Smith and Wesson serial number search
- Thread starter Driveout02
- Start date
I am trying to get a date of manufacture on a S&W 44 special CTG. The ser. # is
574 and was a service revolver owned and used by a friends grandfather in the portland Maine police department for many years - From 1905 to 1940. Condition by the looks of photos seems well cared for, with some patches of blue compromised and I understand it to be in full working order. Appears to be a very nice family heirloom. Any other info and impressions would be appreciated.
I assume it would be in the broad range of $1000-2000.
I'm new to the forum but will try and post pictures if I can but they are in a funky format.
Thank you
574 and was a service revolver owned and used by a friends grandfather in the portland Maine police department for many years - From 1905 to 1940. Condition by the looks of photos seems well cared for, with some patches of blue compromised and I understand it to be in full working order. Appears to be a very nice family heirloom. Any other info and impressions would be appreciated.
I assume it would be in the broad range of $1000-2000.
I'm new to the forum but will try and post pictures if I can but they are in a funky format.
Thank you
f75gunslinger
Inactive
After finding your forum through a search..I registered to ask a question in this thread, and for future learning. So on to my question....I'm looking at a S&W .38 m&p revolver,and was trying to figure out how old it was. It's numbered 1529xx on the butt, and under the crane is 14437. Any help you guys can give would be greatly appreciated.
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First, ensure that you've got the right serial number on these old ones by checking all three places it should appear. On the bottom of the grip frame/butt, on the underside of the barrel just over the ejector rod and also on the breech-end of the cylinder where you can see it when loading rounds in to the chambers.
It is likely going to be that six digit 1529xx you reported. If that's it, it should be a .38 Hand Ejector Military & Police Model of 1905, 3rd Change, and yours seems low in the number range for that series which was made between 1909 and 1915. The book claims that 94,803 of these were built.
The other number is of little use now, was helpful inside S&W when it was made.
It is likely going to be that six digit 1529xx you reported. If that's it, it should be a .38 Hand Ejector Military & Police Model of 1905, 3rd Change, and yours seems low in the number range for that series which was made between 1909 and 1915. The book claims that 94,803 of these were built.
The other number is of little use now, was helpful inside S&W when it was made.
f75gunslinger
Inactive
Thank you so much for the info...I'll have another look at it.
Most often, we look this SN's up in the appendix of a phenomenal reference book, The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson by Jim Supica and Richard Nahas. This book is currently on it's 3rd Edition (2007) and if they publish a 4th, I'll pay pre-order hardcover price for the beast, I want a new one soooooo much.
However... the one I do have is only the 2nd Edition. As such, it cuts off at it's publish date of 2001.Tells me that the 686-5 was released in 2001. If yours is a dash-6, it's post-2001 and I can't help more than that. 3rd Edition would help, sorry.
1973-1974, going by the numbers... 1974 seems more likely.
But I'm finding yet another head-scratcher... the appendix suggests only Models 10, 12, 13, 14 and 45 had the D serial number prefix. Is it possible that it's a 1D or 2D prefix?
Terrific revolver, I've got one also but mine is a dash-5 from 1992. Love it for sure.
Heavy or tapered barrel?
I hit you up in the other thread, but I can only say...
I am a revolver guy! And if I didn't already have a bunch of K-frames... but knowing what I know now... I would trade a lot of other different stuff to get a good one.
For me, cylinder timing is more important than almost any other aspect of one of these. Check Jim March's excellent "revolver check-out" guide to learn how to interview the gun before you buy it.
I can't imagine you'd have a stitch of regret after getting one of these as long as the function checks pass.
I am a revolver guy! And if I didn't already have a bunch of K-frames... but knowing what I know now... I would trade a lot of other different stuff to get a good one.
For me, cylinder timing is more important than almost any other aspect of one of these. Check Jim March's excellent "revolver check-out" guide to learn how to interview the gun before you buy it.
I can't imagine you'd have a stitch of regret after getting one of these as long as the function checks pass.