Before I did anything, I'd see if I could get a local law enforcement agency to run the serial number through their NCIC system to see if it's listed as a lost or stolen firearm. If it is, you will lose it, but if you can prove where you obtained it, and can establish that it was stripped when you bought it from the estate, then you likely won't face any thing other than the loss of the frame. It's a **** shoot, but my antenna is quivering. Why would anyone strip a perfectly good revolver down to the frame? There could be reasons, but it's not too likely unless there was a problem with the frame and they could salvage some money through the sale of the stripped parts. Lots of things don't necessarily make sense, but you gotta wonder.

It'd sure be sad to go to the trouble and expense to return that frame to a functioning revolver and then find out the serial number is trouble! And BTW, fitting a sideplate that comes from a different revolver can be done, but hardly ever perfectly and not without a LOT of tedious handwork!

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So long ... Ken