Howdy Again
Don't try to get too specific with dating that gun. The dates I gave you are for the years listed, however it is anybody's guess exactly when a specific gun with a specific SN was made. S&W does not keep records of when guns were made, they keep records of when guns shipped. Sometimes a gun would be warehoused for a long time before shipping. As I said, the only way to be sure when the gun shipped is to letter it. However since your SN is fairly early in the series I quoted, it is a good guess that it shipped fairly early in that range.
Depending on where you go, $150 is probably a low estimate. If I came across that gun at that price I would buy it. No, I would run to the check out counter with it before the shop owner came to his senses. It used to be you could pick up nice old five screw like this for under $200. That is no longer the case in most places. Although still a great value for the price, older Smiths have been rising in price. I see them in gun shops these days for anywhere from $400 - $700. I won't pay $700 for a plain five screw 38, but I have paid $400 a few times. Much of it depends on where you are. I know a couple of old 38s that are still sitting on the shelf at around $600.
What you have there is a nice, no frills old Smith. Nothing outstanding about it, just a nice old K frame five screw. If I did not already have so many of them, I would probably pay $400 for it.
The photo is clipped a tiny bit, but it appears from your photo that the grip is the round butt style. That model was made with both round butt and square butt. Incidentally, the grips themselves look to be in pretty good condition, and you could probably get $150 for them alone. But please don't do that. I hate it when I find a nice old Smith with incorrect grips because some unscrupulous dealer has sold the old grips separately.
Don't forget, most dealers will only offer about 50% of what they expect they can sell the gun for.
P.S. Although that gun lacks the hammer block, it does have a rebounding hammer. It was designed specifically to be safe with a live round under the hammer, as opposed to most of the revolvers made in the 19th Century. Yes, there is a remote chance the hammer stud could break off and allow the firing pin to strike a primer, but it is very remote. I would not hesitate to load it with six rounds, that is what they were designed for. I just would not throw it on the ground. And I would keep the pressure down with the ammo.
