When did S&W put the serial number on the grips?

C

Carmady

New member
I looked and couldn't find. I've read about some S&W's with grips "numbered to the gun," sometimes numbered in pencil, sometimes stamped.

On K-frames, is there any type of pattern as to when and/or how the grips were numbered?
 
The number should be stamped inside on the right grip panel.

Smith&Wesson stopped serial numbering the grips mid to late 1970s.

Smith started numbering grips of the M&P in 1899, when production started.
 
Early grips were numbered in pencil. Sometime before WWII they started stamping the numbers, but I don't know exactly when. My 1917 vintage .455 MkII has them in pencil and on my 1942 Victory model they are stamped.
 
So original 1950s - late 1970s grips should be stamped on the right grip panel. Thanks. That's what I was wanting to find out.
 
I should also mention that the reason they put the serial number on the grips was because they were closely fitted to the gun before it went to final finishing. Since target grips didn't have to be so closely fitted, they weren't numbered.
 
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