Colt Detective Special markings

[whitebb]

Bought another Nickel plated DS yesterday. Know I have matching mine/mine. This one has a bunch of markings on it. Serial F278**indicated 1974, but below it is stamped S N F . Also below the horsey at the left rear of the trigger guard is stamped a number 3. Any ideas what these mean?

 

[dfariswheel]

I believe the "SNF" stands for Satin Nickel Finish.

The number stamped on the trigger guard is an inspector's mark.
On the left front of the trigger guard is a "VP" in a triangle. This is Colt's Verified Proof stamp.