Hello all, I am a new member here and I am hoping that someone here can help me.

I inherited this revolver, which I believe is a M1880 in .38, this pistol has been passed down for quite a while in my family and hopefully between the pictures ( I haven't been able to attach the photos for some reason, hopefully someone can help point me in the right direction while I work on the photo issue, thanks) and some back story, which I believe may be helpfull, someone may be able to give me some information on it. I also believe the holster that is with is is the original. There is no serial number anywhere on it so unfortunately I can't just look that up, but I would like any available info including the price( not that I want to sell it, just for the info).

As the story goes; my great-grandfather, great-grandmother, and my grandfather immigrated to the US from Germany at the beginning of WWI, a little interesting side note is that they decided to change the spelling of our last name because it was the same as a steel company in Germany making tanks and they wanted no involvement at all. My great-grandfather joined the US military after he immigrated and was given this pistol, which he used while in the service. Then, my grandfather, used the pistol while working as a security guard in highschool, until he joined the USAF. The gun was used by him, as a back-up pistol during his career in the Air Force, which he retired as a colonel, but he still took it to the range. It was then passed down to my father who also liked to carry it as a back-up while he was in the Air Force( unfortunately I was unable to continue the tradition of helping defend this country, since I was in a car accident in highschool that broke my back). This pistol has recently been given to me by my father, unfortunately, most of the info has just been forgotten over the years. Not sure if the back story helps any in identifying the revolver, but I figure any little bit helps. I look forward to holding on to this very treasured family heirloom along with a very substanchial cache of firearms that my other grandfather, my mothers father, left to me which he sent home during his many years over seas, all of these fire arms are very treasured possessions that I hope to some day pass on. I thank you for taking the time to read this, and any information would be great. Thank you and God bless America.

Fighting the Good Fight,
Zac

Pictures Zac, pictures.

Go to Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket and upload your photos from your camera. Then, choose the image file of your picture and post it over here.

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Ralph J.

Thanks magnumdood! I will put the photos up in just a minute.

Fighting the Good Fight
Zac

Thanks again to magnumdood for helping me out with my uploading issues, I am of a firm belief, though I am probably one of the few in my generation, that technology came it it's peak with the 1911.
Here are the photos, now hopefully someone can help me out;

Zac, welcome to the forum. That looks like a .38 Double Action, Third Model, but if the serial number is over 323000, it would be a Fourth Model. These two types appear very similar. The change occurred about 1895.

The Third Model of the .38 Double Action was in production from 1884-1895; the Fourth Model from 1895-1909. I got this information from reference books about S&W revolvers.

Can you give us the serial number off the butt? We might be able to approximate a year of manufacturing (or at least a year of shipping) more closely.

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David Wilson

After going back over the pistol very thouroghly, I believe I have finnally located the serial number, it is EXTREMELY warn, but it looks like it is 3095, here is a photo, let me know what you guys think.



Fighting the Good Fight,
Zac

The number would make it a very early .38 Double Action. Do you see the same number on the rear cylinder face, or on the rear of the top strap in the recesses where the T shaped latch that opens the gun is lifted up? The latter numbers can be very hard to see.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Great old S&W Zak - by the looks of the right grip, this was carried a ton as your family history indicates.

If the serial number is below 4000, as your picture indicates, this is a fairly scarce 1st Model .38 DA. 4000 were manufactured in 1880. It is possible that there is a fourth number worn away, and that is why it is important to check in other locations on the frame and cylinder to verify the sn.

Due to the fact that this revolver was carried for many years, it's condition would adversely affect value, but the major value here is the fact that 4 generations of one family have owned this .38!

I make those numbers on the butt as 3915, with bare traces of two other numbers in front.

That gun can cannot be a first or second model DA because the rear profile of the trigger is concealed in the wide trigger guard, a characteristic of the third and later models. As it is not earlier than a third model, we must conclude that part of the serial number on the butt has been obliterated.

Zac, look closely at all surfaces in the latch area and see if small stamped numbers show up there. You might find them stamped three in one space and three more in another, but one set ought to be "915" to match what you see on the butt. Also look at the rear surface of the cylinder and see if you can make out any small numbers there. Again, the last three ought to match the blurry numbers on the butt.

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David Wilson

Thanks to murphydog, glowe, and dcwilson, I looked at the rear surface of the cylinder and was able to make out the serial number. It is 231952, can anyone give me any info regarding this number? Thanks.

Fighting the Good Fight,
Zac

A couple of extra numbers do make a big difference! It seems that you have a 3rd Model, with sn's from 119001 to 322700. The revolver was made in the years 1884 to 1895, so you do have an antique.

Jim Supica's 3rd edition of the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson values this model as $175 for good and $120 in fair condition. This book is a few years old, but these values are probably still pretty good for this grade gun, since most collectors seek high grade examples and there was a huge amount of these revolvers made. From the first model starting at sn#1 through the fifth model ending ar sn#554077, over a half million of these revolvers were manufactured through 1911.

By interpolation, that serial number suggests manufacture around 1889-1890. But here's a caution: S&W revolvers are notoriously risky to date by serial number, because the factory recorded only shipping dates for them -- not manufacturing dates -- and then pulled them from the shelves for shipping without respect to serial numbers.

Still, "around 1890" is a pretty good approximation for a model that was in production for only about a decade.

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David Wilson

Thanks a lot glowe, and dcwilson I really appreciate your time in checking on that, and while it is good to have an idea on the price, I have no intention of ever selling since it is a family heirloom that has been passed down 4 generations so far from father to son and I intend to pass it on some day too.

Fighting the Good Fight,
Zac

I know what you mean about family heirlooms. With a safe full of antique firearms, my most prized posession is a broken stock 1862 Enfield with a bent barrel that my Great Grandfather brought back from Appomattox after the end of the Civil War.

It is practically worthless in terms of dollar value, but will be cherished while in my posession until it is passed down to the next generation.