Identity and Date of Manufacture of S&W Revolvers

cc-hangfire:
Your Model 36 .38 Chiefs Special dates to 1962. There is no 36-0, generally it would be referred to as a Model 36, or a Model 36 no dash.
Your Model 10-5 .38 Military & Police tapered barrel was manufactured in 1968.
 
Two model 60s:
R152931
R289159

Model 686:
AFT4592

Model 66:
9k26629

Thanks a million
 
Last edited:
davidnssbm:
Your Model 60 .38 Chiefs Special Stainless, serial no. R152931, dates to the period 1974-1977. Serial range for those years was R100000 to R190000. Assuming a constant rate of production, then late 1975 or early 1976 seems likely.

Your Model 60 .38 Chiefs Special Stainless, serial no. R289159 dates to 1980.

Your Model 686 Distinguished Combat Magnum Stainless dates to late 1984 but may have shipped in 1985.

Your Model 66 Combat Magnum Stainless dates to 1976.
 
jinjyr:
The number you have given is probably a NYPD badge number, not the serial number.
The serial number will be found on the bottom edge of the grip frame.
FWIW, the gun is a .38 Military & Police heavy barrel, manufactured between 1962 & 1967.

Get back to me with the serial number and I'll give you the year.
 
Sorry to be a nuisance...1923? He went into the NYPD in 1951 and originally had a Colt Official Police, he told me that he wanted the heavy barrel of the Smith so he bought one new. When I open the cylinder it says Mod 10-6 inside the yoke area it has oo992, on the bottom of the butt is the c625325
 
Major typo or brain fade on my part there. Your dad's gun is from 1963. Serial range C622700 to C810532 was used from 1963 to 1965. Being so early in the sequence, 1963 is a certainty. oo002 is an assembly number, used to track parts in the factory. Records were not kept and assembly numbers are basically meaningless after the gun was completed.
I apologize for the error.
 
No problem and I appreciate the info. When he went in he picked up a .32 Detective special, NYPD was allowed to carry .32 back then. By the age of the guns that got passed along to me, he traded the colt .32 for a .38 off duty gun and his Colt Carry gun for a Smith when he made Sgt. He retired as a Lt after 30 years.
 
Hey gents. I decided to avail myself of the historic services at S&W because I have a really nice example of a regulation police from1926, and would like it lettered for my own purposes..

I'm just wondering how long it usually takes to get your letter from them. They cashed the check like 2 weeks ago. Should I expect it soon, or am I a few weeks out?
 
I think six weeks was the last turn around I read about. But that was at least a year ago. You could check at the Smith & Wesson forum, I'm sure there will be more recent examples.
 
Hello! I've just received from my father an old S&W .38 Special Police revolver, that was his father's. The gun is in abominable shape, and currently is broken down and soaking in goo to try and remove some of the rust :( It's nickel plated, or at least it once was; half-moon front sight, square butt, model number on the butt is 5324XX. I think that means it's pre-model 10, 1905 4th change, and I'm guessing from what I've gleaned from various forums that it was probably manufactured in the early 1930s.

Am I anywhere close? What year would this gun have been manufactured, and what type is it? Would it be worth spending money to refinish it?
 
It's a S&W .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 4th Change. Refinishing will cost about as much as the gun is worth. Fords would be the best bet as they can restore the roll marks if it has to be polished back. S&W will not work on a gun this old. If you get it working, treat it as a beater gun that you don't mind losing.
It has the 2nd variant hammer block used from 1926 on. S&W introduced the current positive hammer block in 1944 after a fatality with a dropped gun. I personally would treat it as a 5 shooter and leave the under the hammer empty.

As for age:
The serial range 570,000 to 625000 was used between 1927 & 1931.
No medallions in the grips mean 1929 or earlier.
Chrome plated medallions in the grips mean 1929 or later.
A mushroom shaped ejector rod end is 1930 or earlier.
A barrel shaped ejector rod end is 1930 or later.

Hope this helps.
 
My Daughter has a .38, S&W Model 637, 2" barrel 5 shot Revolver. SN: DAN83XX.

Can't figure out the year it was manufactured.
 
Quite recent. The Standard Catalog of S&W gives serial ranges up to CHAxxxx in 2004, so I can't help you. Because its a recent gun, a call to S&W customer service should get you the year it shipped.
FWIW, my local (Australian) gun shop has guns in stock in the CTSxxxx & CUExxxx range, so my guess is your daughters gun is less than two years old.
 
SN: DAN83XX
Click to expand...

BLU,

I don't have a DANXXXX in my s/n collection but I do have a DAL33XX that shipped Nov 8, 2006, and a DAM85XX that shipped Dec 8, 2006. Your right in there with those two. Based on that I'd say your M637 likely shipped in Nov/Dec of 2006. Possibly as late as Jan 2007. Do you still have the factory box? If so, there's a date code on it that will give you the exact day, month, and year.
 
I'd listen to Kernel in this case. He's been tracking modern numbers much more closely than I have.
It appears that S&W are numbering some guns out of sequence again.
 
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