have a sq butt with target grips.
2in a rd butt with magna type.
The 19-3(DOM 76) 4in I bought last year has pachmeyers on it.
Id like to get some factory rosewoods.
Just curious if 1976 would have been stamped inside.