Identity and Date of Manufacture of S&W Revolvers

No.

The firing pin on the hammer, or in the frame in newer models, should be completely retracted inside the recoil shield of the frame at all times, except when the trigger is pulled fully to the rear.

If you can see the FP projecting when the cylinder is open, something is wrong with the gun and it is not safe to carry fully loaded.

rc

much appreciation

Hi, I posted this here: http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=6582520 but was referred to this thread.

a) caliber - as noted on the barrel 38 S&W CTG
b) bbl length (from cylinder to muzzle) - 5"
c) grips shape (round or square) - see image
d) number of shots/cylinder bores - 6
e) type of sights. - fixed/ not adjustable
f) serial number, and if there is a letter in front of or anywhere near the s/n on the bottom of the grip - 787890
g) Model number if it is under the crane. - 22756

Image/picture is located here: http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=530549

Grumpydasmurf:
Your .38/200 British Service Revolver was made in 1940. Between 1940 & 1942 in the approximate serial range 760000 to 999999 S&W supplied guns to the British government (and to other Commonwealth countries) under a commercial contract. These were made on the same frame as the .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 4th change, which is basically the same gun in .38 Special.

After the serial range hit 999999 it started again with the addition of a V prefix at V1. Guns with the V prefix came in .38 Special (Victory Model) for the US govt. and .38 S&W (K200 British Service Revolver) for the British supplied under Lend Lease. All were US Property marked.

Lacking the V prefix you have a commercial contract gun. The patent dates are correct for the Model of 1905 4th Change.

Many of the British guns were converted to .38 Special after the war for resale to America. The cylinder was bored out to accept .38 special. If your gun will chamber .38 Special then you have a converted gun. These are safe to shoot with standard pressure ammo, but PlusP or +P+ should not be fired through a converted gun if you don't want to get bulged brass (The .38 S&W chamber is wider at the rim than the .38 Special case).

If kept loaded or carried it would be prudent to leave the chamber under the hammer empty. These guns lack the positive internal hammer block safety developed during WWII. If dropped there is a small possibility of it firing. A fatality from a dropped gun during WWII lead to the development of the modern hammer block.

Thank you kindly for the information. That was more than I needed to know LOL Seriously it was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again.

GREAT Thread. I have 2 that I'd like to check out, both of which I purchased used in their original blue cardboard...

a) Caliber - .357
b) bbl length (from cylinder to muzzle) - 6"
c) grips shape (round or square) - square
d) number of shots/cylinder bores - 6
e) type of sights. - adjustable
f) serial number, and if there is a letter in front of or anywhere near the s/n on the bottom of the grip - 133K5XX
g) Model number if it is under the crane. - 66-2



a) Caliber - .38 spl
b) bbl length (from cylinder to muzzle) - 4"
c) grips shape (round or square) - square
d) number of shots/cylinder bores - 6
e) type of sights. - adjustable
f) serial number, and if there is a letter in front of or anywhere near the s/n on the bottom of the grip - 19K25XX
g) Model number if it is under the crane. - 15-3

Thanks in advance for the info. You're doing us all a great service.

Crawfobj

crawfobj:
Your Model 66-2 Combat Magnum Stainless dates to 1982.
Your Model 15-3 Combat Masterpiece dates to 1977.

Info on year, anything special about this model? Thanks.

Center gun in picture

1. 44 mag
2. 6 inch
3. square
4. 6 shot
5. front fixed, rear adj.
6. AHT7348
7. M629-1

Great thread, Thanks for your time, and this gun will be handed down to my first grandson. ( now 16 and has been eyeballing it for awhile, again thanks.)

Bottom gun in picture

1. 357 mag
2. 4 inch
3. square
4. 6 shot
5. fixed
6. 7D84762
7. 65-3

This gun has SAPD (San Antonio Police Dept.) stamped on left side of frame under cylinder. This came with a letter from the police officer who carried this weapon during his career? Seems to be real letter???

torker32:
Your Model 629-1 .44 Magnum Stainless was probably manufactured around July 1985. Personally I would consider having it buried with me with a zombie curse on my corpse to cause it to reanimate and do a retention drill if someone tries to take it.
Your grandson is a lucky kid, hopefully he will be a man fully grown with kids of his own before he gets to enjoy it ( or wrestle with your corpse if you take my advice!).

Your Model 63-3 .357 Military & Police Heavy Barrel Stainless was manufactured in 1981.
It's quite likely it came from a police officer, as police were one of, if not the main market for these firearms. They were issued by the Massachusetts state police, U.S. Customs and South Carolina Dept. of Public Safety.

How about

686
2-1/2"
Ser CDUXXXX

Hello friends and neighbors // Thanks for keeping this sticky up.

S&W model 28-2 Highway Patrolman
.357
4 inch
square butt with grooved tangs/ checked walnut service
6 shot
adjustable rear S&W Micrometer/ Front:1/8 inch Baughman Quick Draw on plain ramp
N2597xx
28-2


3 screw
pinned and recessed
original cylinder stop

content:
Your Model 28-2 Highway Patrolman was manufactured in the period 1974 to 1977. The Standard Catalog of S&W notes that the last half of the N2xxxxx range was mainly Model 28s and Model 58s, with the N300,000 range also being used between 1975 & 1976, so it's hard to pinpoint just when your gun was made. would guesstimate that close to 1975 based on the model 27, 29, etc switching to the 300,000 range in 1975 and your fun being in the lower range of the Model 28 serial block.

ACORN:
Your Model 686 Distinguished Combat Magnum was made in late 1999. The Standard Catalog of S&W notes that guns in the serial range CDRxxxx shipped in November 1999 and in the CDWxxxx serial range in January 2000.

Thank You!

Noob

Hi, very new to the forum, but enjoying it immensely. I just purchased a pre-model 10 M & P, I think... It is a 4" barrel with serial 551, XXX, marked .38 S & W Spl CTG. It has an assembly number, but no model number when you flip the cylinder down. I also count five screws on the side of the revolver, what does this do for value?
Body looks identical to my Model 18 K-22.

Are parts farily available to these? I bought this as a "parts gun" the guy said it needed a new barrel, but several gunsmiths said not to worry, it looked fine.

From the little I've been able to glean online, I would guess around 1927?

Thanks Radagast for the complete post.

Under special features on the box label it reads 76/ 23 3 so I think with your info March 23 1976. This is my first S&W to come with a box and was unsure if 76 was the right year.

Thanks again, having another Bicentennial Firearm makes my month.

Thanks in advance for any information you can share.

S&W Model 66 (no dash)

6" barrel

.357 Mag.

35K17XX

Found it used at a gun shop a few days ago. Fell in love with the pinned barrel and recessed cylinder.

Looked like it had spent it's life banging around under a car seat.

But B/C gap was .009" and end-shake was .003". Timing good and barrel cleaned up to be in almost "unfired" condition.

Snobal:
Your Model 66 dates to 1978-79 (25K0001 to 56K999). The 66-1 was introduced in 1977, so your gun is either mis-stamped (not uncommon) or one of the last no dash guns to leave the factory.

Content:
Thanks for the info, I've made a note in my SCSW for future reference.

lightbrigade:
Closest I can date your .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 4th Change is between 1927 (serials in the 500000 range) and 1930 (serials in the 630000 range.

Spare parts are available from Numrich Arms http://www.gunpartscorp.com/

Value is not high as there are a couple of million early .38 M&Ps in the community. In very good to excellent condition it may be worth $350 or a bit more.

Squib

Thanks so much, what's your opinion on the barrel? The gentleman I bought it from said a squib was fired and didn't clear the barrel before the next round was fired, there is no ballooning, and no cracks, the rifling is a hair off, but like I said, I've had a few gunsmiths look at it, and they said as long as I'm not shooting + P rounds, I should be fine.
Any opinions?

Shoot it and see. (Caveat, I am not a gunsmith and have not examined the gun, you do so at your own risk. Wear eye and ear protection.) Stick to standard pressure lead only rounds, no plus p or jacketed. If it shoots to point of aim then leave it as it is. If it is drastically off then you can look at a new barrel.

a .38 special is running roughly half the pressure of a 9mm, 1/3 the pressure of rounds like 9x23mm. I would not expect the gun to blow up on you.

If you have had it examined by a gunsmith and he thinks it is OK then you should be good to go. If it shoots fine then you have a good cheap gun. If it doesn't then you know you have what you paid for - a restoration project.

Hee guys,

I just bought a great 686 4" CS-3 (made for US customs, or at least the CS-1 models were)

a. .357 mag
b. 4 inch barrel
c. round butt
d. 6 rounds
e. Adjustable rear sight
f. BKR0786
g. 686 CS-3

I would realy like to get a Date of Birth on this one. I'm guessing beginning nineties?
Attached is a picture.

W.Fargo:
The 686-3 CS1 was produced between 1988 & 1993. The CS 1 was produced from 1988.
According to Smith Nut at the Smith & Wesson Forum the CS3 was the same gun with a couple of engineering updates for the commercial market:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/110827-smith-wesson-686-cs-3-a.html The extractor star change that he mentions makes me think it is a 686-4 variant, or a precursor to it.
The 686-4 was introduced in 1993. The Standard Catalog of S&W notes guns in the serial range BKZxxxx shipping in February 1992, also in the BFVxxxx to BMBxxxx range between September 1992 to February 1993.

From the above I expect your gun was produced in 1992 or early 1993.

Just picked this up from my grandfather..Date and est. value please..thanks


heavy wear on finish
Small break top..hammerless with grip saftey

32 S&W
3 inch barrel
5shot
fixed sights
serial number 224594

Thanks for the info, Radagast

chromerunner:
You have a .32 Safety Hammerless 3rd Model, also known as the New Departure, unofficially as the Lemon Squeezer due to the grip safety. The 3rd Model was manufactured between 1909 & 1937 in the serial range 170000 to 242981. Unfortunately the Standard Catalog of S&W doesn't give any further breakdown, but I wouldn't be surprised if your gun dates to around 1913-1917. The 2nd Model manufactured between 1902 & 1909 had roughly 80,000 guns made, or 12,000 a year. Assuming the same rate of manufacture, your gun would date to around 1913.
S&W's six shot swing out cylinder .32 Hand Ejector pretty much supplanted the Safety Hammerless around that time, with only 6374 manufactured in 1910, followed by 160,499 in the period 1910 to 1917. I expect between 1910 & 1917 Safety Hammerless sales dropped off considerably, continuing in the catalog at a low rate of production until 1937 when it was finally dropped.

Value is not high, in 2006 the Standard Catalog of S&W gave a value of $185.00 in good condition. Three inch barrels were common on this model, so there is no collectors premium for that variant.

a) .357
b) 2.5
c) round
d) 6
e) adjust rear
f) RKR2xxx
g) 686-3

Thank you