1975 S&W 14-3 Target Masterpiece

mr.e moose

mr.e moose

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Just got this from a estate auction. The previous owner was a free style pistol shooter along with IPSC and had a amazing collection. The double action trigger pull on this puts most of my single actions to shame.
How many of you old school revolver shooters have a action that is as smooth as this? Also what is done to achieve such a smooth trigger pull and still have a good hammer strike.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
 
Just purchased one TM 1972 with a Bomar sight from a CGNer and have to say it's a delight to shoot and makes me look good every time I take her for a spin.

Don't know if it has had any work but it's pretty special the way it is.
 
mr.e moose said:
Just got this from a estate auction. The previous owner was a free style pistol shooter along with IPSC and had a amazing collection. The double action trigger pull on this puts most of my single actions to shame.
How many of you old school revolver shooters have a action that is as smooth as this? Also what is done to achieve such a smooth trigger pull and still have a good hammer strike.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Click to expand...

I have a few really decent S&W revolvers I could brag about:

-1940 made Heavy Duty in 38 Special 5 inch pencil barrel, fixed sights
-1977 made S&W Model 25-2, 6.5 inch barrel, target sights, target trigger, target grips, 45 ACP
-1985 made S&W Model 624 in 44 Special (this one is equally accurate to my S&W Model 64-3 in 38 Special) also with a 6.5 inch barrel

Yes, IMO it's hard to beat most (Older!) Smith triggers, right out of the box. ;)
 
Brutus said:


This is the only one accessible to me as I'm in camp. I tell you this picture does not do this 25-2 any justice at all.

The deep and rich blueing finish, I would put up against any Royal blued Colt Python!! :)

the truth folks......
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Sadly the N Frames are to big for my little mitts:bangHead:
 
I have a 14-3 and love it!
Don't think I will ever sell it.

It was my first revolver so I'm spoiled right from the start with such a great action/trigger,
recently got myself a 686 that is pretty smooth but for sure not like the 14-3.

It's a shooter without the original grips and with bluing wear etc. but I don't care, my guns are all to be used, cant afford to have guns just to look at them :)

Here it is:
 
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mr.e moose said:
Just got this from a estate auction. The previous owner was a free style pistol shooter along with IPSC and had a amazing collection. The double action trigger pull on this puts most of my single actions to shame.
How many of you old school revolver shooters have a action that is as smooth as this? Also what is done to achieve such a smooth trigger pull and still have a good hammer strike.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Click to expand...

I also have a 14-3 and yes, the trigger is amazingly smooth. I have a 19-4 and a 625 (5") and they're not quite as smooth as the Model 14 even though they all measure about the same on my Timney scale. I read somewhere that the Model 14s got a little extra "fairy dust" from the S&W shop before being shipped out. How did they do it? No idea, but I expect the answer is the same as "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" A: "Practice, practice, practice!" Plus, your revolver has had a lot of natural smoothing out from use.

View attachment 218869

(Many members will recognize the dealer I got it from from the background.)
 
I have a pre model number K-38 (1957) that is a joy to shoot. I don't know if it has had work done in the past or if it's just been shot a lot. In any event...easily as good of a trigger as anything I own with the possible exception of my Manurhin MR-73
 

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pw58 said:
I just picked up a 14-3 , love the D/A trigger. What year would a 14-3 be manufactured ?
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I thought I'd posted a reply to this but apparently not!

According to a useful article on Northeast Shooters:
Model 14,15,16,17,18,48,53 (all start without dash in 1957)
-1 1959 Change to LH extractor rod thread
-2 1961 Cylinder stop changed, hole in front of trigger guard eliminated
-3 1967 Relocation of rear sight leaf screw
-4 1977 Changed gas ring from yoke to cylinder
​

I have a 14-3 as well and according to a pic I took and annotated:

View attachment 221128

Not sure where I got that DOM info. Maybe from the S&W Forum.
 
josquin said:
I thought I'd posted a reply to this but apparently not!

According to a useful article on Northeast Shooters:
Model 14,15,16,17,18,48,53 (all start without dash in 1957)
-1 1959 Change to LH extractor rod thread
-2 1961 Cylinder stop changed, hole in front of trigger guard eliminated
-3 1967 Relocation of rear sight leaf screw
-4 1977 Changed gas ring from yoke to cylinder
​

I have a 14-3 as well and according to a pic I took and annotated:

View attachment 221128

Not sure where I got that DOM info. Maybe from the S&W Forum.
Click to expand...

1967-1977 is correct for 14-3 according to my Standard Catalog of Smith&Wesson. The catalog has a useful appendix that gives DOM by serial number range. If you post your serial number ( X out the last couple of digits if you like) I can look it up for you. Mind you,that just gives the year. To get the actual date shipped and to what dealer you have to buy the letter from S&W.
 
sailor723 said:
1967-1977 is correct for 14-3 according to my Standard Catalog of Smith&Wesson. The catalog has a useful appendix that gives DOM by serial number range. If you post your serial number ( X out the last couple of digits if you like) I can look it up for you. Mind you,that just gives the year. To get the actual date shipped and to what dealer you have to buy the letter from S&W.
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Ahhhh, yes- the Standard Catalog was what I neglected to mention. Assuming there is any future in owning these terrible weapons of mass destruction :eek: I really must get one.
 
So, what is a reasonable price for a 14-! In very good condition? Some folks are saying there is a sell off of handguns but I have seen no evidence of this on the EE or in stores!
 
bobdbldr said:
So, what is a reasonable price for a 14-! In very good condition? Some folks are saying there is a sell off of handguns but I have seen no evidence of this on the EE or in stores!
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There seems to be lots of them around as they were made for so many years. I'd guess a value of 650-750....maybe a bit more for a gun with the original diamond magna grips
 
sailor723 said:
There seems to be lots of them around as they were made for so many years. I'd guess a value of 650-750....maybe a bit more for a gun with the original diamond magna grips
Click to expand...
Thanks, yes, there seems to have been a lot made, but from all accounts, the quality was kept very good! I will search for the right price and condition, want a 14- and a 17 also, perhaps later I will get a .357 and or a .44 mag.
 
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