My late father owned this S&W .22 pistol and just today I got around to wondering what model it is and how old. I'm going to try posting some pictures but essentially it's a single shot target model with a target shooter's grip, ser. no. 2470 and what appears to read, "Long Rifle OT (G? O?) Any insight into its manufacturing history would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.Handle.jpg

serial number.jpg

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Welcome! This is not my area of knowledge, but your gun is a Single Shot Second Model, probably shipped in about 1907. The barrel stamping reads ".22 Long Rifle CTG", the last an abbreviation of cartridge. Others may recognize the engraving style, or perhaps the engraver himself, but the serial number has definitely been redone (the original would have been in small numbers and in the opposite direction on the bottom of the grip frame).

Do you have a family story behind it? Hope this is helpful.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Thanks, Allen - the serial number etching looks like my father's handwriting (number writing?) but where he got the number from I don't know- certainly I can't find a stamped number anywhere else on the gun.
Sadly, I don't know the gun's history - my father was born in 1905 and died in 1988 so he's not around to ask. I believe he told me it originally belonged to his father, Gerard Fountain, which would seem about right if it were shipped around 1907.
My father had an interesting military career, serving in Squadron A, one of the last horse-mounted cavalry units in the National Guard before the war and then the USNR (Lt. Cmdr) during it. An expert marksman until his eyesight failed, I still have, and shoot, his National Match 1911A - it's a nice tie to the man.

chrisf, Welcome to the Forum. You should definately request a factory historical letter from Roy Jinks, Factory Historian, for your late father's .22 Target pistol. It will tell you when, where and to whom the gun was originally shipped, and the original configuration of the gun, insofar as to whether the engraving is factory or aftermarket. If you can post better close up pictures of the engraving, we might be able to tell you who did the work. Good Luck, Ed.

The serial number should be stamped on the front of the grip frame; the number on the butt was not put there by the factory. The grips are not original, but appear to be Roper, which certainly does not hurt the value. A gun and a history to be proud of.

Bob

Perhaps the engraver removed the original SN, and it was redone on the bottom of the grip frame?

Here is the link for the factory letter request:

Firearm History Request - Smith & Wesson

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

At Thanksgiving dinner last evening I mentioned to my family that I was going to find a place on the web to post my question and I was sure I'd get an answer. Boy did I - links, advice, everything.
I did look again, this time with my reading glasses and found the same serial number as the one on the butt (put there by the engraver, perhaps?) on the forward side of - I guess it's the ejector? - tiny, tiny numbers, but they're there.
Thanks again to all. I'll write to S&W get order the history you suggested. (More lousy pictures, for the curious)

Attached Images

	S&W disassembled.jpg (88.4 KB, 108 views)
	S&W Assembled.jpg (59.3 KB, 97 views)
	S&W Model.jpg (73.0 KB, 95 views)

That is a standard place for the SN to appear. On revolvers of this era they were also stamped on the rear cylinder face; the original stocks on this gun would have had the number on the inside, probably in pencil, but the ones on the gun appear to be aftermarket.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

From what I can see of the engraving, it's not a style I would associate with factory work. It does not match the engraving styles pictured in the S&W catalogs at the time this gun was made. The grips are not Ropers, as the back sides do not have the jig notches Roper used to hold the grips while doing the checkering. Ed.

Photos of your antique S&W Model Top Breaks

A link to compare engraving on another single shot and grips like yours two pages forward.

Sorry to be so clueless - new to the forum - but how do I go forward two pages?
Chris F

I believe he was referring to this post.

To move forward and backward, scroll to the top of the forum and click on the page number you want to navigate to.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629