Hi, new on the forum. Been collecting(hoarding) smiths for years. Not a large collection, but enough(or until I find another one I like). Just picked up a 4th change lemon squeezer in 38 s&w caliber. It was covered in black paint and missing some parts, both have been taken care of. Trying to get a approximate DOB on this piece sn # 1298xx. I will post a picture as soon as I can. Any help with the dob would be helpful.
Thanks,Rick C.

Hello Rick C
Welcome to the forum. It was probably around 1900. Thats a best guess considering the number made, and when they began making the fourth model and when they quit. It would probably be with in one year of that, although they didn't always ship them in numerical order. It probably isn't worth paying the $50 for a factory letter (my opinion) when they start accepting applications for factory letters again in a month or two. A factory letter would give the exact day, month, and year it was shipped. Another alternative is to join the Smith & Wesson Collectors association and be able to get that information on any and all Smiths from Roy Jinks off of the official club website. It costs about the same amount as a letter and makes the shipping information available right at your finger tips.
Happy Smith & Wesson hoarding
Mark

Thanks, cflier. I thought it was about that old. It's a little worn, but still shoots. Most of my Smiths are not quite that old.(no internal lock models, just not my style)