If you are not sure where to look, remove the stocks and look over both sides of the butt-frame to find the assembly numbers/letters. There will be another matching on the rear of the cylinder and one on the rear of the top frame where the latch is located. All those should match. About the only other stamping on these old guns is the address stamp on the top rib of the barrel.

I am still on the fence about being 100% certain of a refinish. I tried to find one pit or mark on the gun that indicated re-bluing and cannot find it. I think the members are missing the important fact that the gun has the smoothest metal, near perfect screws, with little wear anywhere, so why would it have been refinished in the first place?? I wonder if it could have been cleaned resulting in a lightened color finish or gone over with a instant blue that changed the coloration somewhat? It remains a strong condition gun and probably in the top end of any that one will find in this model?? Hands on inspection with a qualified expert is the only way to be certain of the answer.

Over the years several Model 3s have shown up with mismatched serial numbered stocks and I wonder if yours left the factory that way? With the US contract guns being made alongside the commercial guns, it would certainly be possible that the switch was intentional. It is said that the factory never wasted anything and if there was a defective revolver frame coming out of the assembly process, it would have been stripped of every good part and those parts would simply go into another gun, including the stocks, so . . . ??? Can you tell if the fit is perfect or not quite up to the standards of S&W? Also, with the extreme curved butt-frame, if they fit well, probably were original.

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Gary
SWCA 2515