Identity and Date of Manufacture of S&W Revolvers

[Radagast]

phinfan:
Between 1957 (serial number 125000) & 1962 (serial number 295000)

[UPTactical]

You are amazing man thanks!!! It looks like mine is 1968-1969, it has the concave latch and checkering arround the grip screws. This is actually my first wheel gun, I am a semiauto guy and I have never really given revolvers the time of day, well my view has changed that is for sure, I love this little gun and I find it replacing my H&K P7PSP often times for EDC. I am now thinking of getting a Model 360PD so I can carry more powerful +P rounds ore even .357's but not likely.

[Garzavalwolf]

Radagast, thanks so much for the information.

[phinfan]

Thank you very much, Radagast.

[taxifolia]

I also posted this in generic "Revolvers":

Recently purchased a pristine Smith 64-5, 3” barrel, original box. Box has handwriting “Sold (name)” and I believe price “349.95”. My seller bought from estate of 100’s of guns and believed unfired (I fired it yesterday). He also said the name on box is original owner (I’m not sure if that was the estate). My gunsmith confirmed – unfired. I called S&W and was told DOB 1990. Posted on THR and Radagast said late ’89 or early ’90.

I saw on I think either THR or S&W forum a post of a Smith with pic of etched number (maybe 689) on yoke. Reply was that the etched number might indicate that Smith was from a security firm.

Mine also has etched number on yoke (309) that looks very similar in etching process. Any ideas if this does indicate “security firm” ? My hunch is no, due to estate history of mine, unfired, original box, etc..

Thanks.

[Radagast]

Taxifolia:
Numbers on the yoke are usually assembly numbers stamped there by the factory to track parts during the assembly process. I'm not aware of S&W using an etching process for this. It is possible the gun was bought but not used by a security company.

[saaman]

Smith & Wesson K22 Combat Masterpiece
a) caliber .22 long rifle
b) bbl length (from cylinder to muzzle) 4 inch
c) grips shape (round or square) Square
d) number of shots/cylinder bores: 6 shot
e) type of sights. Adjustible
f) serial number, K1707xx
g) Model number if it is under the crane. none
Thanks for your help!

[Radagast]

saaman:
Your K22 Combat Masterpiece was manufactured in 1952. In 1957 the K22 Combat Masterpiece was designated the Model 18.Yours is an early version as manufacture started in 1949.

[wrs840]

S&W M64-5
.38SPL
4 inch bbl
Grips are "The Patchmayr Gripper"... Are these aftermarket or original to this gun?
6 shot
Fixed sights
s.n. BDT6407

I just bought this today. Presumed Police-trade. Thanks in advance.

Les

[Radagast]

wrs840:
April 1989. Per the Standard Catalog of S&W synthetic grips were introduced in 2002. I have a set of Pachmayer Grippers for my model 66, they are an aftermarket product.

[wrs840]

Thanks!

[ssyoumans]

Picked up my grandfather's S&W j-frame this weekend and like everyone else, wanted to know the vintage..

a) 38 S&W SPL.
b) 1 7/8"
c) round
d) 5 shot
e) fixed
f) 143xx

Also, what does the other number mean? P 65595 appears on the frame and on the part that swings out attached to the frame (not the cylinder).

Thanks!

[Radagast]

ssyoumans:
If 143xx is taken from the bottom of the grip frame and there is no letter prefix, then your gun was made between 1950 & 1952 and is one of the first manufactured. It is possibly a transitional model with a small trigger guard and may have extra value to a collector.
P65595 is an assembly number, stamped on fitted parts at the factory to track them during the assembly process. It is irrelevant once the gun has been shipped.
The part that swings the cylinder away from the frame is called the yoke (S&W terminology) or crane (Colt terminology). The cut out in the frame that the yoke sits in is called (rather obviously) the yoke cut out or the crane cut out.
Your gun a Chiefs Special (designated the Model 36 in 1957).

[PT1911]

damn Radagast.... thanks for the information on my, and al the other's, guns.

[cyclopsshooter]

Radagast, I wish there was something we could do for you-

I have two this time, both the same:
Mode
a) 38 SPL.
b) 4"
c) square
d) 6 shot
e) fixed
f) 1D476XX and 1D934XX
g) both are 64-3's

[Radagast]

cyclopshooter:
1979 to 1980. Serial range for those years was 1D45001 to 1D99999, so I would guess you have one in each year. The 64-3 was produced from 1977 to 1988.

[Jermz1987]

Here is mine, any info on its birth date would be greatly appreciated.


a) 357 magnum
b) 2.5" Model 66-3
c) square
d) 6 shot
e) adjustable
f) BFU7351

[Radagast]

Jermz1987:
The 66-3 was introduced in 1986 and continued in production until 1994. Yours was made between August 1990 (BFFxxxx) & January 1991 (BFWxxxx).

[Jermz1987]

Thank you!

[ssyoumans]

Thanks.. I uploaded an image of the revolver.

[Jake Chandler]

Dan Wesson Arms
Model 15 (no dash)
4" barrel
.357 mag
solid rib
high gloss blue
Address on frame Monson MA.
Serial # 3418**
square butt

Any info/history would be appreciated.
Thank you

[Radagast]

Jake Chandler:
Dan Wesson Arms is a different company to Smith & Wesson. I don't have a reference book for them. I suggest you start a new thread in the revolver section, you are more likely to get an answer from a fellow Dan Wesson owner that way.

[Radagast]

ssyoumans:
Definitely an early model J frame. It appears to have the smaller trigger guard, I would need to see a side on pic without the pen in the way.
It has the ramped front sight so it's not worth as much as the very early guns with a half moon front sight
The grips appear to be original to the gun. If you have a pair of later manufactured J frame grips, see if they fit. If they are a little too long then you have one of the earliest guns with an I frame grip frame with the J frame cylinder.

Regardless, you have a very good condition, very early Chiefs Special with family history, value as a collectors piece and it's still a worthy self defence firearm.

[caswellboss]

Ladies and Gent~
My father passed a couple years ago and I obtained a handgun from his estate. No interest in selling it. Tried to follow the posts and got lost and overwhelmed as well. Looks like ya''ll are real sharp so I'll try to share what info I see hoping you can help identify and value this arm as well as advise ammo to use.
S&W
butt ser. no. 6469XX (matches cylinder and under barrel)
hand ejector
6 shot
has the little retainer under the barrel for the ejector plunger rod?
half moon front sight w/ grrove in the back
double action
S&W emblem on left side looking from the rear and above
Top of barrel:
Smith&WessonSpringfieldMass.USA
PatentedFeb.6.06Sept.14.09Dec.29.14
Smith&Wesson on left of barrel
38 S.&W. Special CTG on right of barrel
grips are shorted than some I have seen and terminate with a S&W emblem in a penny sized round shape. The actual S&W emblem is the diameter of a fat kindergarden pencil.
Grip is knurled with a diamond around the screw hole
4" barrel I believe, not knowing just where to measure

Very Respectfully,
Cas

[Radagast]

caswellboss:

You have a S&W .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1905 4th Change, probably manufactured in 1934. (The Standard Catalog of S&W notes that in 1934-35 the Coast Guard bought 25 of this model, starting at serial number 646994.) If your gun is a coast guard gun then it will have some collectors value.

Barrel length is measured from the forcing cone in front of the cylinder to the muzzle. Standard barrel lengths include 4, 5 & 6 inches.

If your gun has a round butt (bottom of the grip frame curves in instead of flaring out) then it is rather rare and doubles in value. The square butt grips of that time were quite small, lacking the horns of timber that rise to the top of the grip frame that are common today, so you may be looking at a pair of the old style square butt grips with a rounded top, rather than a round butt gun.

Any standard velocity .38 Special ammunition will be fine, plus P ammunition should be OK as well as it is only 10% higher than the current pressure standard. Do not use +P+ ammunition as this may have pressure levels in the .357 magnum range - there is no industry standard for +P+. Your gun was manufactured after the introduction of heat treating of cylinders around 1919, so ammunition is not a worry.

Your gun does have an internal hammer block safety, but this can fail. There was a fatality with a dropped gun in 1944, which lead to the development of the current style of positive hammer block. It carried or kept loaded it would be prudent to leave empty the chamber under the hammer.

If you are curious and willing to pay the $50 fee, Roy Jinks, S&W's factory historian will look up the original shipping records and send you a letter stating the date it was shipped, the address it was shipped to and the configuration it left the factory in. Call S&W for more info.