Dating a Smith & Wesson Revolver: This list is merely a general guide and not meant to be exact. There is some dispute regarding the dates on some serial numbers. Your gun may actually be a year off from what is listed. The precise shipping date as 'lettered' can be several years off depending on model. Smith and wesson model 686 serial number lookup Jan 28, 2011 418 18 Terre Haute I just bought two model 10 Smiths. One is a 10-5 serial D7461XX. The other is a model 10-6 serial D5801XX. I am curious about year made. Is there a good website I can look up information on these? Thanks guys Feb 15, 2013 10,674 83 IN Call S&W customer service. The N refers to the frame size. The stainless steel version of the Model 29 is the Model 629 which came out in 1980. I assume the hammer and trigger on yours are case-hardened and the ejector is blued. If so, you have a nickel revolver from the factory. There should be a 'N' on the cyl.
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Feb 03, 2017 The 'alphanumeric' - letters followed by numbers - serial numbers began in 1980. The S&W L frames, your Mod 586, were the first S&W's produced with this type of serial number. Yours then was produced in 1980-81 with some of that serial number as late as Oct of 1982. It's is very nice 357, one of the first ones too.
The classic Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum is a stunning piece with an intriguing history, and it's still a very popular item with collectors.
Smith And Wesson Revolver Serial Number Lookup
What makes the Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum so collectable?
Smith And Wesson Firearm Serial Number Lookup
Smith & Wesson obtained exclusive rights to use this. Serial numbers for the First and.2008-9-26 Smith dates, model numbers and SNs. The best thing that a Smith&Wesson enthusiast can. '559y53' doesn't appear to be a serial number for a.2012-4-30 smith and wesson serial number search,. Smith wesson serial numbers.
- Introduced in 1935 and built on the large N-Frame, Smith & Wesson's .357 Magnum was a classic revolver
- Highly collectable, the .357 Magnum models are those produced before S&W introduced its numbering system in 1957
- Registered .357 Magnum revolvers are the most valuable, with values ranging from $7,500 to $10,000, or more, depending on who owned them
- With an intriguing history and a variety of models, the .357 Magnum will likely continue to be a desirable collector's item
Smith And Wesson Model 10 Serial Number Lookup
When the .38 Special cartridge was introduced in 1902 it was a considerable improvement over the earlier black-powder .38s of the 1870s — the .38 Long Colt and .38 Smith & Wesson. The .38 Special was a well-balanced, all-around cartridge and quickly became popular with law enforcement and the military, as well as with civilian shooters. Before long it became the standard to which all other revolver cartridges were compared.
For much of the 20th century, any time you saw a revolver on a policeman's belt, it was a probably a .38 Special. But there were exceptions. By the early 1930s, the automobile began to change life in the U.S. Unfortunately, among these changes was a surge in bank robberies, with the bad guys making their getaways in fast cars. Lawmen saw a need for a more powerful cartridge than the .38 Special, something that could penetrate the steel doors and bodies of an automobile. This was not to replace the .38 Special but to give an option to lawmen in various agencies.
One option was the .38 Super in Colt's 1911 semi-auto pistol. For several reasons, however, many in law enforcement had not yet accepted this great cartridge/gun combination. This was a time when the semi-auto was still not fully trusted, and the same could be said about expanding bullets in automatics (though the FMJ .38 Super penetrated auto bodies very well). But in the 1930s, the revolver was still king.
For several years, gun writers Elmer Keith, Philip Sharpe and others had been experimenting with powerful .38 Special handloads. Their results encouraged the engineers at Winchester's ammunition division to take on the project, and by 1934, the .357 Magnum was born. By adding about a tenth of an inch to the case length of the .38 Special, velocity almost doubled to 1,515 feet per second for a 158-grain bullet out of an 8.375-inch barrel. The first handgun cartridge worthy of the name Magnum was a reality. It was an immediate success.
Smith And Wesson Serial Number Lookup
Now, for the gun to shoot it. The concept of a heavy-duty .38 Special was not new. In 1930, Smith & Wesson had introduced the .38/44 (.38 on a .44 frame) revolver, which was designed for high-pressure .38 Special loads. As the name suggests, the .38/44 was made on the large N-frame, which dated back to the .44 Hand Ejector Triple Lock of 1908. It was no surprise, then, when the .357 Magnum was built on the N-frame.
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The cartridge and the Smith & Wesson revolver were both introduced in 1935, with the handgun given the same name as the cartridge. Essentially a custom-made, hand-fitted gun, it could be ordered with virtually any barrel length from 3½ to 8¾ inches. Standard features included adjustable rear and post front sights, blue or nickel finish and a checkered rib atop the barrel. Six different rear sights were available, and an interchangeable front sight blade was included for use with .38 Special ammunition.
Smith And Wesson Handgun Serial Number Search
Many of the first .357 Magnum models were registered in the name of the original owner and came with a certificate listing the serial number and any custom features. According to Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, 4th Edition (Gun Digest Books, 2016) by Jim Supica and Richard Nahas, it is believed that about 5,224 Registered .357 Magnums were made between 1935 and 1939, and 1,142 Non-Registered models were made between 1938 and 1941.
S&W .357 Magnum Gun Values
The Registered .357 Magnum models are the most collectible of all Smith & Wesson revolvers today, and there is nothing to indicate that this is likely to change in the near future. Non-Registered .357 Magnums are also very much sought after by collectors, in part because fewer of them were made. Estimated values for Registered models in Very Good to Excellent condition with registration certificate and original box range from $7,500 to $10,000, and for Non-Registered guns from $4,500 to $7,500. New-In-Box models can demand $18,000 to $20,000. Of course, special models and celebrity-owned examples can go for much more. Elmer Keith's personal prototype, for example, brought $28,750 at a James D. Julia Auction in 2015.
Most students of Smith & Wesson know that serial number 1 was presented to J. Edgar Hoover, the first Director of the F.B.I. This was in April of 1935. Currently, the location of this gun is a mystery, but in collector's circles it is believed to still exist. What's its value? One can only guess.
Among the rare features that can significantly increase the value of a .357 Magnum model is a nickel finish. It is believed that no more than 150 to 175 nickel guns were made. Some value estimates say these guns are worth double what blued models would bring. Special grips can also make a big difference. Less than 50 .357 Magnum revolvers are believed to have been shipped with factory ivory, pearl or stag grips. Factory engraved models are very rare; less than a dozen were made.
Keep in mind that before buying or selling any of the models mentioned here it is very important to obtain a letter of authentication detailing the features of the gun in question and when and to whom it was shipped. For more information, contact Smith-WessonForum.com, where you can download a form to use for the letter. Cost for this service currently is $75, which is money well spent.
The serial number range for the pre-war .357 Magnum revolvers started at 45756 and ended with 62489 in 1941 when the U.S. entered World War II. This range of numbers also includes those for other N-frame models. After the war, production resumed in 1946 with an 'S' prefix added to the serial number at S71801. These early transitional post-war models of the .357 Magnum are quite collectible, especially those with longer barrel lengths.
Smith & Wesson made a few changes to the .357 Magnum in 1950, including the new short-throw hammer design. In 1957, the company went to a numbering system for each handgun, and the .357 Magnum became the Model 27. The name had changed, but it was still a beautiful example of the gunmaker's art. When I was a young lad, I remember a photograph of a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum with a 3½-inch barrel in my early '50s edition of Shooter's Bible. I would frequently pick up the book and turn to the S&W section to look at the photo again and again. That was a gun!
Editor's Note: This 'Collector's Corner' column is an excerpt from the June 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
One look inside the 72nd edition of Gun Digest and you'll understand why it's called 'The World's Greatest Gun Book.' Gun Digest 2018 is jammed full of the comprehensive, enlightening and eye-catching information that firearms fanatics crave. No matter if your passion is long-range rifles, fancy shotguns, gritty Old West single-action revolvers, sleek semi-auto pistols or cutting-edge tactical rifles, Gun Digest brings them all to life and raises your firearms IQ. Get Your Copy Now
In my humble opinion, the 3-1/2″ Model 27 is the definition of 'bad ass' in the revolver world! Carried one as a duty gun back in the 70's and I sure wish I still had it!
11-12-2006, 02:25 AM | #10 | ||
The publication date for the third edition of Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson has been moved up to January. That information is among the useful material it should include. |
Hello to all. I have received an old Smith and Wesson 38 special pistol which was passed to me from my grandfather. I have no documentation on the gun and would like to know how old it is and any details the serial number might tell. Going postal movie torrent download. The serial number is a five digit number on the bottom of the gun between the two sided hand grip.
Thank you very much for your time and the detailed reply. That was a lot of great info, especially the load recommendations as I would have more than likely made the mistake of using an improper round.
One of the reasons I bought this piece is that it has an entertaining history. Apparently it was a duty weapon for an San Jose area officer in the 60's and 70's and then was eventually sold as a private transaction to an officer at my department around 1980. Shortly after that it was stolen from the officers home during a burg. and used in a crime/shootout (actully true though I thought he was pulling my leg at first) and eventually returned after being collected by San Jose PD at the crime scene. Since then it has collected dust in our department safe until this past week when I purchased it.
I checked the grip and it doesn't match the diamond pattern in the picture, so it must have been replaced at some point. The person I bought it from believes the original owner was an armorer for his department and he believes a custom trigger was also installed.
I've attached a couple of pics. The gun is actually in much better shape than the pics make it look as it had 20+ years of dust/grime on it at the time the pics were taken. The only real wear is some light to moderate holster burn at the muzzle. So neither of us knew what it was worth and we eventually agreed on $120. Since the guy I bought it from is a good friend I don't have any intention of taking him for a ride. Do I owe him some more money? Thank you again for your help.
Smith Wesson Ctg Serial Number
A descendant of the .38 Hand Ejector Military & Police Model of 1899, Smith & Wesson's first swing-out-cylinder revolver to chamber the then-new .38 Special cartridge, the Victory model, was an updated wartime production version introduced in 1942. It was ultimately supplied to every branch of the American armed forces as well as British Commonwealth countries during WWII and continued in production until 1945.
By 1942, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police Model 1899 revolver had morphed through several upgrades and modifications to what was then known as the '.38 Hand Ejector Military & Police Model of 1905, Fourth Change.' During those 42-plus years of manufacture, almost 1 million of these medium-framed revolvers were produced. On April 24, 1942, when serial numbers for the M&P series reached 1 million, a new series was initiated, with serial numbers beginning, for the first time, with a letter prefix. The letter 'V' was chosen, with the first revolver in the sequence numbered V1. This new series of revolvers was nicknamed the Victory model to signify Smith & Wesson's hopes for a quick victory and an end to the war.
Fighting For Victory
Before the United States entered World War II, Smith & Wesson had been producing a variation of the M&P revolver for British Commonwealth nations. Except for its chambering, it was practically identical to the commercial variation in production at the time.
This British version, at their request, was designed to fire the .38 Smith & Wesson round (not the .38 Special), a slightly less powerful cartridge loaded with a heavier 200-grain lead round-nose (LRN) bullet. This round became known as the .38/200, and the revolver built to fire it was known as the .38/200 British service revolver.
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To meet the needs of the UK's war effort, from early 1940 until early 1941, most of Smith & Wesson's revolver production was directed at the manufacture of this variant. These British service revolvers were serialized in the M&P series and were initially supplied with barrels of 4, 5 and 6 inches. Early guns were brightly blued, then brush-polished blued and then sandblasted blued, with those produced later in the run wearing a sandblasted Parkerized finish.
By February of 1941, production of the British service revolver had increased sufficiently to let Smith & Wesson reintroduce the .38 Special-chambered Military & Police revolver. With the United States' entry into the war in December of 1941, the British version and a U.S. version chambered in .38 Special were produced concurrently, with both models numbered within the new V-prefixed serial number range.
British guns were produced only with 5-inch barrels, and the American version came with a 2- or 4-inch tube. With the war in full force, both models wore a sandblasted Parkerized exterior. Although some early guns were issued with checkered walnut grips with S&W medallions, most had grips made of plain, smooth walnut. All Victory models had square-butt frames, and lanyard rings also came standard. The weight of an unloaded 4-inch-barreled version was 34 ounces.
The revolver's sights were fixed, with the front consisting of a half-moon blade forged integrally with the barrel, and the rear was a trough milled into the topstrap. The hammers sported narrow, knurled spurs, and the triggers were serrated. Unlike the rest of their Parkerized exteriors, these parts were casehardened.
Making Changes
During its production run, several minor design changes were introduced on the Smith & Wesson Victory model to facilitate increased production and, in one case, improve safety. After production of about 769,000 revolvers in the series, Smith & Wesson incorporated a new hammer-block safety system after receiving reports of a failure with the old system in which a dropped revolver fired.
Smith And Wesson Model Serial Number Lookup For Equipment
With the introduction of this new hammer block, the factory changed the prefix on its numbering system from 'V' to 'VS' to allow for easy identification of revolvers. Partially completed revolvers—those with frames already numbered but of the old style—were upgraded with the new safety system, and an 'S' was added to the beginning of their serial numbers, creating a third prefix—'SV'—within the Victory series' wartime production run.
The last Smith & Wesson Victory model revolver, serial number VS811119, was produced in August of 1945. When Smith & Wesson resumed commercial production of the Military & Police model in late 1945, as the war had been won and the letter 'V' was dropped from the serial number prefix. The first commercially produced M&P revolver assembled after war's end bore serial number S811120.
About 850,000 Smith & Wesson Victory model revolvers of both chamberings were produced. Many of the lend-lease British revolvers found their way back to the United States, where they were rechambered for the more popular .38 Special cartridge. That conversion that didn't work well because of the slightly larger diameter of the .38/200 round, which left rechambered cylinders somewhat oversized. I owned one of these converted revolvers in the 1970s, and although it was shootable, the spent cases were somewhat bulged and distorted, and the extraction of fired cases was often recalcitrant. For the S&W collector's sake, I wish they'd have left these guns alone.
Personal Collection
The Smith & Wesson Victory model featured in this article is from my personal collection, where it's resided since 1984. According to a letter of authenticity obtained from Smith & Wesson historian Roy Jinks, this six-shot revolver was shipped on May 16, 1944, to the U.S. Navy in Virginia. It's typical in all respects, with its sandblasted Parkerized exterior and plain, unadorned walnut grips.
![Smith And Wesson Model Serial Number Lookup Smith And Wesson Model Serial Number Lookup](https://snwcdnprod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/media/image003%20(1).gif)
With the introduction of this new hammer block, the factory changed the prefix on its numbering system from 'V' to 'VS' to allow for easy identification of revolvers. Partially completed revolvers—those with frames already numbered but of the old style—were upgraded with the new safety system, and an 'S' was added to the beginning of their serial numbers, creating a third prefix—'SV'—within the Victory series' wartime production run.
The last Smith & Wesson Victory model revolver, serial number VS811119, was produced in August of 1945. When Smith & Wesson resumed commercial production of the Military & Police model in late 1945, as the war had been won and the letter 'V' was dropped from the serial number prefix. The first commercially produced M&P revolver assembled after war's end bore serial number S811120.
About 850,000 Smith & Wesson Victory model revolvers of both chamberings were produced. Many of the lend-lease British revolvers found their way back to the United States, where they were rechambered for the more popular .38 Special cartridge. That conversion that didn't work well because of the slightly larger diameter of the .38/200 round, which left rechambered cylinders somewhat oversized. I owned one of these converted revolvers in the 1970s, and although it was shootable, the spent cases were somewhat bulged and distorted, and the extraction of fired cases was often recalcitrant. For the S&W collector's sake, I wish they'd have left these guns alone.
Personal Collection
The Smith & Wesson Victory model featured in this article is from my personal collection, where it's resided since 1984. According to a letter of authenticity obtained from Smith & Wesson historian Roy Jinks, this six-shot revolver was shipped on May 16, 1944, to the U.S. Navy in Virginia. It's typical in all respects, with its sandblasted Parkerized exterior and plain, unadorned walnut grips.
Although I wouldn't call its exterior crudely finished, with its telltale mill marks and obvious lack of other surface preparation, it's recognizable as a wartime production arm. As is typical within the serial number range of the revolver, the left side of the topstrap is marked 'U.S. Property,' followed by the initials 'G.H.D.,' which is the acceptance mark of Guy H. Drewry, ordnance officer at the time. The initial 'P,' a proof marking, appears on the frame, cylinder and the underside of the barrel.
While lacking in aesthetics, this piece functioned smoothly and locked up as tightly as any Smith & Wesson revolver produced today, with minimal side-to-side cylinder play and fore and aft movement present. Its barrel/cylinder gap measured a borderline excessive 0.012 inches, but it had nice, smooth single- and double-action pull weights of 4.5 and 9.25 pounds, respectively.
Though the revolver bears a few mars on its finish and grips, those appear to be more in line with handling and storage dings rather than battle scars. There's just a shadow of a cylinder drag line, and from that and all other appearances, the gun looks to have been relatively unused and fired little. During my ownership, I had never fired it. But that would soon change.
Shooting Impressions
For much of WWII, the issued round for the Smith & Wesson Victory model (and any other .38 Special firearm, such as the Colt Commando revolver) would have had a 158-grain, full-steel-jacketed, copper-flash-coated bullet in compliance with the established rules of land warfare. From the 4-inch barrel of a Victory, the military loading of that projectile was reputed to travel about 850 fps at the muzzle. A 120- or 158-grain red-tipped tracer round was also standard issue for this revolver at that time, to be used by naval and marine aircrews for emergency signaling.
Not having any period ammunition, I selected two commercial round-nose .38 Special loadings from my ammunition stash: a 150-grain, copper-washed loading from Winchester's Super-X line, and the other a 158-grain lead-projectile round from Federal. I also acquired a few military loadings to try, but those were head-stamped 'RA' and '67,' indicating they were of much more modern manufacture. The loads also used a lighter 130-grain FMC projectile.
With targets set at 20 yards and my chronograph screens at 10 feet, I fired several five-shot groups with the commercial offerings but only two groups with the military rounds because of my limited supply. Groups with all the loadings formed in the 2.25- to 2.75-inch range, with each varying from my point of aim to one degree or another.
Smith And Wesson 38 Special Serial Number Lookup By Name
The 150-grain Winchester +P rounds hit about 5 inches above and 2 inches right of my hold at 20 yards. Hits with the heavier, slower Federal offering were just as high but well centered. My Victory revolver liked the newer, lighter-bullet Remington military loads the best, hitting quite close to my point of aim from the 20-yard mark. From 7 yards, it was easy to keep a quick six shots fired in double-action mode within the 4-inch bullseye I aimed at. As expected, the old warhorse functioned perfectly throughout the session.
Authentic Leather
Because many of the Smith & Wesson Victory model revolvers were used by U.S. Navy and Marine pilots and crews during WWII, it seemed only natural to showcase it in this article with a modern rendition of the holster it was most often issued with and carried in during the war. Because of the tight confines in military aircraft, the shoulder holster was the primary mode of carry for this weapon, as it kept the gun high, secure and out of the way, yet positioned so access was quick and easy.
El Paso Saddlery makes a superb rendering of this holster for many handguns with barrels from 3 to 8.375 inches long. Called the 1942 Tanker holster, it's patterned closely after the M3 rig most often associated with this weapon. It's an across-the-shoulder setup with a 1.5-inch-wide support strap fabricated from saddle-grade leather. This strap is sewn to the holster at one end and secured at the other by a buckle and D-ring, allowing adjustability for various body sizes or types of clothing. The main pouch is formed from one piece of leather folded over and sewn to accommodate the weapon it would carry.
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The backside of the holster is cut so it forms a back plate of sufficient size to form a barrier between the weapon and wearer, and to provide stability to the weapon and holster. It's also a quick and efficient way to build a holster system, a highly desired trait in times of war. The revolver is secured in the pouch by a safety strap that fastens, like the original, with a lift-dot fastener. A second strap is sewn at the bottom of the holster for securing the system to your belt.
Although originals were unlined, El Paso Saddlery offers this upgrade. The contrasting pigskin, folded and sewn along the top of its pouch, adds a nice custom touch to the holster ensemble. A slot cut horizontally into the pouch (like that of an original) allows a little extra room to accommodate the weapon's cylinder.
Smith And Wesson Model 18
Offered plain or embossed with one of several military designations (like 'US,' 'USAF,' 'USN' or 'USMC'), mine came with the most commonly encountered 'US' marking. When adjusted to your individual girth, this holster is easy and quick to put on and take off, and it carries the gun comfortably and accessibly. Like all products I've reviewed from El Paso Saddlery, the Tanker rig is made from high-quality materials, is extremely well assembled and fits my Victory revolver like it was sewn around it.
A basic Tanker for handguns in the 3- to 5-inch barrel range costs $119, with an extra $8 if barrels are longer. The lining will add $25, and if you're looking for something really special, you can have yours basket-, border- or fish-scale stamped or carved in a floral pattern, and those extras are priced accordingly. The 1942 Tanker is available in russet or black. Although a replica of a military holster, today's Tanker remains a great holster for hunters, pilots and drivers.
Still On Duty
As it turns out, 'Victory' was a pretty good name for these old revolvers, and the M&P series is still available today in Smith & Wesson's Classic line. It's still a workhorse capable of protecting yourself and your home.
Smith & Wesson Victory Specs
Caliber: .38 Special |
Barrel: 4 inches |
OA Length: 8.98 inches |
Weight: 34 ounces (empty) |
Grips: Walnut |
Sights: Front blade, notch rear |
Action: DA/SA |
Finish: Parkerized |
Capacity: 6 |
MSRP: N/A |
Smith & Wesson Victory Performance
38 Special Songs
Load | Velocity | Accuracy |
---|---|---|
Federal 158 LRN | 730 | 2.61 |
Remington 67 130 FMC | 726 | 2.70 |
Winchester/Western 150 +P | 880 | 2.25 |
*Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best five-shot groups at 20 yards. Morrowind level up mod.
For more information, visit smith-wesson.com. For more on the 1942 Tanker holster, visit epsaddlery.com.
Smith Wesson Serial Number Database
This article is from 'Military Surplus' 2018. To order a copy and subscribe, visit outdoorgroupstore.com.