This One Followed Me Home This Weekend

Fredo Batali · #1 09-25-2016, 06:59 PM

I'm confused on this one. It's and early .38 Hand Ejector. The serial Number is 3953XX. It has no address line and I'm pretty sure the stocks are incorrect. The side plate is a "misfit" and the stocks don't match the serial number or each other. All other numbers match. The caliber marking is .38 Smith& Wesson Special CTG. It's also marked D.P.D. on the back strap. It's in great shape with a perfect bore and charge holes. It doesn't appear to have been shot much but carried a lot. Here are a few photos. Can anyone shed some light on this guy for me? Thanks in advance.

De Oppresso Liber

DWalt · #2 09-25-2016, 07:48 PM

Not much information to go on, but SN 3953xx would date your M&P as shipping about early 1922. I have a listing for SN 3952xx which shipped in 1/22. And the wooden grips on yours are of the same time period. Why do you say the stocks don't match? At that time the SN would have been penciled on the back of the right grip panel, often very difficult if not impossible to see. DPD could mean about any city starting with D such as Detroit, Denver, Dallas, Dayton, etc. Maybe some cop gun collector could help out.

Fredo Batali · #3 09-25-2016, 08:16 PM

I say the stocks don't match due to condition and color of each one. The right stock is very worn and a different shade. The left stock looks almost new??? The SN penciled on the right stock doesn't match the SN on the Butt etc. Thanks for confirming the stocks are correct for the period and the approximate ship date. Next thing on the list is to shoot it

series guy · #4 09-25-2016, 08:20 PM

If that pistol was carried for duty the inside (left) grip will be dark and like new and the outside (right) grip will be worn almost smooth and sun bleached. This is assuming a right handed officer. Very common condition in these old M&Ps.

Hondo44 · #5 09-25-2016, 08:32 PM

It's clearly a former Police Dept gun which are notorious for having the stocks switched between guns by the dept armorer, because they had no interest in keeping the stocks number matching to the guns they came on.

Likely the armorer received a delivery of 100 guns or whatever. He stripped all the stocks off, cinched each gun in a vise, stamped DPD on all the back straps and reassembled the stocks back onto the guns in the order that he picked them up out of the pile! It's as simple as that.

Much more wear on the right stock is common and just means it was carried and qualified with by a right handed shooter. Or the right stock was damaged and replaced by the armorer with another.