Handguns and Ammunition Forum banner

Meet the SMOLT

16K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  Drill Sergeant  
#1 ·
A few days ago I was gun shopping and stopped into a local pawn shop (LPS) where I saw some interesting S&W revolvers including two Mod 25-5s and to my amazement... something I had heard of way back when but had never seen in real life... much less actually held in my hand... a SMOLT.

What is a SMOLT you ask? A SMOLT is a hybrid revolver, that enjoyed some popularity in the 1960s and 1970s that was made by fitting a S&W .357 Magnum revolver frame and cyl with a Colt's 357 Python barrel... thus S&W+Colt = SMOLT. :\ I didn't think it up folks... I just report it... :smooch: These guns more or less ruled the PPC courses in those days... and had a reputation for extreme accuracy.

This gun was built on a S&W Model 13-1 frame, and had S&W target sights fitted to the gun along with the Colt's barrel.

I found the gun interesting, but I had no idea of what it might be worth or as much detail on the SMOLT as I would have liked to have. Whne I got home I did some research.

This morning, on the way home from a medical appointment this morning, I passed the pawn shop with the SMOLT. I took the opportunity to examine the gun more closely...

So, what I found was a S&W Model 13-1 (fairly uncommon in it's self) that had been fitted very expertly with S&W adjustable sights, target hammer and trigger and of course a Python barrel. The work is very well done, and the barrel very well mated to the S&W frame.


Image


Image


The down side? The gun apparently had been left in a holster for a long time as a result it has some rust patches... which will have to be dealt with in the future by Ford's which is not too far from here.

LEFT VIEW

Image


RIGHT VIEW

Image


Unfortunately I can find no indication of who did the work on the gun... so history is pretty much unknown.

The gun came with a set of goodyear grips on it... ugly to say the lest... I was happy to give them to the LPS owner... maybe he can get a few bucks for them. When I got home I took a look in my stock drawers and came up on a set of S&W K frame Goncolo Alves target stocks I had bought to restore... wood is fine, finish is worn... which about matches the condition of the SMOLT... so on they went.

Image


So, Whilst this gun has seen a lot of use... and at some point was neglected the barrel is in very good shape and it is quite tight and has an excellent trigger pull. I have quite a bit of cleaning etc. to do on the old gun... but I'm betting this gun will be an excellent shooter... range report to follow.

Oh, forgot... one other bit of good news? The LPS had had the gun for nearly three years... the owner told me I was the second person to know what it is... AND they REALLY wanted to get rid of it... so for a really good price it came home with me... :cool: :))

More to come...

V/r

Chuck
 
#2 · (Edited)
CXM,

I love those! I have only seen maybe 2 Smolts in all my time. I was seriously thinking of having one made when the S&W 686 came out. There was some question as to whether or not a Smolt would float at work, so I went with the 686, which torned out to be a totally satisfactory weapon, if not quite as sexy. It would look amazing with a Ford's blue job.

I hope that the weather and other factors facilitate a range report soon. I am jealous.
 
#4 ·
Hello Chuck,

Indeed a "rare" and very nice find! While I've read something about them over the years, I have honestly never seen one "up close and personal". I think that it is neat that the LPS wanted to sell it at a good price to you since you were one of the few that actually knew what a "SMOLT" is....

A range report on this find would be so definitely interesting...I will be staying tuned in on this thread...

Congratulations and Best,

Chris
 
#6 ·
Thanks gents I'm hopeful it will be a useful gun.

Chris, the price was so good I could not pass it up... less than the price of a well used model 10 and less than half of his asking price which he had marked down several times previously... in short it was "El Cheapo."

Everything I am hearing says it should shoot well... hope I can find out next week.

FWIW

Chuck
 
#7 ·
I had forgotten all about those it has been so long. The say the colt barrel was more accurate than the smith but the smith had the superior double action. A little surprised to see one made up on a 13 instead of a 10 or 15. Those were not allowed for the distinguished match as not being factory but were perfectly suited for the unlimited gun 1500 match. A real neat part of revolver competition history. Congratulation on slipping up on that one.
 
#8 ·
Just speculation here, but back in the 1970s S&W revolvers were scarce indeed and the Mod 19s were even harder to get... the mod 15 only somewhat less hard to find... So I would think the M13 was used because they could not find/get a Mod 19 or 15.

Merry Christmas to all.

V/r

Chuck
 
#14 ·
The late Jim Cirillo had a S&W Model 57 with a Dan Wesson barrel. He wrote an article about it in the eighties (I believe) and it was reprinted in his book "Guns, Bullets and Gunfights" which I believe is still in print. The book is mostly reprints of his old articles, but it isn't a bad read.