Roy G. Jinks

Since I am on the phone every day with lots of different collectors, it is apparent that some new collectors do not have the facts about Smith & Wesson's. Therefore I decided I would share some notes with everyone so that they can help the beginners or the little old lady who just found the gun in the attic.

The barrel length is measured from the front face of the cylinder.

Smith & Wesson's official serial number is on the butt of the revolver. The serial number...

I will give you a general outline of the manufacture process up to the 1957 period when the soft fitting department was eliminated. The company is divided into departments, forging, frame, barrel, cylinder, small parts, heat treat, stocking department, soft fitting, polishing, finishing, hard fitting, test range, final inspection, shipping. The flow is roughly in that order.

Bar stock is forged into frames, barrels, hammers, triggers, and side plates stamped from flat stock. These...