I just acquired this Model 1950 SN 94xxx just wondering what year hoping for it to be 1953. I think it’s close but I have no other SN’s to go by. I hope someone out there might have something in that range. I well get a letter for it, if it was close to 1953.
Thanks
Ted

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I had a .357 Magnum with a serial number fairly close that was shipped in October 1953.

Bill

My Pre-26 S96906 shipped in July 1953. Two other Pre-26s in the S94xxx number range shipped in March and June of 1953. A third S94xxx Pre-26 shipped earlier, in July of 1952. There's a good chance (but no guarantee) that yours shipped in either 1952 or 1953.

Beautiful revolver, by the way. I love those.

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David Wilson

I had the same model with serial# S97872, which shipped in October, 1953, but S&W did not ship in serial number order.
I'd say you were in the ballpark, but only a letter will tell for sure.

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John

Thank you Bill and everyone
I was hoping it was close as it may turn out to be my birth dated revolver
Ted

My Model of 1950 .45 (#S79291) left on March 27, 1951. My Outdoorsman (#S93429) went out on April 14, 1953. My .44 HE 4th Model Target (#S141071) on September 9, 1955.

So maybe---just maybe yours left somewhere thereabouts---a reasonable but not guaranteed good bet.

Ralph Tremaine

I have a Pre 27, S99589, shipped 9/23/53

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I have 4" blue 1950 Model 38/44 Heavy Duty serial S 94944. It is not lettered but I believe it shipped possibly early 1953. Looking at the SWCA database, we find another Heavy Duty, S 95054, 4" nickel, shipped 6/24/53.

Note added 12/17: I searched the ship date requests and found no requests for 1950 Model .44 Target ship dates. However, I found requests for HD ship dates and combined them with the SWCA database finding:

.38/44 HD serial S93563 November 1952.
.38/44 HD serial S95054 June 1953.
.38/44 HD serial S95700 August 1953.

One could assume that the majority of HD's in the S94xxx range shipped Dec 1952 - June 1953. I'll go further by speculating that my HD S94944 shipped in May or June 1953. Because HD's were primarily LE service firearms that moved quickly through inventory this speculation may not hold for IWK2HT's 1950 .44 Target # S94002, which was probably ordered by a distributor or retailer. Nevertheless I guestimate his .44 Target shipped in the first quarter of 1953. It just depends on how long this particular gun sat in inventory.

Note added 12/22/17: Roy Jinks reports that my .38/44 Heavy Duty S94944 shipped May, 1953.

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

I have a 1950 model .45 acp Ser#S94109 that dates to 1953 your is very close to that number.

Unlikely that SN 94xxx did not ship in 1953. I have far too many SNs listed on both sides of that one, all of which shipped in 1953. Plus it is in the 1953 manufacturing range.

Thanks again
I’ll send for a letter I think with your response that it’s can’t help but letter to 1953 some time with so many SN so close I should with put the whole number witch is 94002
Ted

Update
Receive letter for my 1950,it dated to May 14 1952 so we’re going back on the search for my birth date revolver.
Interesting though it was shipped to Kirkland Brothers New York N.Y.

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Thanks for the update. Interesting how S&W can fool you when all the evidence suggests otherwise!

Maybe somebody with a '53 would want to swap?

On the other hand, all the serial numbers and shipping dates we throw around are not evidence----just historical facts----and we should have learned not to be confused by what we perceive as facts when it comes to what S&W did or didn't do and when they did or didn't do it.

My most recent case on point: I have two essentially identical guns (differing only in barrel length). The serial numbers are 19 apart---suggesting they very well may have been built on the same day. They shipped FOUR AND A HALF YEARS apart.

The moral of this story: Go figure!!

Ralph Tremaine