I recently picked up a Model 34 4 inch square butt with a serial number range of 39XXX. My SCSW 2nd edition indicates the manufacture range would be 1955-58. I don't know if the 3rd edition narrows that range down any. Anybody know? Thanks.

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NRA Life Member

The 4th edition doesn't get any closer as far as I can tell but perhaps someone here will have a close SN with the ship date. Mine are later M SNs or earlier Model of 1953 so no help.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Pete

I have information on two of them with serial numbers not all that far from yours.

32230 shipped in January, 1958.
31692 shipped in June, 1958.

Neither of those is model marked, so they are .22/32 Kit Gun Model of 1953, not Model 34.

If yours is marked as a Model 34 in the yoke cut, it is a fairly early Model 34 and it probably shipped in 1958, but possibly later.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Got anything on a 35 in the the neighborhood of serial number 40433?

Curious how low the model-marked 35s go, I suspect mine was one of the earliest ones.

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Where do we go from here?

Sorry Terry. I am of no help there. I've never owned a Model 35 and rarely even see them. The closest I can claim is a .22 HFT from January, 1926.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Thanks Jack. Mine is marked Mod 34 so what you said makes perfect sense.

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NRA Life Member

Pete, your #39XXX Mod 34 marked can be from most likely 1st quarter 1959.

Earliest Model marked #s are:
351XX Lowest serial # stamped Mod 34 and sq butt, ship date unknown
38354 Mod 34 shipped date, 1/59
38926 M34 stamped, shipped 1-59
39688 Earliest shipped Mod 34 stamped sq butt, 2/15/59


40433 Terry's stamped Mod 35: This is now the lowest s/n stamped Mod 35 in my database. I have few Mod 35s with known shipping dates, production was very low but their serial #s are in the same serial range and correlate to Mod 34 shipping dates.

For reference:
40482 Highest # Pre-35 22/32 Target

So I agree with Terry, his # 40433 is likely one of the first stamped Mod 35s and very likely in the 1st or 2nd quarter of 1959.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Jim
Why can't I LIKE your post twice??? Stupid software.

Lee - that's a joke. You are a magician and I love this site.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

I have a stamped Model 35 with a flat latch with serial number 38469.
Any information would be appreciated.

You have a ".22/32 Target Mod 35". It's considered a '3 screw' (in the side plate) version built on the Model of 1953 NEW I frame. It likely shipped ~ 1/59. By 1953 they had evolved to all have square butt grip frames and 6" barrels with a Patridge front sight w/o exception, and were built in far lesser quantity than the more common .22/32 Kit Guns.

By Oct 1960 it was changed to being built on the J frame and became the Model 35-1. The J frame version has an 1/8" longer frame (horizontally) allowing for an 1/8" longer cyl that could be chambered in 22 Mag.

When discontinued in 1973, except for about 5 years during WWII, they had been produced since 1911, or 57 years almost continuously.

Not too many years before discontinuance due to low sales, an optional factory target grip and wider target trigger were offered by the factory:

Both shown here on a .38 Chiefs Special Target:



Smooth factory Target grips:

Photo credit: Bronco45

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Jim
S&WCA #819