S&W K-17 Born on Date

[keano44]

I've recently decided that I needed to find out the date of manufacture, or ship date of all the guns in my collection which were not bought new. Most have been fairly easy to find on the internet, but my S&W K-17-2,
Sn. K734XXX has proven to be harder to get. Please help if you can. Thanks

 

[Old Fuff]

The problem with Smith & Wesson is that the company would serial nmber frames before they were assembed into guns. Then they woulde draw on their inventory of frames to sometimes make several different models. As a consequence all one can do is say that a particular frame could have been made during a time period of a year - or several years.

If you want to know the exact details you can write the company. Along with the letter which fully describes the gun, including the serial number, you need to enclose a snapshot of the gun and a check made out to S&W in the amount of $30.00 For this modest fee (some others charge three times as much or more) Roy Jinks, S&W's historian will research the records and send you a formal letter containg all of the information reflected in those records.

The best that I can say is that serial numbers K715997 through K779162 were made during 1967. However your revolver could have been assembled during that year, or any year thereafter. That said, it is most likely it was made in 1967.

 

[keano44]

Thanks OldFuff
I had been to S&W's website, and was hoping to save the $30. But, from your information, I understand that it is not as simple as seeing what year a particular SN frame was made, compared to when the revolver was made. I appreciate the data you supplied, as that may satisfy me until my curiosity forces me to spend the money and get the researched letter.

 

[FPrice]

keano44...

"I appreciate the data you supplied, as that may satisfy me until my curiosity forces me to spend the money and get the researched letter."

I do about the same thing you are doing. However, in trying to determine how far to go in researching the origin of a particular firearm I consider one major issue. Does that firearm in question have any potential historical or personal significance which a historical research letter could support?

I have two letters from Roy Jinks on S&W revolvers in my collection. One is for a S&W M&P revolver which coincidentally was shipped the month and year I was born. The other is on a pre-Model 27 revolver.

I am preparing a history request on two others; a roughly 1907 .32 Safety Hammerless and a possibly WWI-era S&W 1917 U.S. Service Model/.45 ACP DA Army model.

For most other S&W products the dates listed in Supica & Nahas' Standard Catalog of S&W, Second Edition, will get you close enough.