Help identifying an old S&W .38 Special revolver

[Groatski]

My apologies, but I have yet to master this posting pictures thing. Please bear with me.

I have an old .38 Special six-shot hand ejector with a 4" barrel and fixed sights that looks for all the world like a run-of-the-mill model 10 (or an M&P). I inherited it from my step-father in the mid-90s who in turn bought it from a retired Illinois State Trooper back in the 70s. Markings are as follows:

Serial number on the butt: C6046
Inside the yoke: On the frame is the number 67 with a smaller 2838 underneath it. The 2838 number is also stamped on the swingout arm.
Left side of barrel: Smith & Wesson
Right side of barrel: 38 S. & W. SPECIAL CTG
No other markings except for the standard S&W logo on the right cover plate and MADE IN USA just forward of it.

Just curious if it is indeed a model 10 and how old it is. If I had to guess I'd say it's from the late 50s. It still retains the stock wood grips with the gold S&W medallion. I found an on-line picture of a near identical gun with a load of extra markings:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...6Prevolver.jpg

[BUFF]

If it was really a Model 10, it would likely be so stamped on the frame inside the yoke cut-out.

From the serial number, it probably shipped about 1948-1949, well before S&W adopted model numbers.

[geoff40]

Your revolver is post war, built on a prewar frame. The specifics would interest many forum members because it was made during the transitional time from what is called the prewar long throw action, and the post war short action. The single line "made in USA" tells us that the frame is war time or before. If you can learn how, post pics, or if not email them to someone like me and we can post the pic(s) for you.

[Art Doc]

Could a transitional model have a C serial prefix? I thought that they were all S serial prefixes. I think this would be a Military & Police Model probably from 1948 or maybe 1949 with the relatively early C prefix and not a transitional model.

[handejector]

This is a 38 M&P from 48 or early 49.
It is a short action, so it is NOT a Transition gun.

[geoff40]

They still had pre war frames going out that late? Or am I missing something here? My SCSW isn't nearby tonight, sorry...

[DWalt]

Let's see if I can straighten this out. If the SN is C6046 it would have been an M&P model that shipped sometime early in 1948. It would have the new short action with high speed hammer. That change occurred late in the preceding S-series, at about SN S990000. Yours is properly and correctly called a pre-Model 10 by collectors. The Model 10 is pretty much exactly the same revolver as yours, but S&W started the model numbering nomenclature in 1957 at SN (approximately) C410000. Model 10s will have that stamping inside the yoke.

[handejector]

Originally Posted by geoff40

They still had pre war frames going out that late? Or am I missing something here? My SCSW isn't nearby tonight, sorry...

It is not a pre-war frame. It is a post-war frame. A one line address lasted till 48.