[langtitle=sk]serial numbers up to december 31, 1890[/langtitle]

perun · #1 07-02-2010, 10:17 PM

[lang=sk]Hello everyone!
It is nice to find such interesting forum. I would like to ask you for help. In my country - Slovakia, we can buy and sell historical firearms made up to december 31, 1890 without licence. If I want to buy a S&W from internet or auction, it is important to me to find out if the particular gun was really made before the date I mentioned. If is not It could make me troubles. Is there any good book or method or internet source where I can find out what are the latest serial numbers for s&w made before dec. 31, 1890? I am especially interested in top break pocket models. Thank you in advance.[/lang]

opoefc · #2 07-02-2010, 11:50 PM

Perun, Welcome to the Forum. Unfortunately, I do not believe there is any thing in print that can tell you exactly if a S&W was made before or after Dec. 31, 1890. In the United States the rule is 1898 instead of 1890 and there are publications that help you decide when a S&W was made, or shipped, in relation to the 1898 date. If you are not a member of the S&W Collectors Assoc., I would suggest you consider joining as one of the benefits is that Roy Jinks, S&W Historian, can tell you, usually within a few days, from factory records, when a S&W was shipped from the factory. There is a separate catagory on this forum for that information( Shipping dates). Good luck, Ed #15

perun · #3 07-03-2010, 03:20 AM

[lang=sk]Thanks opoefc for your invitation. I wil check SW Collectors Assc. and their membership conditions.[/lang]

cflier · #4 07-05-2010, 08:15 PM

Hello Perun,

Of course all of the tip up rimfire S&Ws were made prior to 1890. You specifically asked about top break guns and there are some models that were shipped before the end of 1890. The 38 single action"Baby Russian" fits that category as does the 32 DA first and second models, the 38 1st model Double Action and the 1st and 2nd model 38 Safety Hammerless guns. Many more models will fall into that time frame also but it depends on the serial number and they weren't shipped in perfect numerical order. That is why I 2nd Ed's suggestion that if anyone is seriaous about this they should join the S&WCollectors association and thereby gain the ability to get exact shipping dates within a day or two of requesting the information.

Mark