I picked up a m-28 no dash 4" barrel and what I would swear on a stack of shooter bibles is factory nickle finish. Serial S182xxx 4 screw with numbered service grips. Is it worth it to get a factory letter?

I seem to recall reading here that there was a batch of 28's nickel plated for Florida, it may be one of those. Someone may know that serial # range those were and if your's fits. A letter will end all speculation.

I believe the nickel Florida Highway Patrol M28s were 5".

Very, very few M28s were factory finished in the nickel. A search many turn up the threads concerning them.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

My FHP 28 was in the S192xxx serial number range. The guns are
marked, I think on the butt, as being FHP. Mine was a 5" gun, and I
think all of them were 5". S182xxx is too early, and its the wrong
barrel length. FHP also had some 5" model 19's in nickel - seems
they liked that barrel length.

There were a few - very few - 4" brushed nickel 28's, but they are much
later. Serial number range is N38xxx .

Its always possible that there were other batches of nickel 28's, so
a letter is probably worth it.

Regards, Mike Priwer

Is there an "N" stamp on the grip frame? Ed #15

and on the back of the cylinder?

__________________
ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

As always, nothing is impossible but the odds are not good. This is #57 on my 100 FAQs.
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A nickel plated S&W Model 28?

57. According to an expert I trust, S&W made 55 nickel 28-2s in 1972 on special order. These feature a brushed rather than bright finish and were in 4” barrel length. There were also a handful of Model 28s finished in bright nickel with 5” barrels sent for testing to the Florida Highway Patrol in 1960. The vast majority of nickel 28s are refinished and when contemplating the purchase of a nickel 28 I would assume this to be the case unless documented with a factory letter as otherwise.

__________________
No life story has happy end.

Did S&W mark the nickle guns with an "N" in the late 1950's?

Until Mr Jenks says it is so , I remain only hopeful for you to have such good fortune . On the other hand , I hope none of my guns turn out to be so rare and valuable , cause I ain't sellin them , and my kids might try to have me put in a home before I can shoot them out .

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Idaho , Elmer and Milt

The brushed nickel ones (54 of them) were all dash 2s 4" all shipped in June and July 1972.
The bright nickel FHP (25 of them) were all no dash 5" and were shipped in 1959 in the S189071 and S192687 range. They were all marked FHP 32 to 56.
Paul, your gun is earlier.

I also own a 28 no dash 4" 4 screw blue serial number S1821XX shipped in October 1958.
I also had a bright nickel one that I swore was factory, but Roy's letter proved me wrong.

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Dick

paul s...S&W stamped an N on the left side of the grip frame (and a few other places that varied over time) on their guns finished in nickel. However, the Model 28 was never cataloged in nickel and the one brushed nickel 28-2 that I owned and lettered as one of the fifty plus shipped in 1974 did not have an N stamped on it anywhere.

I don't know if the ones finished in polished nickel for the Florida Highway Patrol and shipped in 1960 have an N stamped on their grip frame or not, but these guns are fitted with a 5-inch barrel.

The odds are against your 28 being an original nickel revolver, but it is certainly worth the $50 for a factory letter to find out.

A question...are the ramp base and sight blade blue? If they are not, that is evidence the revolver was nickeled by someone other than S&W. Also, S&W did not offer a change of finish on the Model 28, so a blued one would not be refinished in nickel by the factory.

Bill

paul s, can you post some pictures? I'd love to see it even if it's not factory. I have one and love it.Really good shooting gun.

my fhp very rare

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