S&W Pistol history

[INBTWEEN]

I just found your site and have a few questions.
I have my grand dad's S&W pistol
I was told it is from 1917 time frame.
S&W .38 Police Rugulation
Serial # 132xx
Nickel Plate Pearl Handle
Smith and Wesson on left side of barrel
S&W trade mark logo behind trigger
5 shot
4 inch barrel
RIght side of barrel ( REGULATION POLICE)
under that ( .38 S&W CTG )
Very good condition
no cracks in pearl handles Trigger and Hammer are blued
My Dad gave it to me and said his father bought it new in 1917 or 18
Any help I can get will make me a happy man.
Thank you.
Chip Leigh ( INBTWEEN )

 

[Oro]

Hello and welcome.

The .38 Regulation Police startes with s/n #1 and finished with s/n #54xxx in 1940. If yours is 13,2xx it is a good guess it's in the 20s, but that's a pure guess as s/n runs were not linear like that always. The only way to get close to the actual year is to:

a) Get a "factory letter" for $50 which will tell you when and where it shipped from the factory (but not when it was made, necessarily).
b) find someone who has had one nearby in the s/n range "lettered" as above and guesstimate off that.

If the production was really heavy at first and then tapered off dramatically for that model, perhaps 1918. But it's really not possible to be exact w/o a factory letter.

Good luck!

 

[Claude Clay]

Hi & welcome

mine is a plain jane ser #321xx

i do shoot mine.
lee dies
brass from starline [or trim 38spl's-works but aint proper]
bullets are .358 or .360 158gr
2.2gr bullseye. accurate and an easy, light round cause its a old gun.

good luck