When did they start putting S/N on revolvers? A friend of mine (who is 75) has his dad's service revolver that he used on the police dept. in Norfolk, Va. and it does not have a S/N on it.

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May God Bless The USA

They who?
Smith & Wesson started putting serial numbers on their guns in 1857, Model No 1, First Issue, serial no 1.
Colt had about a 20 year head start with the Paterson family in 1837, several models each with its own serial number range starting at 1.

There are a lot of minor brands and imports without serial numbers until required by law in 1968. But it is illegal to remove the serial number from a gun that ever had one, or to even own a gun with defaced serial number.

Sorry, because this is the S&W forum I just assumed you would know I was talking about a smith & wesson it is a 5 screw I believe 38 special. is there a chance that way back when they did not put S/Ns on police dept. orders. I don't know and he showed it to me and we could not find a S/N anywhere on it.

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May God Bless The USA

The number is there,somoone is not looking in the right place.All Smiths are numbered....actually can't think of a handgun made in the last 150 years that wasn't.

edit:So you've looked on the butt, the cylinder face,the bottom of the barrel?

You probably already have, but if not, look on the bottom of the butt. Also the older Smiths should have the same number on the cylinder's back and on the bottom side of the barrel under the ejector rod.

If truly a Smith, and not some knockoff such as a Spanish copy, it has to have a serial number unless someone has filed it off which isn't good.

If it's a S&W it has a serial number in at least one of the places mentioned,( or on the front strap for certain models). The one that counts is the one on the bottom of the butt or on the frontstrap. Have you removed the grips to check the bottom of the grip frame?
There is the possibility, if the gun has been extensively modified in the grip area, that the serial was remarked on the side of the grip frame underneath the stock panels.
If there is no number in at least one of the last two mentioned places, it has been removed and the gun is technically contraband.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

The Regulation Police models had the serial number on the FRONT of the grip frame just above the strain screw.



I should also add that this early (Nov 1917 ship) .38 Regulation Police also has the s/n on the rear face of the cylinder and under the barrel - didn't check anywhere else.

Russ

All of you seem to have forgotten about the "Club" guns which had a serial number of "0", but they were marked. If the friend is 75 his father could very well have come into possession of a club gun. But probably not I will agree.

Only 22RF long guns and shotguns were exempt from ser#'s prior to the GCA68. All others including handguns were to be serial numbered before that.

How far back that goes I don't know, but it extends back at least to the National Firearms Act 1939 when it first became a felony to remove, alter or obliterate a manufacturers serial number on a firearm.

Most likely there is some legislation requireing it before that. Probably buried in commerce or exise tax law.

There are six surfaces on a S&W that should have numbers or letters that could be interpreted as the serial number. The fact that you apparently see nothing says something is wrong. Seriously wrong for a duty gun! I would guess you have a poorly refinished victory model were it not for the duty gun thing. Take the grips off and open the gun like you are going to load it. Note all of the numbers and letters you see(and where they are), including the back of the cylinder and looking through the holes where the cartridges go. Post that and what's stamped on the barrel and side of the frame and we can perhaps solve this.

Bob

With a user name like "Revolver King" I would think you were born knowing the answer to your question. (Just kidding. Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Mike

Hmmmm---no response from Revolver King yet. Curious?

Lets hope he educates us on how its a rare pre SN model S&W. Did anyone wonder if its a lunchbox special? I agree thats bad news. My guess is that it has target grips and he didn't think to take them off

If it is a "CLUB GUN", it would have the sn in all the normal places. I have 12 CLUB GUNS, and they all have serial numbers. I have two with just 0 and 00000 for sn's. The sn should be on the frame, barrel, extractor, cylinder and under the rear sight(target model only). The other possibilty is if it was confiscated by a police officer and had been used in a crime the sn may have been removed by the perp.
I recovered an old S&W Safety Hammerless from a stolen car that had the sn removed from the butt. It still had four other places where the sn was.

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Don Mundell