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Went to a gunshow yesterday in Columbus Ga (at Ft. Benning right now) and a gentleman had a pistol marked 'armand swinson' so I took a look at it. He wants 1200 OBO. I got the impression he was told that AS was the builder but also that his name was on the ambi-safety and I doubt he knew that those safety's were sold to others. The pistol definitely looks period, it's a polished blue slide and hard chrome frame. The 30lpi checkering is definitely hand cut and looks similar to pictures I have seen of AS guns. The lowered and faired ejection port also look similar but I have seen some variation between different AS guns in this area. The pistol has a milled in SW adj site except on AS guns I have always seen them milled to the very back of the slide but on this one the site is milled in a little in front of the back of the slide not the very back end if you know what I mean and I have never seen an AS milled like this. If I remember right the front site is more like a post than a ramp also. The bushing is the original collett style and I couldn't tell if the barrel had been welded up or not. I took it apart and looked under the slide etc but could not find any markings. Was there a particular area that AS marked his guns and were some ever just not marked? It also has the standard series 70 hammer and grip safety but looks like the hammer may have been slightly modified like some material was taken off the underside but the spur was not shortened.

I saw the same gun, and I passed on it. The guy just didn't give me a warm and fuzzy

I still have a Swenson that Armand made for me in the seventies. In all, I have probably owned ten or twelve of them.
He usually marked A. D. Swenson and either Gardena,Ca, ----- Ca.(before he moved to Fallbrook and finally, Fallbrook, Ca.above the serial number but, once, I saw it on the inside. He also scribed the owners name in the inside of the dust cover. inside. The K-38 sights I have seen always had a small retaining pin in the front with an initial which was the first initial of the owner. The trimming of the hammer spur was something he often did to his guns. The other real indicator that a gun was done by Armand Swenson would be his barrel positioning lug in the back of the ejection port.He did not like two tone guns but, I have seen a couple. Real Swenson guns are worth more and before spending serious money, I would want to see the paperwork or have it authenticated in some way. Too moany people think that a Swenson safety means it is a Swenson. If you can get photos, I will take a look at them for you. Good luck, Bill

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NRA ENDOWMENT LIFE
SWENSON BOBCAT 45, SWENSON COMBAT COMMANDER 45(built for me), TUSSEY JR 45, VOLKMANN LWCC 45
S&W 37 Peruvian PIP

Thanks for the reply PJ and Bill, it likely was not a Swenson gun after doing a little more research and looking at more photos. Thanks for the replies.