.38 Smith & Wesson CTG.??? Help.....

[GunnGirl]

Could anyone please help me figure out what I have? An old boyfriend bought it for me, while at a gun show.

Pictures below.

Stamped on the Left side of the barrel: Smith & Wesson .38 SPEC CTG.
Stamped on the Right side of Frame: (S&W Trademark)
No "Model" number visible.
6 Round
Real Pearl Grips
Engraved.
Numbers stamped on the Bottom of the Stock, Bottom of the Barrel, Inside Swing Arm, and Cylinder.
I haven't taken the grips off to look at the numbers there.....I will if needed.

Thanks...

 

[Will5A1]

Wow - that is one interesting revolver - it appears to me to be a Smith & Wesson Military & Police, can you post back with the serial number, its stamped on the bottom of the grip frame, the serial number should also be stamped on the rear face of the cyclinder and the underside of the barrel. You can X out the last two or three digits of the serial number if you prefer, i.e. S1234XX. We can better date the revolver with the serial number. I'm going to look up some examples of engraving on Smiths, and study your photos a bit more.

Old Fluff - you're needed.

 

[GunnGirl]

The serial number is: C953XX.

The same serial number is stamped on the rear face of the cylinder and the underside of the barrel.

Thanks

 

[dbarale]

Should have kept the boyfriend, nice gun!
If you do not get a positive ID here you can try: http://www.smith-wessonforum.com/

 

[Will5A1]

1948-1949 I think by that serial number - the more I look at your revolver the more interesting it is. That foral engraving inbetween the cyclinder flutes and the roping or knotting along the edge of the flutes is really amazing.

You should get this revolver lettered - send photos and a description along with a $35 dollar check to Mr. Roy Jinks, Smith & Wesson, PO Box 2208, Springfiled, MA 01102. He's the historian for S&W and he'll be able to tell you when the revolver shipped, if it was factory engraved, and other details.

I'm sure others will be along shortley with additional info, I'm still trying to match up that engraving style. I should add that your revolver, while it appears to me to have been carried some and fired, has considerable value - at this point I would not hazard to guess how much.

Do you happen to get any history or the original box when you were given the gun?

 

[GunnGirl]

Hey thanks Will! I really appreciate the assistance and the valuable info!

There was no box, and unfortunately, the man we bought it from had no history on it. We purchased it in 1989. I have never fired it.

 

[Gator]

Thats a real beauty, GunnGirl. Its a .38 Military & Police (M&P). The M&P was called the Model 10 after 1957, it is a medium frame (K-Frame) revolver. The early post-WWII guns had the 1/2 moon front sight blade, like yours. The "C" prefix was started in 1948 and the front sight was changed to a ramp in 1952, so yours was made in between those times.

It is safe to shoot with standard .38 Specials, but no +Ps!.

Very nice piece!

 

[Will5A1]

I have no idea who engraved your revolver - the more I look at examples of various artists the more I realize what I don't know about engraving. It does look like a fairly accomplished engraver, with close to 100% coverage on the frame. Hopefully someone else will be along with additional insight.

If it were mine I would be loath to fire it - that doesn't look like a "work gun" to me. Looking at your pictures I wonder if there isn't metal inlay on it.

 

[FPrice]

The serial number is: C953XX.

Probably 1950, maybe early '51. I have C56xxx and it was dated by Roy Jinks to Sep '49, the month I was born. Your old bf had good tastes in gifts.

 

[Jim K]

It is an M&P 2" barrel, long a favorite of plain-clothes police. I note that the barrel is not engraved, leading to the thought that it is a replacement.

The engraving does not look like S&W factory engraving; rather it has a north African or middle-eastern look about it. Did the old boyfriend ever spend time in those areas?

Jim

 

[GunnGirl]

Ok, you all are asking, so I have to "tell".

The old boyfriend turned out to be gay. I guess he thought I could "change" him or something.

In any regard, he had no clue about guns or weapons. He was not a "hunter", or a military person, nothing....(you all can stop laughing now).

Now back to this gorgeous weapon........

1- The barrel isn't a replacement. The barrel is imprinted with the same serial number ( C953XX ) as stamped on the bottom of the grip frame, and the rear face of the cylinder

2- I wish to find the value of it, and then sell it.

3- I'll give S&W a call and see if they can tell me about the serial number and the value.

Any other info ya'all can provide is welcomed!

Thanks again!

 

[Sundles]

Gunngirl,

I suspect it is not factory engraved. The gun would be much more valuable if it was factory engraved.

I'll buy it if you dont gouge me too badly.

 

[Trebor]

S&W won't comment on the possible value of the gun. That's really up to current market value. They can send you a letter saying when the gun was shipped, to who, and if it was engraved by the factory. You'll pay for the letter, of course, but it *might* add value to to the gun if that turns out to be factory engraving. (Consensus here seems to be that it's not factory done).

It's really hard to put a value on this gun. The S&W M&P were "workhorse" guns and the values have only recently started to increase. The engraving can be a plus or a minus, depending on the collector. If it's factory engraving, that's a big plus. If it's aftermarket, it depends on what the potential buyer thinks. Knowing who did the engraving would help.

Personally, I'd either send it to Jim Supica at Old Town Station to sell through his specialized collector catalog or put it up on GunBroker and auction it of that way. Your best chance of getting a good price is if someone who really wants this type of gun sees it for sale. Supica and Gunbroker would give you the best odds.

If you sell it yourself, make sure you *only* ship it to a FFL holder. Either a dealer FFL or a "C&R" FFL holder would be OK. Don't ship it to any private person without an FFL though. Don't ship it though the US Mail either. You'll need to use Fed Ex or UPS. Expect some "sticker shock" at the rates. You'll want to ask for $$ for shipping up front or include that in the price.