What are the marking on my S&W 27-2

[hellishot]

I was curious as to the marking on the frame grip of the revolver, if someone can help me out. Also if someone can help assign the year of the piece.

My S&W 27-2 with serial N461xxx, 4in. I was under the impression that my S&W could be dated around 1978, the frame is inscribed with "x1987". Does the S&W factory inscribe dates on when they perform repairs to the gun?

 

[Twiki357]

That serial number would date to 1977/1978.

I believe the “N” on the left side of the frame designates the “N size frame” but I can’t help with the other stamps.

 

[Iggy]

I suspect the gun has been refinished at some point.
The "N" on the frame normally indicates gun was originally left the factory with a nickel finish.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

S&W has used several practices over the years to indicate the date of factory rework. I am most familiar with a star stamped on the grip frame along with a 3 digit code for the year.

This New Model Number Three was refinished at the factory in March of 1965 as indicated by the star and the digits 3 6 5. This information was verified by a factory letter with this gun.



There may have been other practices over the years. The Smith and Wesson Forum is probably the best place to ask this question, there are quite a few very knowledgeable S&W aficionados over there.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/forum.php

 

[hellishot]

thanks guys

 

[hellishot]

I suspect the gun has been refinished at some point.
The "N" on the frame normally indicates gun was originally left the factory with a nickel finish.

Wouldn't N indicate it as N-frame?

 

[1KPerDay]

No. N is for factory nickel. There may also be an N somewhere on the rear of the cylinder. Have a close look.

 

[hellishot]

there doesnt appear to be any "N" marking on the cyclinder & yoke area

 

[Iggy]

The cylinder "should" have an N on the rear face too, but nothing is certain with S&W.
Maybe the cylinder was replaced and the gun refinished.

Only a letter from S&W for $50 will tell you how the gun left the factory for the first time.
It may not be worth it.

Show us some good pictures of the whole gun, particularly one showing the side plate.
We may be able to tell if the gun has been refinished, or what else may be going on.

 

[hellishot]

here some more pictures, warning its a shooter

 

[hellishot]

two more pictures....the rear cylinder only has a number "2" stamped

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Again

The number X1987 stamped on the crane of your revolver is an assembly number. When these guns were assembled some fitting was done to the parts prior to hardening and blueing. The parts for each gun had a unique number stamped on them, then the parts were sent to another area of the factory for hardening and blueing. Afterwards the assembly numbers insured that the same parts that already had some fitting done were assembled into the same revolver. The X1987 on your crane matches the Xa987 on the frame.

 

[tipoc]

The bulk of the numbers shown on the frame and crane are assembly numbers and inspectors stamps. Of use only to the factory and telling us no particular information.

The N stamped on the butt does not mean it was originally nickel plated. This gun does not look like a reblue.

The only numbers of importance are the serial number and the model number 27-2. The serial number is that number which begins N461121 right above the model number.

The gun is from the 1977-78 period. A letter from S&W can tell you more about any return to the factory for refinishing or repair.

tipoc

 

[hAkron]

Did they stamp the N before or after the nickel finish? It's not unthinkable that to fulfill an order, somebody didn't grab a frame from the 'not yet nickeled' frame pile and send it off to be blued.

 

[F-111 John]

Here are the crane and frame marks of my 1978 vintage K frame 19-4. They all are just random (to me) assembly or inspection marks.

 

[420Stainless]

Don't know much about it myself, but according to this source the N would mean N-Frame and not Nickel finished.

http://www.gunvaluesboard.com/smith-wesson-serial-number-prefixes-1766.html

My mistake. An N as the prefix in the serial number apparently designates an N-frame from a certain time period starting in 1969. Have no idea what the individual N stamping would mean.

 

[highpower]

They wouldn't need a N stamped on the frame to know the frame size. One look at it is all it would take. Just for giggles, I took the stocks off of several of my N frame Smiths that were produced in the 1977-78 time frame.

None have a upper case N stamped on the grip frame area in the same manner as the OP's. All the letters are within circles or triangles, indicating to me they are merely inspectors stamps.

M27-2:



M29-2:



M57:



While admittedly a very small sample, I am lead to believe that hAkron has it right. They probably need a frame to complete an order and a frame that was scheduled to be finished in nickel was grabbed and was blued instead.

S&W has been known to do things like that in order to fulfill certain gun orders. In looking at the pictures, I see no evidence that it was refinished, so I would surmise that it left the factory as we see it.

 

[tipoc]

An "N" marked on a S&W frame does not automatically mean a nickeled gun.

To be sure you will need a letter from S&W Roy Jinks. That will, usually, tell you how they gun left the factory, finish, barrel length, sights, etc. The letter can sometimes tell you if it was returned for rework or refinishing.

You can find that here...

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...4_750001_750051_757825_-1_757814_757812_image


tipoc

 

[hellishot]

I really, really, REALLY appreciate all your feedbacks. All very helpful.

 

[pendennis]

My ca. 1980 Model 27-2, Serial No. N6533xx, is a nickel-plated revolver. It has the "N" stamp on the butt, but more importantly, it has the "N" stamped on the cylinder.

I haven't lettered the gun, but I do have the original receipt, and the description on the sales receipt says "Nickel" (I'm not the original owner), so my confidence level is very high that the gun was shipped as a nickel finish.

I agree with those who state that the "N" on the butt is not the defining mark.

As a slight aside, I own a Model 24-3, 3", round butt, "Combat Model". This revolver was shipped to Lou Horton (confirmed) in 1984. It has a AAANNNN serial number, and has a pinned barrel. The Model 24 was only re-introduced in 1983 with no barrel pin, according to the SCSW.

I also own a Model 27-2, shipped in 1970, that has a 6.5" barrel. Those weren't catalogued after 1967. Instead, the barrel length was changed to 6".

I learned to "never say never" with S&W.