Smith and Wesson serial number search

686p?

hi guys!
I just picked up a 686P (7 shot) serial #:CEJ13xx. Does anyone have any idea on when it's born on date was?
My favorite pistol to date:D
 
Model 60 Serial Number

I am looking for information on a Model 60, 2" barrel, stainless steel snubby in .38 Special. The serial number begins with BKE9*** - can anyone tell what year it was manufactured and what it is worth now?
 
BKE serial number prefix would correspond to 1991. Value in the $400 to $450 range, depending on condition, perhaps a bit more if like new.
 
old smith & wesson revolver

Hi,

I'm not sure if I'm posting these questions in the right place. Please let me know if I didn't. I would like to know the age of my gun and model. I inherited it from my grandmother. I do know it was given to her by my grandfather shortly before my aunt who is 53 was born. It is a 5 shot s & w with a 3 inch barrell. the serial number is 6085XX I would like to buy the proper speed loader.
 
cathrysist: A bit more info would be helpful. What cartridge is the gun made for (should be marked somewhere)? Does the cylinder swing out for reloading, or does the gun hinge below and in front of the cylinder?

trigger happy: Your gun is from the 1971-72 time frame, when the "J" appeared in different locations within the serial number, hence the term "wandering J" period.
 
cathrysist:
With a serial number that high & a five shot cylinder it should be either a S&W Model 36 Chiefs Special (steel frame) Model 37 Chiefs Special Airweight (aluminum frame) or a Model 38 Bodyguard Airweight (Aluminum frame, shrouded hammer) manufactured between 1962 & 1969.
Caliber should be .38 S&W Special with .38SPL CTG marked on the barrel.
The Model number should be marked on the inside of the frame, under the cylinder yoke.
These were and are built on S&W's small J frame. You will want the HKS 36A.
 
I have a model 28-2 w/serial S245xxx. It still has factory grips, with checkering so sharp it almost hurts. It has some wear around muzzle. It looks a bit older, but who knows? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Ed.
 
Ed -

Your 28-2 dates from 1965-65. As you probably know, it was intended to be a more utilitarian version of the Model 27, so didn't have such a high-polish finish and also lacked the serrations on the rib. The -2 variation came out in 1961, when the trigger guard screw (the so-called "4th screw") was eliminated, and stayed in production until the -3, which dropped the pinned barrel and cylinder counterbore ("P&S"), was introduced in 1982. The Model 28 was discontinued in 1986.
 
Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me date this gun

I think it is a Model 10, http://yfrog.com/bggun11resizej http://yfrog.com/jcgun12resizej

The serial number is 1388xx (its only 6 digits, that's the number on the bottom of the grip frame. there is no letter preceding it.)

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

I also have an M1917 that I want to get a date on, but I don't have the serial number with me, I'll try to post it later.

Thanks again
 
Spork - Technically, it's not a Model 10 because that designation wasn't used until 1957 and your gun is much older than that. You have a .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 - 2nd Change, manufactured in the 1906 (SN 73251) to 1909 (SN 146899) time period. This model eventually morphed into the Model 10, so can be thought of as a "pre-10" even though there were a couple of other variations that came in-between.
 
FlyFish--

Thanks a bunch for the help. That's good to know, I guess then that it's made around 1908 (if in fact the serial numbers scale linearly to the date).

As for ammo, is regular 38 special ammo I get at the range going to be fine to use, or does that usually tend to be +P (That's high pressure, right?), or should i NOT use +P ammo in this gun?
 
Yes, you can approximate the actual year by interpolating, but linearity isn't necessarily the case, so it's only an approximation.

Your gun wasn't made for +p ammo, and you shouldn't use it in a revolver of this vintage. Any factory +p ammo should be clearly labeled as such, both on the box and via the headstamp. The SAAMI spec for regular .38 Special is 17,000 psi, for +p 20,000 psi. You'll hear people who claim that .38 Special ammo was originally loaded to higher pressures than it is currently, and that may be the case, but there's really no need to use it in a gun that (I assume) is only doing range duty anyway.
 
Gentlemen,
I need a year of manufacture on my new (to me) 2" model 10 round butt. It has the 'deep' bluing we are all so fond of.
Serial #: C547652
Thanks for any/all help.
Semper fi,

Dave Swaffield
 
38s handed down to me..trying to search history

serial # 4113xx... I am looking for age of gun .. what shell to use(what gun is rated for)barrel marked with [38s.& w.special ctg]..this is a 6 shot.. The box of shells that we have are 38s3p..super police 200 gr.lubaloy. they are very old n dont know if i should use them.. price on box of 50 is $4.07 lol. thx for any info
 
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Dave: Your Model 10 dates from 1961 (starting SN C474149) to 1962 (ending SN C622699).

Cajun Dago: Based on the serial number and the chambering, you gun must be a .38 Military and Police Model of 1905 - 4th Change, more commonly called the .38 M&P or sometimes the "Pre-Model 10" because this is the basic design that became the Model 10 when S&W started using model numbers around 1957. Your gun dates from the 1915 (starting SN 241704) to 1942 (ending SN 1000000) period, and unfortunately SCSW provides no more detailed information on serial numbers corresponding to specific years. You can interpolate using that information and get an approximate year of production.

The gun is chambered for .38 Special ammunition and is safe to use with .38 Special +p, although if it were my gun I'd stick to the regular pressure loading, particularly if you're not using it as a CCW.

With regard to the old ammo, I suspect it's safe to fire but hesitate to give a firm recommendation without actually seeing it. There are many collectors of old ammunition, and I'd be inclined to take it into a well-stocked gun shop and see what it's worth. You might be able to trade it for a box or more of nice new .38 Special ammo.
 
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