Nickle or not??!!
- Thread starter duice21
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Post WWII, the large S&W N frame revolvers had serial numbers that started with the letter S. The letter prefix was changed to N 1969. It was never used in any serial number to denote a nickel plated gun.
There are several things to look for. On a model 34, the rear sight, hammer and trigger should be blue. If these are nickel, the gun has been plated outside the factory. Look at the stamped lettering and logo on the revolver itself. All of those marks should be crisp and clear, and there should be no obvious swirl marks on the finish. Polished out stampings are an obvious indication of a poor refinish. If the original box is with the gun, the end label will indicate either B (blue) or N (nickel) finish. Lastly, and easiest, is to open the cylinder and look at the cylinder face. I am not sure when S&W ended the practice, but there could be an N stamped on the cylinder face. There could also be an N stamped on left side of the butt frame toward the bottom, visible after removing the stock panels.
Here is a pic of the cylinder of a model 34 no-dash with the N stamped on it.
There are several things to look for. On a model 34, the rear sight, hammer and trigger should be blue. If these are nickel, the gun has been plated outside the factory. Look at the stamped lettering and logo on the revolver itself. All of those marks should be crisp and clear, and there should be no obvious swirl marks on the finish. Polished out stampings are an obvious indication of a poor refinish. If the original box is with the gun, the end label will indicate either B (blue) or N (nickel) finish. Lastly, and easiest, is to open the cylinder and look at the cylinder face. I am not sure when S&W ended the practice, but there could be an N stamped on the cylinder face. There could also be an N stamped on left side of the butt frame toward the bottom, visible after removing the stock panels.
Here is a pic of the cylinder of a model 34 no-dash with the N stamped on it.
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