Smith and Wesson

[ShooterZA]

Good Day . Is there anybody that can help me establish the year of manufacture of a Smith and Wesson Revolver that I acquired recently. It Cambers the 38 S&W - (1877 developed ) round. The serial number is C531810 . The only history on this firearm I have is the fact that I was told ; that it was issued to the Police and also the Railway Police in the 1950's to the 1960's. This fact might stand to be corrected.

 

[firedawg60]

Not sure but I think 1961, probably late in the year. Hopefully someone can confirm or clarify.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

According to the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson, the serial number range for 1961 through 1962 was C474149 through C622699. Your revolver falls into that SN range.

Your photo is a little bit too dark for me to specifically identify exactly what model it is. A gun made during that time period should have the model number stamped on the frame under the cylinder yoke (the hinge the cylinder rides on).

It should say something like MOD 10 or something like that.

Telling us about all the markings stamped on the gun will help further identify it. Specifically, it looks a lot like a Model 10, but the standard chambering for the Model 10 was 38 Special, usually marked 38 S& W Special CTG on the barrel, not 38 S&W CTG, which is a different cartridge. (CTG stands for cartridge.)

The Model 11 was the same basic gun, except they were chambered for 38 S&W (not 38 Special, Special is the defining word here). These were mostly made for British Commonwealth countries.

Is the cylinder bored for six cartridges or five? That will help further define it.

One last thing, it appears from your photo that it has an adjustable rear sight. This is a typical S&W adjustable rear sight from that period. There is one large adjustment screw on the other side. Deep grooves running the entire length of the sight.






This is an adjustable rear sight from an earlier time period. There is a small adjustment screw on either side of the sight.






This is the type of non-adjustable rear sight that S&W was putting on their revolvers at the time. This is a Model 10 from the same general time period as your revolver. Just a simple groove running down the top strap, narrowed down toward the rear with a semi-circular cut at the very rear.






This is a typical Model 10 front sight. The rear surface has serrations running across it.








Your front sight seems to have a bump on top.

Any of these photos look familiar? If not, your revolver may have custom sights.



All I can tell you about Rahway is it is a small town in northern New Jersey. I grew up not too far from there.

 

[ShooterZA]

On the side of the Barrel the markings are - 38 S&W calibre - Not in anyway a 38 Special as the Cylinder is a 6 shot and is drilled out to only accommodate the 38 S&W round only. Not at all modified for the 38 Special round. The rear sight does not have an adjustment screw as per the pictures you supplied. Sorry for the following correction but I did not refer to a town Rahway. I was told these 38S&W chambered revolvers were issued to our National police services as well as the Railway Police which was a separate division of our inland security. If all is equal in that which I have been researching from the site of - American Rifleman - this revolver must be a Model 11 as is only chambers the 38 S&W round. On the American Rifleman site it clearly says that Smith And Wesson made these revolvers between 1940 and the early 1960's (Although they developed the cartridge as far back as 1877) I would just like to know what the year of manufacture is of this revolver. All firearms manufactured before 1950 is acknowledged to have historic value in South Africa.

 

[ontarget]

National Police Forces? Now that is a scary thought right there.

 

[Jonesy814]

Most likely a 1961

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Again

Sorry for the "Rahway' comments, I misread Railway. Yes, I need new glasses.

As I said earlier, I agree your revolver is most likely a Smith and Wesson Model 11. These were shipped mostly to British Commonwealth countries, and I believe at some point South Africa was part of the British Commonwealth.

This revolver is known in the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson as the Model 11, also known as the 38/200 Military and Police. Military and Police is an older name for S&W 38 caliber revolvers built on the medium, or K frame.

The history of this particular model goes back to 1942 when the so called Victory Models were produced. This was a standard 38 Special Military and Police (M&P) produced for the war effort. They had a V for Victory prefix in the Serial Number. After 1944 a new hammer block was added and the Serial Numbers had a SV prefix, to indicate the new 'safer' hammer block had been installed.

Lend Lease revolvers sent to Britain and the other allies were called the .38/200 British Service Revolver, the name 38/200 signifying the 38 S&W cartridge with a heavier bullet than the standard 38 S&W cartridge. Bullet weight for the standard 38 S&W cartridge is usually around 145 grains. the 38/200 cartridge carried a heavier, 200 grain bullet. These revolvers were produced until 1945.

In 1957 S&W changed over from names such as Military and Police to a model numbering system. The old 38 M&P became the Model 10.

This photo shows a Model 10 from about 1964 at the top and a Victory Model at the bottom.






It appears to me the Model 11 was never cataloged, meaning it was not sold to the general US population, but was made exclusively for export to British Commonwealth, and former Commonwealth countries. Production of this model started in 1957 with the change over to model numbers and ceased in 1965, however some were shipped as late as 1970. A lanyard ring at the bottom of the grip was standard. Your photo of the Serial Number shows the hole for the lanyard ring, but apparently the lanyard ring itself is missing. You can see the lanyard ring at the bottom of the grip of my Victory Model.

This is a photo of the model number stamped on the frame of a Model 10, under the cylinder yoke. This is a Model 10-5, meaning that it was the fifth engineering change. I am curious, is there a model number stamped on the frame of your revolver?






Sorry, your revolver was not made before 1950. As I said earlier, the serial number range for 1961 through 1962 was C474149 through C622699. Your revolver falls into that SN range. I can only guess that C531810 is early in that range, so perhaps 1961.


No idea what the GD or PS stamped on your revolver mean. They are hand stamped and I doubt if it left the S&W factory with those stamps. Perhaps an armorer's rack stamps.

I am very intrigued with your rear sight, and would like to see a clear photo of it from the top. It does not appear to be a standard S&W sight, perhaps a custom addition.

Hope this helps.

 

[larryh1108]

To help this poster out, I copied and cleaned up his pictures a bit.

 

[LaneP]

S&W's exude a certain refinement from the pre-lock, pre-MIM era then contemporary models just don't have. This was my father's .38 Special he bought while living in Washington D.C. some time in the early to mid-60's. According to what he told me, it was a former U.S. Treasury department issued revolver that they released for sale to the public after changing to whatever the newer model was.





And this was a Chief's Special he purchased in San Diego while serving in the Navy in about 1951 or 1952.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Thanks for the cleaned up photos, but I still cannot see the details of the rear sight from above.

Just so the OP knows, the S&W Model 11 was supplied with a fixed rear sight, just like a Model 10 rear sight.

Like this:

That is why I would like to see a photo of the rear sight from above.

I believe it is an after market add on.