Antique S&W year of manufacture by serial number

The Chief's Special came out in the early 1950s. Most if not all S&W models had their own serial number ranges until the "modern" alphanumeric stamps. 36000 looks like 1953 or 1954. It is not an antique, but is C&R eligible being over 50 years old.

Pictures would be nice, there are some interesting and potentially valuable variations in early Chiefs.

SCSW 3rd pg 399 "Early J Frame Serial Range"
Dates are spotty, you have to do some interpolation.

Page 150 "The .38 Chiefs Special - Pre Model 36." for discussion of trigger guard shape, etc.

A ".38 Double Action" in S&W parlance is the topbreak.

It took some time and effort for me to learn how to use the S&W Standard Catalog. There is some logic to the arrangement of firearms. When the 4th edition comes out in the next few month, I'll probably have to re-train.

You're picture confirms you have an early model Chief Special that didn't become a model 36 until 1957 when numbers were assigned in place of names because the company had gone to using computers that much preferred numbers over names.

As pointed out, for more detailed information concerning you're revolver look at pages 149 & 150 in the book. The pre-model 36 (Chief Special) is the first one made using their very popular J-frame.

You think Smith & Wesson is confusing for historical info? Try Colt. The Smith and Wesson archives and literature are far superior to old Colt records and numbering practices.

That looks like a 4 or 5 screw gun, yo mr.

A little background might help. Until 1968, U.S. gun companies were free to use any numbering system they wanted, or none, under Federal law. Many state laws required serial numbering of handguns, so most handguns had serial numbers while many rifles and shotguns did not. The Gun Control Act of 1968 requires that all guns made or imported into the US have certain markings, including a serial number (it can be alphameric) that is unique within a given company's products, eliminating the (then) common practice of a company using one number series for some guns and another series for other guns. The rules under GCA '68 are simple: X company can number its guns any way it wishes, but the sequence 12345AA must point to one and only one gun made by that company.

So, any police agency wanting to trace a firearm need only the maker's name and the number of the firearm; the model, caliber, and other information is not necessary.

But that doesn't help with millions of older (pre-'68) guns) which can still be confusing.

Jim

Serial number 35920 shipped July 1953. Serial number 38217 shipped February 1954. It is a 5 screw gun, last produced in 53. The grips are diamond Magnas and are probably original.
It appears to have the early 'baby chiefs special' small trigger guard, but not the I frame grip or half moon front sight of the earliest guns.