Smith and Wesson serial number search

I have a 586 with serial number ACK01##

Any idea what year this was made?
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Between January and October of 1983.

You'll want to be looking for the "M" stamp on the frame where the yoke meets to signify that it's had the factory recall work done on it. Note that S&W still does this recall work if you contact them. The problem was not a horrendous one, but it's a good idea to ensure that it has been done. It affects all the 586-no dash and 586-1 revolvers. Yours should be a no-dash model.

Find the "M" stamp and if you can't find it, get help to look for it, and if it's not there... call Smith & Wesson.
(but as I said... it's somewhat of a 'minor' issue, the revolver isn't going to grenade on you...)
 
last night while working we stopped a know drug dealing gangbanging s@@tbag....during the scuffle with him his gun fell out of his pocket....I recovered the gun after we had him in custody...the interesting part is that the gun was a Smith and Wesson U.S. Army Model 1917. being a fan of guns I was horrified at the condition of this would be great revolver to own. out of curiosity can anyone give me the info on it, its serial number is S 5044.....thanks in advance.
 
its serial number is S 5044
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That's not a S&W serial number. See picture in post # 6505 above for serial number location. Model 1917 serial numbers ran from 1 in 1917 to 209791 in 1946 and had no prefix.

Jim
 
N Frame and K Frame dates

I have had these 2 revolvers for a Long Time. Bought them both used. I'd like to know just when they were made.
MODEL 28-2 N582XXX
Model 14-3 #14K0599
Thanks in advance.
 
its the only number that could be located.....there was no number where the other picture showed one.....could it just be 5044 then???
 
its the only number that could be located.....there was no number where the other picture showed one.....could it just be 5044 then???
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The serial # would also be stamped on the underside of the barrel where it attaches to the frame and on the back of the cylinder. If it is 5044 then it would be first year production. However, it sounds like it has seen some modifications.

Jim
 
I need Help ...... with a S /W I just aquirred

A model 19-3 / 357 in ' Mint ' Blued Condition !!!!!
The numbers are 2 K 251XX

Thanks For any help on finding out what year this Jem is from
 
Do me a favor:
Look at the trigger guard on your mint 19-3 and tell me if it looks "normal" and follows a static width along it's entire length...

..or is it possible that your trigger guard is shaved to HALF it's normal width at the front/muzzle end of the guard, and full thickness at the rear of the trigger guard, back toward the grip?

Reason I ask is: The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson by Supica & Nahas is one of the best methods for retrieving these serial number look-ups we do, and the book is PACKED with other information also.

It says in the book that some commercial 19-3 revolvers are on the market with this "leftover" shaved trigger guard. It was a feature of the special run of 19-3's that were produced as Texas Ranger Commemorative revolvers, one of which I happen to have.

I have no idea how few of these guns are out there (by that, I mean NON-Texas Ranger Commemorative but with the shaved trigger guard) and I'm always curious if someone happens to have one.

It would be unlikely that yours has this feature.
 
I checked the trigger gaurd as soon as I got back home

And ....Nope
Standard size all the way
Interesting sidenote on that model

The friend who I got this from has had it sitting on the shelf since '79
 
It is an interesting side note. From what I understand, Smith & Wesson has done things like this over the years. Not on purpose, simply to use up otherwise viable parts. The book gives no clue whatsoever how many might be out there, and those with it might carry some "premium" of value to a collector, but it would be hard to attach a number to it.

It's more of a curiosity than anything.

For a better idea or visual of what I'm talking about, run some image searches for the 19-3 Texas Rangers Commemorative and if you find a picture from the right angle, you'll see it. I can't see "much" that this feature would add in actual use, combat, target or otherwise, but it's noteworthy.

You have a great revolver. I do love mine.
 
Hi Guys,
I’m new here, so hello to everybody.
I have three S&W revolvers Mod 14-3 with numbers:
3K62032 - 77539 - G4
8K3477 - 55544 - A10
1K1432 - 54253
I just wonder if you could help me to establish when they were made. Is there anything else that I can find out by the numbers? I mean, is there any information coded in the numbers?
Which kind of bullets would be the best with these guns for target shutting?
What sort of twist of rifling do they have?
I would appreciate your help, please.
 
This is my first post here!

I have a S&W model 36 (no dash). The serial is 501xxx.

(This question has probably been asked before but I don't want to look at 131 pages to find it!) There is a 5-digit number stamped under the grips near the bottom & also on the crane. Does it have any significance?

Thanks!

John
 
I have three S&W revolvers Mod 14-3 with numbers:
3K62032 - 1972
8K3477 - 1975
1K1432 - 1970
Is there anything else that I can find out by the numbers? I mean, is there any information coded in the numbers?
Which kind of bullets would be the best with these guns for target shutting?
What sort of twist of rifling do they have?
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Smith & Wesson put different numbers on parts and in different places to assist them in the manufacturing process, but those numbers are meaningless after the production of the revolver... so far as we know. I am of the camp that someone who really, really knows the down & dirty process from the inside of the building might have a better idea of anything that could possibly be associated with those numbers. But for our uses, we can't seem to do anything with any of those numbers beyond the Model number, (14), the engineering change number (dash-3) and the serial number.

Bullets? Those guns were likely developed around the use of soft lead bullets of 158 grains in weight, but the Model 14 was a much loved and heavily used target gun of the day and as such... launched countless 148 grain full wadcutter bullets.

These days, any .357-.358" projectile... be it soft swaged lead, cast lead, copper plated or copper jacketed bullet between 110 grains and 180 grains in weight is perfectly "normal" for these guns. On fixed sighted guns (these are not), the gun would have been developed around a 158 grain slug.

And FWIW, Smith & Wesson does approve the use of modern .38 Special+P ammunition, if built by a reputable company and built to SAAMI standards.

Rifling? Standard land/groove rifling, though 5 of them, which makes a S&W a bit more annoying to slug/measure. Right hand twist, IIRC? And the twist rate... Someone else probably knows that one. :p

Welcome to TFL.
 
This is my first post here!

I have a S&W model 36 (no dash). The serial is 501xxx.

(This question has probably been asked before but I don't want to look at 131 pages to find it!) There is a 5-digit number stamped under the grips near the bottom & also on the crane. Does it have any significance?
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Also welcome to TFL. Please see info in post directly above for information with regards to all other numbers besides the serial number, model number and dash number.

Your serial number hits a spot in the book we use that is somewhat vague...
The book says that 1962 saw the the range at 295000 and that 1969 was 786544 so we know that your revolver was built in that 7-year window, but you can only guess at which year it was built. We like to try and guess according to the number... but admit that we truly have no idea if S&W made 400,000 of them in the first year and then merely tens of thousands in the following 6 years. :p

You bring up a good point about flipping back 131 pages of this thread, however. I'll bet there is a lot of interesting stuff to be found, just in this thread.

Oh, and to further what I said in the previous post with regards to +P ammo...
Smith & Wesson has taken the position that if the revolver in question has a stamped model number on it, then they green light the use of factory built .38 Special+P ammo unless the gun itself is otherwise marked to prohibit it.

It was in/on/around 1957 (IIRC?) that S&W began stamping model numbers on the revolvers.
 
Thank you very much Sevens!

Close enough on the date. I've had it over 20 years & have always been curious about the manufacture date.

I've read looooong threads in other forums, but none that were more than 20 pages. But, since I was looking for something specific, it was just easier to ask! I have browsed a few pages of this thread.

I've always wondered about the +P in the Chief's Special. Back when I bought it the general consensus was that +P should be fired RARELY, if at all. It was said that the pressure of the +P would stretch the cylinder & it would eventually fail in a most spectacular fashion! I've probably shot maybe 15 rounds of +P in all the time I have owned it. My usual practice ammo is mild 158 grain SWC handloads. I carry 129 grain Federal Hydra-Shok JHP +P in it.

Thanks!

John
 
Just as on any internet discussion forum (as you might imagine...) we argue to the bitter end on some topics... and on a few topics, we argue until we're blue in the face and then we take a two-week break and start arguing again! :p One of those things we go round-and-round about is +P ammunition.

To be specific about it, all ammo sold in this country by a reputable firm (from a real, known manufacturer and NOT "gun show reloads") are all built to an industry standard. In this case... SAAMI. The gun manufacturers agree to build their guns to withstand pressures just beyond what SAAMI has established as the limits for peak pressure in each caliber/chambering.

In the case of .38 Special, the standard is 17,000 PSI Max. And in the case of .38 Special+P, it's 18,500 PSI Max. You can see that the difference is really not all that much. Smith & Wesson "proof tests" all of the guns they ship, so that revolver should have been fired, more than once, with ammo that goes well beyond even the 18,500 PSI limit for .38 Special+P.

I suppose that in the real world, anything "could" happen. But I would submit that it's unlikely that any amount of .38 Special+P shooting would end in catastrophic failure. Increased wear? Sure. Rattle the gun loose, and take it's toll over time? Probably! But grenade it and send parts flying? :eek: I don't see it.

And just because I always do... it's worth adding to be wary of the "+P" moniker attached to factory ammo. It's only an official SAAMI standard rating in three different chamberings... 9mm, .38 Special and .45 Auto. A "+P" added to any other caliber is not to any standard and if sticking with industry standards... it's foolishly used. Still... some do it. Buffalo Bore does. Annoys me.
 
And just because I always do... it's worth adding to be wary of the "+P" moniker attached to factory ammo. It's only an official SAAMI standard rating in three different chamberings... 9mm, .38 Special and .45 Auto. A "+P" added to any other caliber is not to any standard and if sticking with industry standards... it's foolishly used. Still... some do it. Buffalo Bore does. Annoys me.
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I didn't know it was only supposed to be used on those calibers. Other than .40 S&W, I haven't owned anything chambered in calibers other than 9mm, .38 Special, 45 Auto. I've never noticed on .40 S&W if any have been marked with the +P.

(Forgot about 7.62 Tokarev. I've never purchased anything other than military ammo.)
 
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