Looking for Date of Shipping

ZMot · #1 07-14-2018, 11:27 PM

I recently purchased what I was told was a service revolver from an estate auction. It has a .38 CTG mark on the barrel and the serial# is 222726. I am trying to find out what year range this was manufactured and also the finish is pretty rough and I was wondering if having it redone would be a bad idea or if it is not that rare and having it redone would not hurt the value.
Thanks for your help

merl67 · #2 07-15-2018, 12:37 AM

Welcome to the forum pictures are very helpful in identifying as many models were made in 38 caliber with serial numbers in the same ranges. There is a sticky at the top of this section that will help you and us correctly identifying which model you have. Refinishing 99.9% of the time is a bad idea as the cost of refinish is usually more than the gun is worth plus from a collectors standpoint any original finish is almost always better than a refinish, also very few refinishers are capable of doing a factory like finish.

JSR III · #3 07-15-2018, 08:18 AM

Welcome to the forum.

There are usually two categories of firearms and owners. Collectors and shooters.

As Randy stated, a refinish will destroy any collector value. As a shooter, finish doesn't typically affect how well a gun shoots so it would be up to the owner. Typically the cost to refinish a gun increases the price beyond what one could normally find a good condition gun in so unless there is some attachment to a particular piece, family heirloom etc., it doesn't normally make sense to do a refinish.

As far as what model or year that you have, a few close up photos under a good light from different angles will help us to identify what it is.

glowe · #4 07-15-2018, 09:01 AM

Welcome to the Forum. There should be only one model S&W in that serial number range that would have been stamped with the 38 CTG caliber, . . . but Smith & Wesson always stamped their barrels 38 S&W CTG on the 38 Double Action, 3rd Model. If your barrel only says 38 CTG, it will most likely not be a S&W, rather one of many copies from Europe and South America. Look closely at the barrel stamping again and let us know what it says. Also, top-break revolvers of that era would have had a SMITH & WESSON stamped on the other side of the barrel with address and patents stamped on the barrel rib. If the revolver turns out to be a 3rd Model, it would have shipped in the late 1880s.

ZMot · #5 07-15-2018, 09:10 AM

Thanks a lot for the help. Any idea on value?

rct269 · #6 07-15-2018, 10:32 AM

The gun is a Military & Police Model of 1905. It was made/shipped in the early 19 teens.

The value of a collectible is generally tied to the percentage of original finish remaining---also to rarity. (This model was produced in the millions.)

Hobbyists given to trying their hand at the restoration/refinishing of a firearm would likely be attracted at a very low price, < $100----it would be a great project gun--assuming decent chambers/bore----which seems unlikely. A gunsmith likewise for the internal parts.

Ralph Tremaine

ZMot · #7 07-15-2018, 11:43 AM

Thanks for all the info. I didn't come out too bad, paid $120 for it. Think I'll just take it to my local gunsmith and check that it's safe to fire and leave it as is.

glowe · #8 07-15-2018, 12:45 PM

Mystery solved. So the barrel reads 38 S&W SPECIAL CTG. For future reference, the exact stampings are important to relay in your post and since you posted in the antique section, it was logical to think you had a top-break. I will have your post moved to the early hand ejector section for more from collectors who specialize in Pre-WWII HEs. I like a mystery, so thanks for getting pictures back to us. I would guess it shipped right in the middle of the 1910s, close to 1915.

I have purchased shooters like that one with very little appeal and ruse blued them - no harm, no foul in pursuing cleaning the gun up and with the all the oxidation, missing nickel, and bumps and bruises, I believe you might actually raise the value if the refinish is done right. Problem is stated above - you will probably never get your money back, but in this case, you would have a hard time making it worse. Good luck and let us know how the project progresses.

DWalt · #9 07-15-2018, 01:42 PM

222726 almost certainly shipped in 1914. It is most definitely not an example of an M&P that anyone knowledgeable would recommend refinishing. If it shoots, use it. If not, hang it on the wall as a decorator item.