Here is one that has me baffled. I am looking at a 5 screw 44 mag serial number S 169XXX. The serial number is stamped in the yoke cutout and not in the barrel channel like a 4 screw 44 mag. The revolver is in 99% cond and not a bad price with box and tools. I have never seen a 5 screw pre 29 marked like that.

Have pictures?

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Both of my 4" Pre 29's are close to your serial and have the serial in the ejector rod shroud as well as the cylinder face and under the extractor star.

Lack of serial on a 5 screw pre 29 barrel would have me worried the barrel was swapped sometime in its life.

BTW... At some point the serial stamp on the barrel and cylinder face was discontinued but that should be in the 4 screw era IIRC

A picture of your Pre-29 would be good to illustrate what you mean about the SN location. That SN would have shipped probably in the 1956-57 period and could well be a 5-screw. I have on my list SN S1687xx which is a 5-screw.

My apologies as I initially thought you were saying it was a 5 screw gun but after rereading the OP I see your not sure if it s 4 or 5 screw,
The serial is probably in the transition period as my Serial S 1687xx 5 screw Shipped March 1957 .

Guessing you dont have possession of the gun but wondering if there a serial on the cylinder face ?

If its a 4 screw frame with no serial on the cylinder face I would not be suspicious but of course rule #1 with S&W is there are no exact rules with S&W.

Hello Mr. truck, Engine 49 has the correct Poop. I would raise an eye brow
at no Sn. in the shroud. But, S&W did some strange things. Best

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Look in the charging holes of the cylinder and see if you have a number on the back of the yoke. If you don't it's most likely a soft fitted gun and barrel may be correct without numbers. If you do have yoke numbers it may be more of a guessing game.

I have a 4-screw pre-29 with the serial number (S1780xx) stamped in the yoke cutout rather than in the ejector shroud. Serial number is also marked on the back of the cylinder, but not on the back of the yoke. Letters as correct, with a shipment date of 10/24/58.

It is a 5 screw 44 mag with the serial number stamped in the yoke cutout .

I have a five screw Pre 27 with serial number 1730XX. It does not have the serial number stamped on the yoke and it does not have the serial number on the barrel shroud. Per Mr. Jinks this gun shipped in October 1958.

I posted about it when I received it, thinking that it may have had a barrel replacement. Doc 44 was kind enough to set me straight on my gun. This may or may not apply to your gun.

Here's what he said:

"Your revolver is correct and probably was shipped in 1957. S&W apparently found some older frames and made several models with a 5-screw frame that have higher serial numbers than would be expected. Your gun was made after the Soft Fitting Department was eliminated and the stamping of the serial number on select parts was discontinued."

I have seen several references on the forum, over the years, to the group of "lost" or misplaced five screw frames that were located. S&W being in business to make money, they just serial numbered the frames and used them to build out guns.

This may or may not explain the anomaly here.

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Bill

WCCPHD has given you the correct explanation. I had a 44 Magnum with serial number S174042 that was shipped in June 1957. It has a 5-screw frame, 4-inch barrel, bright blue finish, and has the serial numbers stamped exactly like the one you have described. These 44 Magnums are stamped like those with a 4-screw frame.

Bill

This is the best explanation for the anomaly. I thank you

I can't claim any credit, all I did is paraphrase your answer and explanation to my question several years ago.

It is interesting that mine remained in the factory until October of 1958. I wonder if there was a slow down in requests for the .357's or if it got serial number stamped and then pushed to the back of the queue.

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Bill

As most stated above, I see no problems with that 44 mag, just a 5 screw frame, late assembled and shipped version.

Here are the factory changes of that era which support it being a righteous gun:

DECREASING SERIAL # LOCATIONS: The number of serial #s or if model # is stamped on a particular S&W Hand Ejector has more to do with where it was in the production/assembly stages when change orders were issued, therefore as we've learned to expect with S&W, there are great variances and exceptions galore.

Officially, on May 1, 1957 S&W eliminated the Soft Fitting Operation: So it generally corresponds with model numbers ordered June 12, 1957. It was no longer necessary to routinely stamp the serial number on the barrel, cylinder & yoke arm rear surface and show up unstamped over a transition period. So guns in process or in inventory as of 5/1/57 can still have more than 3 and up to 6 locations, and guns shipped after this time may have some of the former number locations because assembly was done over time and as inventory from the old process was used up.

The 6 serial # locations were down to only 3 left on the majority of models (but not all) from c. late 1957 to 1959 which are:

1. Butt

2. Extractor star - backside

3. Right stock – backside (except most post war target grips because individual fitting not required.)

MODEL NUMBER STAMPING began eventually, sometimes months after being ordered June 12, 1957, but the serial number was not yet stamped in the ‘yoke cut’, the frame side of the yoke hinge, until late 1959 or early 1960, and then it was only stamped there at first when the revolver model was shipped with target stocks as standard. Soon after, serial #s were stamped on the frame in the yoke cut on all models, except on some smaller guns where it just didn't fit, until later. When stamped in the ‘yoke cut’, the frame assembly # from the yoke cut was moved to the left side of the grip frame.

YOKE CUT STAMPING OF THE SERAIL # and assembly # have more changes soon after 1957 and get more confusing. When Model Number stamping began not long after being ordered June 12, 1957, the serial number was not yet stamped in the frame ‘yoke cut’ on the frame side of the yoke hinge until late 1959 and early 1960. Then the serial # was only stamped in the frame ‘yoke cut’ when the revolver model was shipped with target stocks as standard. Also soon after, serial #s were stamped on the frame in the 'yoke cut' on all models, except on some smaller guns at first where it just didn't fit well. And when the serial # was stamped on the frame in the ‘yoke cut’, the frame assembly # from the 'yoke cut' was moved to the left side of the grip frame. The 3 assembly # locations, on yoke, left side of grip frame and backside of side plate remain to this day. The yoke cut serial # location on post 1959-60 guns is the reason for many pre 1957 guns to be incorrectly registered by the useless assembly (work) # on the frame in the yoke cut.

Therefore by about the end of 1959, serial # locations went up to 4:

1. Butt

2. Frame in yoke cut

3. Extractor star until ~ 1980 when the new extractor star shape was introduced.

4. Back of right stock, until ~ 1979 when no longer hand fitted, (except most post war target grips because individual fitting not required).

ASSEMBLY (factory work) #s: These multi-digit numbers of 3 to 5 digits, are 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. The assembly # in the yoke cut of the frame was relocated to the left side of grip frame after model #s were assigned in 1957 and the serial # was eventually added in the ‘yoke cut’ where the assembly #, now moved to the left side of the grip frame, used to be. You know they are assembly (factory work) #s because of those 3 locations that always match on guns that are original, and that’s the only usefulness for them after guns leave the factory: still used to this day, long after serial number locations decreased.

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Jim
S&WCA #819