Need info on a prewar S&W 38 pistol

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ohiocollectables

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I'm looking for info for a Smith & Wesson I have! I'm pretty sure that it's the prewar Model 1899/10 in a 38 caliber? I'll give you all of the info that I can find on the pistol and maybe you can fill me in about exactly what I might have? Top of Barrel reads "-D Mass USA Pat'd PT.14.09.DEC.2914" Left side of barrel "Smith & Wesson" Right side of barrel reads "REGULATION POLICE 38 S&W CTG" Number on butt plate is "155027" But inside the side plate it has "36894" I have had the gun completely apart, cleaned and there are no other numbers, letters or markings other than the S&W symbol on the left side just under the tang to open the cylinder out! I have been threw it with a jewelers loop thoroughly! I had several old gun books around here INCLUDING the S&W book, but I guess they walked off! I have been shooting and collecting guns for about 50yrs now, but this is one of those that I can't find much on? Here are the gun details....it has the original black plastic grips, is only a 5-shot (38 Cal) and yeas I have shot it and it works and shoots great! The confusing thing is that the barrel is only 2-5/8 inches long, from the back of the barrel to the front and yes, I measured it with good calipers! But I guess that it's the 2-1/2 inch model which I have seen where it said that S&W only did those on special orders or request, where all I have seen is the 2 and 4 inch I know that most people call them the (M&P Models) but this has it rolled into the right side as (REGULATION POLICE) So can anyone tell me more about the gun I have and why someone would special request the 2-5/8 / 2-1/2 inch barrels instead of the 2 inch or the 4 inch barrel
 
Pictures!!!! and welcome to the forum.

From what I can find quickly, your gun is not pre-war. Pre-war
Regulation Police sn's topped out around 54,000. If it does not
have a "mdl. 33" under the crane, it's quite likely a post war pre
model 33, which is probably and I frame. It is in 38 S&W caliber.
This is NOT 38 Special!!!! It's an older cartridge, shorter and fatter
than the 38 Special. If it does have a mdl 33 under the crane it
is probably a J frame. Does the cylinder look short for the frame,
and the forcing cone/rear of the barrel seem long? J frame.
 
The .38 Regulation Police is not the M&P (Model 10), which is built on the K frame. Regulation Police production began on the I frame in 1917. In an era when city police usually wore long coats, the I frame was flatter to carry than the larger M&P. The .32 I frame was six shot, but with the .38, they could get only 5 rounds in the cylinder. The .38 RP was made in 2, 3, 4, and 6 inch barrels, but non-standard barrels could be ordered from S&W, so other lengths are possible.

The guns are round butt, but the RP had a wood stock with a square butt "filler"; the Terrier is round butt.

When police began to carry their guns openly, most switched to the M&P in the more powerful .38 Special, but the RP and its short barrel version, the Terrier, became favorites with plain clothes officers.

The original RP was discontinued in 1957, but the same basic gun was continued on the Improved I Frame, and later on the J frame as the Model 33. Since the J frame was used for the .38 Special, sales of a .38 S&W version were low, and the Model 33 was discontinued in 1974.

The RP was initially numbered in its own series; I can't find the high number, but 155xxx sounds a bit too high; could you have an extra number in there?

As to barrel length, S&W always "stretched" their barrels a bit; 1 5/8" was called 2" and so on; some years back, they "got religion" and started using the actual measurement, leading to those fractions.

Jim
 
Thanks Bill, This is where I got confused is where it has such a high number on the butt of the frame (the 155027) but inside the side plate, which is the 4 bolt one, it has a different ser number (36894). so is it possible for someone to have put a different side plate that is alot older on the newer frame?The cylinder looks to fit the frame just right and it seems like the smaller frame than I had on newer Model 10's that I have had in the past which has been probably over 30 or 40 over the years and they were all the newer heavier models with the fat barrels that have come from law enforcement trade in's! I have a box of Remington S&W 38's and they fit in the cylinder just fine with the right amount of space left in the cylinder, almost a 1/4" I would say, but when you stick the end of the lead round nose bullets in the end of the barrel, it doesn't seem to fit tight like it would spin threw the rifling? That's where I get confused on this one!, But Thanks, Bobby
 
Thanks James

Thanks Jim, The only patent on this gun is the (1909) one, but the serial numbers seem to be messed up since it has the high number on the butt of the frame (155027) and inside of the 4 screw side plate it has alot lower number of (36394) and that's all the numbers on the gun and NO letters with any numbers or stamped seperatly on the gun anywhere and I had the gun completly stripped and cleaned and really took a good look! I have had alot of newer model 10's and this one I was sure it was a smaller frame, like the I, I can see where it would lay flatter by the standards back then and it even came with the thin black plastic S&W handles instead of the fatter wood and with the skinny barrel it would be easier to conceal! I'm just still not sure why some place would go out of thier way to special order them in the 2-1/2 inch barrel and not just stick with the standard 2 or 3 inch that were in production? OH, by the way, could the older side plate have been put on the newer frame? And it does have the single leaf spring in the handle and not the coil spring and it does not have the safety lever inside like they started using in the 2nd change, but does have the ejector rod with only one pin under the ejector and not 2 like the newer ones did in the second change? That and it does have the bigger mushroom knob on the end of the ejector that will not slide threw the cylinder like the newer changes did? I was told a long time ago that the New York City Police carried these guns back between 1910 and 1920, but not sure if he knew what he was talking about? But thanks for the info, Bobby
 
The serial number of the RP is on the front of the grip, because the bottom of the butt was covered by the wood extension stock. The number on the crane and on the frame inside it is an assembly number used in production; the crane and frame were mated up, then numbered so they would be kept together in final assembly.

As to barrel length, as I said, S&W fibbed in their barrel length designations. They advertised a 3" barrel, when the barrel is actually 2 1/2 inches and so on.

(Of course, barrel measurement for legal purposes on all revolvers is the total length of the barrel, from the muzzle to the rear end of the barrel where it abuts the cylinder; some folks measure only from the muzzle to the front of the frame.)

The pre-WWII RP has two unique features, one of which can only be seen with the grips off. The first is the serial number on the front strap; the other is that the rear grip strap has a "step" in it, apparently to give the grip better support. (AFAIK, the RP grip was always walnut, never hard rubber, but I could be wrong on that. The Terrier had the normal butt serial number and no step in the backstrap; it could be had with either round butt stocks or a walnut extension stocks.)

Jim
 
I have had the gun completely apart, cleaned and there are no other numbers, letters or markings other than the S&W symbol on the left side just under the tang to open the cylinder out!

This is the scary part. It SEEMS like you are not very familiar with firearms yet have taken this revolver apart. Did you use a set of gunsmithing screwdrivers? Did you have to pry the cover plate off; if so, what did you use? I hope you didn't mangle some of these components as you worked your way through....
 
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