Help Identifying 38 Special

[Steve M.]

I bought this from a friend about 20 years ago. It's a Smith & Wesson 38 Special that was originally blued steel. When he sold it to me it was effectively a block of rust and it took me days to get it cleaned off (hence no more blue) and functioning again. It works fantastic since.

About 15 years ago I tried to identify it online and somehow came to the conclusion it was made between 1910 and 1912, but now have no idea about anything else or how I came to that idea either.

It's main unique feature is it has a 4 digit, all numeric, serial number (which I think was what led me to the dating the first time around). Besides that it's just a solid 38 special double action.

I have fond memories with it for sure, but it's not like it was handed down to me from my grandad or nothing, so if it turned out to be worth enough I'd consider selling it. Just don't want to waste time trying to sell it if it's not going to at least cover another revolver in it's place and enough extra for a little something more.

No matter how much I try and compress these images I can't seem to get more than one attached to this post at a time, so will upload the remaining photos here one at a time I guess.

[Steve M.]

Left side shot

[Steve M.]

Barrel markings.

[Steve M.]

Close up.

[Steve M.]

Well at this point it won't let me upload even one photo, hopefully this is just a new user restriction...

[derf]

I had one almost identical. Mine was a smith & Wesson 38 ctg post war police revolver. Mine had a number that I thought was a serial number on the frame. It wasn’t.  It was a factory assembly number and when I ran the number it came back as stolen. Police confiscated it.  Police contacted me the next day to tell me the gun had been reported in nearly 100 different locations nationwide and the number was not a serial number. They returned it that day  ( I owned the local gun shop at the time. ) 

[Steve M.]

27 minutes ago, derf said:

I had one almost identical. Mine was a smith & Wesson 38 ctg post war police revolver. Mine had a number that I thought was a serial number on the frame. It wasn’t.  It was a factory assembly number and when I ran the number it came back as stolen. Police confiscated it.  Police contacted me the next day to tell me the gun had been reported in nearly 100 different locations nationwide and the number was not a serial number. They returned it that day  ( I owned the local gun shop at the time. ) 

Was it a 4 digit serial (Or rather factory assembly number)?

Mine is printed in two locations, same number, once on the underside of the barrel and again underneath the grip, I think that part is called the butt?

Then there is a separate 4 digit number on the crane when you move back the ejector rod, I assumed that one was the assemply number as it only shows once and the other twice. Either way they are both 4 digit numeric nubers numbers.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Steve M.
typo

[derf]

I’m about to hit my pillow. I’ll dig out some of my old blue books tomorrow and see if I can answer this. 

[Grayfox54]

Smith & Wesson Military & Police 1st Model of 1899. More often simply called the Model of 1899. The lack of a locking lug at the front of the ejector rod and the round butt are specific to this model. 

This was the original .38 Special as both the cartridge and the gun were introduced that year. This is the beginning of the entire M&P and later Model 10 line.  Manufactured from 1899 to 1902. If you give me the serial number on the bottom of the butt,  I may be able to find the exact year. 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Grayfox54

[Steve M.]

7 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

Smith & Wesson Military & Police 1st Model of 1899. More often simply called the Model of 1899. The lack of a locking lug at the front of the ejector rod and the round butt are specific to this model. 

This was the original .38 Special as both the cartridge and the gun were introduced that year. This is the beginning of the entire M&P and later Model 10 line.  Manufactured from 1899 to 1902. If you give me the serial number on the bottom of the butt,  I may be able to find the exact year. 

Can you PM me? I can only reply to PMs, can't send them myself yet.

[Grayfox54]

PM sent. 

[derf]

12 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

Smith & Wesson Military & Police 1st Model of 1899. More often simply called the Model of 1899. The lack of a locking lug at the front of the ejector rod and the round butt are specific to this model. 

This was the original .38 Special as both the cartridge and the gun were introduced that year. This is the beginning of the entire M&P and later Model 10 line.  Manufactured from 1899 to 1902. If you give me the serial number on the bottom of the butt,  I may be able to find the exact year. 

All my books seem to agree with Grayfox54. 

[JustEd]

America's Right Arm