I recently purchased a old S&W revolver, I believe it is commonly referred to as a 1905 model? I would really like to know when the gun was manufactured. Here is the description.....

On the top of the 4" barrel it is marked as follows:

SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MASS USA
PATENTED OCTOBER 8, 1901, DEC. 17,1901
FEB. 8,1905, SEPT. 14, 1908, DEC. 29, 1914


On the side of the barrel it is marked:

38 S&W SPECIAL CTG


On the bottom of the barrel visible with the cylinder open shows:

Either the letter S or the no. 5 to the far left of 287844.

The bottom of the square butt frame is marked: 287844

The gun has 4 screws on the side plate and 1 on the front of the trigger guard.

Anybody know when this gun was made or what type ammunition is safe to use? The gun is incredibly tight, but all the blueing has been removed. Thanks in advance.

It would be a Model of 1905, 4th Change, and it would likely have shipped in late 1917 or early 1918. You did not say if it has a round or square butt, but if it has a round butt, some collectors would call it a Model of 1902. At that time, S&W was not performing heat treatment on these revolvers (that did not begin until a slightly higher serial number), so stick with standard velocity loads with lead bullets. Wadcutter target loads are preferred.

DWalt

Thanks for the information, the gun has had some minor pitting on it and as I wrote earlier it is incredibly tight like a new revolver but someone removed all the blueing? I thought about keeping it and using it as a woods companion when Im out checking my traps or fishing. The gun needs a finish what would be more accurate for the era a deep blue or a parkerization?

Neither. Leave it alone.

What type of finish did these models leave the factory with?

They would have been either blued (Carbonia process) or nickel plated. Carbonia bluing ended early in WWII, as it was very expensive and time-consuming, therefore poorly suited for mass military production.