Sorry if that lead-in turns out to be misleading. I was cleaning up some guns and came across one I had mentioned one time back...it has some features worth mentioning - at least according to my book. I can't do pictures now so I will describe it as best I can. The finish is NOT original, resembling almost a powder coat more than bluing. OK, here we go:
5 screw frame with square butt, 6shot HE, strain screw. Right side of frame marked "Made in USA". Left sideplate has small S&W logo directly beneath cylinder latch release. Fixed sights, top of barrel marked with Patent dates Feb 5 08, Sept 14 09, Dec 29 14. Left side of barrel "Smith & Wesson", right side "38 S &W Special Ctg". The bottom flat of the barrel has no markings whatsoever. The knurled knob is only slightly larger than the shaft. There is only one dowel pin under the extractor star. The hammer has a finely checkered spur, is about .265" wide, and has "Reg US Pat. Off" on the radius below the spur. The trigger appears to be that same .265" width, and has 10 or 12 fine grooves (closest my eyes can get). There are no numbers anywhere on the cylinder or under the extractor star. The sideplate is not numbered inside. (I do NOT believe any of the missing numbers have been polished off because of the details visible in the other stampings and the sideplate fit is perfect with no dishing or blurring of edges). There is a number in the cut where model numbers show up much later: 1870.
Last but not least, the serial on the butt, which is stamped very deeply and hard to read, is 660306. This number is also neatly stamped (indeed is about the only way to double check) inside the right grip panel. The grips are very dark walnut, very widely covered in checkering, bordered all around with a groove, diamond center, round tops with small recessed gold medallions that are only about .4" wide. Some of these things don't seem to fall neatly in place for a particular change. The fitment on everything is just as you would expect of a period piece - not something slapped together from parts by an average Joe. Any comments appreciated!

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Do or do not. There is no try.

The s/n puts it in the 1941-42 period.

Any un-serial #'d parts are replacements, and not by the factory.

The side plate is removable and there's only one which is on the right side of the gun. It should have 1870 stamped in a groove on the inside of the plate; are you using magnification to look for it?

Since the stocks match the gun's serial #, the gold medallions you see were originally chrome plated over brass. The chrome has worn away exposing the brass.

The stocks checkering borders should have sharp corners, not like the post war rounded corners.

Hope this is helpful,

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I would put the gun slightly earlier than Jim, as serials got above 700,000 in 1940.

The gun indeed appears to have been assembled from factory-new parts, but not at the factory, what with major components like barrel and cylinder without serial number or other markings.

Jim, do you remember when the small logo under the cylinder latch changed to the large logo on the right? I seem to remember 1936? That could make the sideplate a non-matching part, too.

Good point and you're right:

• Small logo on the left side of the frame changed to large logo on side plate, Dec. 1936 change order.

But the OP posted: "Left sideplate has small S&W logo directly beneath cylinder latch release."

And would make it even earlier; pre mid-1937.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Sorry for the incorrect terminology ("sideplate") with respect to the logo on the left side of the gun. I have indeed had the sideplate off and there is no indication of a mark or number anywhere inside (at least nothing a VERY strong light and 10X loupe will show up). The information on the grips makes sense. Would the trigger and hammer as described fit the period of the serial?

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Do or do not. There is no try.

The hammer yes. I don't have an engineering date change for serrated triggers on fixed sight guns but generally didn't show up until after the war. My best guess, it's been replaced as an upgrade.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Allow me to correct. The change must have occurred pre-war, as all Victory models had serrated triggers. My earliest is a pre-Victory BSR shipped May 12, 1941, 767114, with serrated trigger.

That's good to know, thx. I frames weren't until after the war.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

What if the gun was sent back to S&W for rework after the soft fitting of parts had ceased. Would the new parts have had the serial number applied?

Does the gun have a star by the serial number on butt? A star on cylinder? Perhaps under the extractor? Is there a date code on grip frame (remove grips and check revealed frame) such as 8.61 or 10.62 ?

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}-----Jim----->
~SWCA #2732~

No stars - the cylinder and area under the extractor have no markings. Nothing on the grip frame except the serial.

I have wondered...since the gun has a "unique" finish, could the unmarked parts have been absconded with and assembled elsewhere?

If I understand the process properly, unfinished parts were assembled and fit together, marked with assembly marks to keep the fitted parts together, disassembled and the individual parts then finished and reassembled. Is that close to correct?

Is there any insight as to how much fitting work was required of the individually manufactured parts?

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Do or do not. There is no try.

I wonder if the finish might be what is called "Parekerizing"? This is a finish often used on a rusted gun, since it gives a matte and slightly pebbled finish to mask any light pitting to the metal. Also, it covers up sanding marks where someone may have removed metal to smooth the surfaces, also removing the shallow cylinder and barrel serial numbers, but not noticeable with a parkerized finish if done well. Pictures please??

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Even after the soft fitting had ceased, the extractor star would still have a serial # on the back of it until ~ 1980 when the new extractor star shape was introduced.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

1. The serial # would be on the backside of the extractor star in tiny digits, not on the cyl under the star.

2 Parts could have been purchased by anyone and installed outside the factory.

3. The multi-digit 3 to 5 digit ASSEMBLY numbers are only used on the yoke at the hinge, in the ‘yoke cut’ on frame opposite the yoke near the hinge, and inside of the sideplate, for the pre war and early post war period.

4. A new cyl and barrel will always need fitting, particularly the cyl to barrel gap.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

The problem with refinishing a side plate that is scratched deeply or has numbers such as this is that you have to sand them out. As Glowe stated above the sideplate is left on the gun with flathead slave screws and sanded flat with the frame of the gun. You cannot just sand the scratches out by themselves. The entire gun would have to be refinished after this kind of sanding in order to match. I normally sand to 600 grit for a glossy finish or less for the other finishes. The art is in being able to sand everything flat and leave the letters and numbers alone.

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Tom
NRA Pistol Inst

The closest SN to yours I have listed is 6616xx shipping in 4/37. I do show several with slightly lower SNs than yours shipping in late 1936. I show none having SNs lower than yours as shipping in 1938 or later. It's highly likely yours was manufactured at some time in 1936, and that date jibes with the features you mention. At that time the correct factory finish should have been the glossy Carbonia blued finish.

If I remember correctly from my gunsmithing days, the S&W parts book showed the sideplate and ejector star with part numbers and an asterisk, with the note that the asterisk denoted parts that were only fitted at the factory, and not available individually. The yoke may have also had an asterisk but I don't recall.

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Tom
1560