I have an old S & W revolver I'm not sure of the model and age. It is a 5 screw, 6 inch barrel, hand eject, 38 s & w special ctg, fixed sites and it does have a strain screw. The number on the butt under the grips is 5957XX. Thanks in advance.
On my list I have two SNs very close to yours, both 594xxx, which shipped 8/23/28 and 3/8/29. That range spread is not unusual, as S&W did not ship in SN order. Yours could have shipped earlier or later. The stocks on it are target stocks from a much later time, 1950s-1960s. I cannot see the left stock panel, but that pair could be fairly desirable. Does it have a football-shaped cutout on the top or is it plain? Some target stocks have a date stamped on the inside. You might check.
As noted, yours is called the Military and Police (M&P) model, which was the mainstay of the S&W product line for a great many years, and millions like it were made. S&W quality and workmanship was at its peak during the 1920s-30s. In the late 1950s, and after a number of internal engineering changes, essentially the same revolver became the Model 10. Don't be afraid to shoot it.
Just to demonstrate the effects of the Great Depression on gun sales, we need only to look at the S&W factory records to find that sales were very slow. We all know that the factory did not ship in serial number order, but popular models pretty much left the factory when completed, so were pretty much in order. When the depression hit, the serial numbers no longer indicated when any particular gun sold.
Examples from 587XXX to 600XXX shipped from 1928 to 1936. To give an idea of the sporadic sales, here are some serial numbers and ship years.
582XXX 1928
587XXX 1934
598XXX 1935
600XXX 1929
Prior to serial numbers around 583XXX, shipments were pretty much within a year of chronological order for the 38 Military & Police. The full production records are available and you can get an exact shipping date for your gun by requesting a factory letter, but it will cost you $50.
Please help Identify and age
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