Identity and Date of Manufacture of S&W Revolvers

[Radagast]

BearAZ737:
Your friend has a Model 10 .38 Military & Police or Model 12 .38 Military & Police Airweight manufactured between 1957 & 1959. Serial number range for those years was C402924 to C474148. If a steel frame then it is the Model 10, if an aluminum frame the Model 12. If there is no model number stamped under the cylinder yoke then it is a pre model 10 or pre model 12. Model numbers were assigned in 1957.
If it has an aluminum frame, check if it has an aluminum cylinder. If so it should not be shot as these are prone to cracking. The aluminum cylinder was replaced with a steel cylinder on later guns.
Value is hard to tell without pics, Say $350 in very good condition for a Model 10, $350 to $400 for a model 12.

If marked US on the backstrap or Revolver Lightweight M13 on the top strap then it could be a USAF M13 Aircrewman, valued at $2000 or so in VGC, subject to verification that it is not a Model 12 that has been re-marked (counterfeited). All M13s were ordered destroyed by the USAF as unsafe, so it's not likely it's one of these.

[BearAZ737]

You're the man Radagast!! Thank you very much

[rhoggman]

.38 S&W Special
10-5 round butt
4" bbl
SN: d37610*

[Radagast]

rhoggman:
Your Model 10-5 .38 Military & Police tapered barrel was manufactured during the period 1971-1972. Serial range for those years was D300001 to D420000.

[Rasp65]

38 Special
4" barrel
Squarebutt
6 shot
Fixed sights
C 308xxx
I think it is an M&P from around 1956.

[Damon555]

Can you give me the DOB on this one?

S&W Model 10-5
Fixed sights
.38 special

Serial # C991xxx

[Radagast]

Damon555:
Your Model 10-5 .38 Military & Police tapered barrel was probably manufactured in 1977. Serial range for 1976-77 was D870001 to D999999.

Rasp65:
Your gun falls in the period 1955-56. Serialrange for those years was C277555 to C402923.
If the frame is steel then you have a .38 Military & Police (pre model 10). If the frame is aluminum the you have a .38 Military & Police Airweight (pre model 12).

[MMCSRET]

Model 65-1, 4" HB, RB
S/N 1D137XX

[wrs840]

a) .44 Mag
b) 6" bbl
c) Square butt checkered wood grips
d) 6 shooter
e) Red ramp, adj rear notch sights
f) s.n. BHF04xx
g) Model number 29-5

Blued half-lug version. Just bought it today. Thanks in advance Radagast!

Les

[Radagast]

wrs840:
BHF04xx should date to around March to July 1991. the 29-5 was introduced in 1990 and replaced by the 29-6 in 1993, so that date seems right.

MMCSRET:
Your Model 65-1 .357 Magnum Military & Police Heavy Barrel Stainless was manufactured in 1976 or 1977, serial range for those years was 1D1 to 1D30000.

[PatronD]

For a friend:
S&W, 2" barrel, top break, hammerless, grip safety, round butt, recessed ejector, 5-shot, in 38 S&W, with serial 2474XX. Thanks

[Radagast]

PatronD:
Your friend has a .38 Safety Hammerless 5th Model, manufactured between 1907 & 1940 in the serial range 220000 to 261493. This model was also known as the Lemon Squeezer, due to the grip & grip safety resembling a kitchen tool of that era. S&W also refered to them as the 'New Departure'.
Unfortunately I can't give you a better idea of the year it was manufactured, as the Standard Catalog of S&W does not give a year by year break down of serial numbers for that model.
The two inch barrel version does bring a premium with some collectors, the SCSW notes a very good condition example selling for $660 in 2003, a superb condition version version with pearl grips for $4255 in 2005.
If the barrel is not orignal ( has been cut down) then it has no value as a collectors piece. Pics would be needed to verify condition.

[PatronD]

Radagast: My sincere thanks!

[JamesDewsbury]

Number on bottom of Butt, 499xxx and the number 'inside' next to the barrel is 50916. Any ideas?

[JamesDewsbury]

This is probably better. it is a .38 special smith and wesson.
a) caliber - .38
b) bbl length (from cylinder to muzzle) - five inches
c) grips shape (round or square) - Rounded
d) number of shots/cylinder bores - six
e) type of sights. - Not sure, it looks like a half football on a tiny pedestal. maybe?
f) serial number, and if there is a letter in front of or anywhere near the s/n on the bottom of the grip - No letter 499xxx
g) Model number if it is under the crane.
That number, if it is the s/n, should come from the butt of the grip (or under the barrel or face of the cylinder).

[Radagast]

JamesDewsbury:
You have a .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 4th Change, manufactured around 1927. I can't give you an exact year, but serial numbers in the low 500,000 range shipped in 1927, so 1927 or slightly early seems likely.

Your gun is an early version of the current Model 10 revolver. It lacks the positive internal hammer block safety introduced during WWII, so it would be prudent to leave the chamber under the hammer empty if kept loaded. There was a fatality during WWII when one of these guns fired when dropped on its hammer, resulting in the new hammer block being developed.

Your gun was manufactured after heat treating of cylinders was introduced, so it should be safe to fire with any modern factory standard velocity or PlusP ammunition. Avoid anything marked +P+ as there is no industry standard for +P+ pressure and they may be unsafe to shoot in a non magnum gun.

The front sight is a style commonly refered to as a half moon. The rear sight is a groove in the topstrap above the cylinder if it is fixed, or a notched steel leaf with an adjustment screw if it is adjustable. Most guns of that era had fixed sights.

There is no model number because model numbers were not introduced until 1957.

50916 is an assembly number, used to track parts in the factory. Assembly numbers have no meaning once the gun is completed. 499xxx is the serial number, this is the only number the factory recorded and is the number that the BATF track when tracing a gun.

If the gun has a round butt then it has some value to a collector, as these were quite rare.

[JamesDewsbury]

Rad,

You rock, thanks for finding all that information for me. I don't have the rounded butt, however, everything you said sounds great.

[dtalley]

a) caliber - .357 Mag
b) bbl length - 6"
c) grips shape - Square
d) number of shots/cylinder bores - 6
e) type of sights. - adjustable rear
f) serial number - 7K925xx
g) Model number - 19-3

Thanks in advance. You are providing a great service for us here.

[Radagast]

dtalley:
Your Model 19-3 Combat Magnum was manufactured in 1975.

[gbball98]

Can someone please date the model 28-2 I traded for today

A) .357
B) 6" bbl
C) square butt
D) 6 shoot
E) adjustable
F) serial# N518***
G) model 28-2

[Radagast]

gbball98:
Your Model 28-2 Highway Patrolman was manufactured in the period 1978 to 1980.

[rainbowbob]

A friend showed me his S&W Model 29-3 and I was surprised to see that it had a brilliant shiny black finish. He said it was "black chrome".

Never heard of black chrome...have you?

Also, can you tell me when the 29-3 was produced?

How about a ball-park value for a 4" in excellent condition with Pachmayr grips?

Thanks for any info.

[Radagast]

rainbowbob:
The 29-3 was manufactured from 1982 to 1987, when the 29-3E replaced it.

Black Chrome does exist as a plating, usually aftermarket. I've never encountered it however. I would assume it is quite durable as hard chromed firearms tend to be quite corrosion resistant.

In 2006 the Standard Catalog of S&W gave a value of $500 in excellent condition. It also notes the following:
"Chrome Finish Reported: At least two Model 29s were shipped with a chromed finish; built in the 1980s for John Jovino Cp. Aproximately three times standard value if confirmed by a factory letter.

My gut feeling is your friends gun has an aftermarket finish, which won't add to the value of the gun for resale, although in my mind it makes it more desirable as a working gun. If you do buy it and feel like spending the $50 for a factory letter there is the slim chance you will be be doing a happy dance.

[rainbowbob]

Thanks again for all you do Radagast.

At least two Model 29s were shipped with a chromed finish...

Do you think that means "black" chrome? This could be interesting if it was.

I won't be purchasing this specimen, since my friend declared it is the last gun he purchased - and may be the last gun he ever purchases. He bought it about 1990. That means it was appx 2-7 years old at the time. It was (and is) in almost new condition. It seems less likely that a previous owner would have an almost new revolver re-plated - and then sell it.

This would be worth the $50 to find out. Heck, I'm so curious now I may pay for it!

[Radagast]

rainbowbob:
The line in the SCSW makes me think that the authors have not seen one of these guns or the shipping records for it either, so I guess it is possible that they were black chrome, but I wouldn't count on it.

I'd be interested to know myself, so if you do letter it and it turns out to be original, please post a pic of the gun.