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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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Old 10-17-2018, 01:29 AM
Abazurk Abazurk is offline
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Hey guy's I've been searching all over and can't find the exact model .38 special I have. If anyone could help me out it would be greatly appreciated.
From what I know it's a nickle plated .38 special 4 screw p&r revolver. The number behind the yolk is 721xx with a small 9 under those series of numbers with an N stamped under the barrel. Behind the right grip the numbers are 826xx and on the butt are C 378xxx.
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Old 10-17-2018, 05:59 AM
Andy Lowry Andy Lowry is offline
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Hey, that's a cool gun. It's a Military & Police from the 1950s. That configuration became the Model 10 in 1958, and since it has all the features of the 10, a lot of folks would call it a "pre-10". The numbers on the frame behind the crane were just for internal factory use in keeping parts together for assembly, so they don't have any secrets to tell. The serial number is the one on the butt, and includes the C. Yours probably shipped in late 1956 or early 1957.

I can't see enough of the grips to know if they're correct vintage or not, but the number inside them would have matched the serial number on the butt if they had been original. So they've probably been replaced at some point, which is not a really big deal unless you're a collector who wants the original box, papers, and grips.

I don't know anything about nickel, so I can't comment on the finish, though somebody here will!

Thanks for sharing the photos; I enjoyed seeing that this morning.
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:04 AM
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Nice M&P. Welcome to the forum from North Dakota
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Old 10-17-2018, 03:20 PM
Abazurk Abazurk is offline
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Okay here are a couple of photos of the grips and was also wondering if this particular gun also had a rear sight as well at one point in time?? Thanks again for the knowledge.
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Old 10-17-2018, 04:02 PM
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You have a what we call pre model 10. They called the gun a .38 Military and police back when it was made. Your grips are from a later gun but as already said is no big deal unless you are a collector. The gun's barrel is pinned but only magnum caliber guns had recessed cylinders the only exception being 22 long rifle revolvers they too had recessed cylinders. So your gun is not p/r only p. You can shoot any modern 38 special ammo. The notch in the rear is the rear sight. It is a convenient setup for holster and or concealed because it leaves nothing to get snagged on. The models with adjustable rear sights are different model guns from yours. Welcome and enjoy. I just realized that you said your gun is a 4 screw and it is a 4 screw with a heavy barrel so it can't be a pre model 10. If the cylinder charge holes are not indeed recessed then it is a model 10.

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Old 10-17-2018, 05:05 PM
k22fan k22fan is offline
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Welcome from Washington.

I can add that the barrel was replaced. The top front of your frame tapers down to blend with a standard or light weight tapered barrel. That could explain having a heavy barrel but no model number stamp. Cosmetically the heavy replacement barrel is not a great match. The N on the barrel flat indicates only that the barrel was nickel plated when it left S&W. The stocks lack the uncheckered diamond around the screw holes that stocks had until approximately 1968. Nit picking aside, it looks like a practical .38.
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Old 10-18-2018, 05:35 PM
Abazurk Abazurk is offline
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Alright so I've been digging around a little more and came across a site that has one for sale almost identical to mine except his has the trade mark on the right side and what k22fan had pointed out about the barrel. Now every model 10 I have came across on the interwebs has the trademark either on the right or the left is it common for some not to have this mark?
Another little piece of history about the gun is that it belonged to my wife's side of the family and belonged to her grandmother. She was a sheriff at the Sullivan county sheriff's department in NY and was the gun she carried while assigned to the Woodstock festivals in 1969. I'm just trying to dig up as much history I can on it because without history what would we really have today?

Last edited by handejector; 10-18-2018 at 08:56 PM.
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