There is a pre 25 in the giant collection that looks correct except the serial number is S 130XXX. The S&W bible says they started at S 143XXX is the bible wrong or is S&W being their normal self.

Could be a pre model 26. Those start at S76212.

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George Jamison

It could be a 1950 .45 Target that has been fitted with a 1955 heavy barrel.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

It's a heavy barrel with 1955 on the barrel.

Didn't see the last post. It is unfired and all of the serial numbers are the same with no signs of any work being done to it.

There have been a few 1950s show up that were sent back to the factory to receive the heavier 1955 barrel. S&W would have numbered the new barrel to the frame.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

The pre-25 (Model 1955) was first released in early 1955, and the SN at that time would have been in the neighborhood of S13xxxx. Your SN could easily be correct. SN S 143xxx would probably have been made a little later. But I don't have any information about the SN of the first 1955. Or yours could have been a 1950 with a heavy barrel grafted onto it.

Is there a diamond following the serial # under the barrel?
Is there a star following the serial # on the butt?
Is there a date on the left grip frame at the bottom near the toe with stock panel removed?

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Jim
S&WCA #819

No star or date indicating any factory work. The thing really is brand new so I doubt it would have been rebarreled before it was fired.

Just checked again no stars or anything not an inspectors mark.

Curious if it has serial matching non-relieved Diamond Target Stocks? It's plausible to have a few 1955s in the 130,000 range. I think I've read of a few here before. Also if you are allowed to check the stocks, then you'll see if it has a "W" spring.

Easy to figure out, post a ship date request to the SWHF Historian and he will let you know if it left the factory as a 1955, a 1950 or a something else.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The diamond targets are relieved and are not serial numbered. Already requested a ship date from Roy. There is still a pile of stuff coming out collection maybe a box he saved most of the boxes but everything is mixed up and there is a set of non relieved targets will take a look to see if they have serial numbers on them.

My 6.5" 5 screw Model of 1955 45acp is S130745

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Yours is older mine S130961. Guess the book is wrong.

I think it's possible that a frame in the S130K range could have been used to make up a 1955.

My 1955 is #1308xx.

This situation just continues to prove two adages:

1. Books are obsolete almost the moment they're printed.
2. The lowest known serial # is only that until a lower # is discovered.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Most collectors place too much importance on serial numbers when it comes to age of a revolver. S&W made and shipped models out of serial number order. The first 1955 45 Target could have a serial number in the S143000 range, but revolvers completed and shipped later had lower serial numbers in the S130000 range.

Some of the early 44 Magnums had serial numbers in the S160000-S166000 range, but many with lower serial numbers in the S153000 range were shipped much later in 1956 and well into 1957.

Once you have acquired enough data, you can draw general conclusions about serial numbers and when most were shipped, but it does not help you with a particular gun.

Bill

Like I said on the first post. It's S&W being S&W, there is no reason to ship weapons in numerical order.

It's not just the shipping which can be out of order, but also the manufacturing. Very possible that a batch of SNed frames could be put back for some reason and recovered later for assembly, after frames with a later SN had already been shipped.

My two models of 1955 are #130783 with W main spring and lower is #144633 with regular mainspring.

Frames were made and serial numbered, fitted with a side plate and yoke and then stored until a build order for a particular model (44 Magnum, 55 Target, .357 Magnum) was issued. Frames were taken purely at random and this resulted in frames with higher numbers being made into finished revolvers while the lower numbered frames still sat in storage. This contributed significantly to the shipping of guns with higher serial numbers first.

Also, since revolvers did not have a shelf life (expiry date like food or drugs) there was no need to ship on a first in first out basis.

Bill

Maybe the Catalog of S&W should have the pages in a binder with a semi annual or annual supplement sold?

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

I saw a pre 29 S13074x serial that was a few number from mine

EDIT:many of the 3" Model 66-2 have an AHLxxxx serial but the AHL is not mentioned in the catalog at all.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Truly an excellent idea. For one thing, after the 1st printing of any edition a correction list is prepared but cumbersome to use or to copy all the corrections into the book.

New binder pages would be much easier for that as well.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Just got the shipping date Jan 1959. It appears S&W can leave frames lying around for quite a while before using them.