When did S&W discontinue numbering grips? When they were numbered, what different ways were used to number them?

According the SCS&W III, stamping was used from 1857 to about 1900, when pencilled numbers were written. In 1929, back to stamping until the late 1970's, when it was discontinued altogether. By then, dimensional uniformity from gun to gun was good enough that grips no longer needed to be fit to individual grip frames.

Generally, target stocks weren't numbered to their frames, while service and Magna stocks were.

My 1980 model 63 has them numbered to the gun.

I have a model 10-5, ser#D313XXX. Just wondering what grps came on the gun. I bought it at a pawn shop a few years ago and its got a pair of Uncle Mikes rubber grips on it. The gun is in really good shape and I don't plan on parting wiyh it. Just curious. Also if anyone has the DOB I would appreciate it.
Thanks W.V.Martin

Most likely this one was built in 1970.

Hope this helps.

Steve

Thanks for the reply. The main reason I'm wondering about the grips is I see a lot of pics of 10-5s like mine that have wood grips and was wondering if thats what came on it.
Thanks W.V.Martin

It would have come with walnut Magna or service stocks, either with the standard flat bottoms or the rounded (PC or plainclothes) type. In this era many had the PC type. Hope this is helpful.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Thanks a bunch guys. this helps a lot. I wanted to put the old girl back as close to original as possible. It's probably in about 90% to 95% condition and I plan on keeping it. It has the 4in. barrel and is the sweetest shooting revolver I've ever owned and in the last 50yrs I've owned a lot of them. I got it at a pawn shop for $200 bucks which I think is a really good price at a pawn shop. I'll probably never part with it cause it's the first gun of any kind my ol'lady ever shot so it's really her gun any way. again thanks a bunch Ya'll
W.V.Martin

Buff, thank you! I hadn't read that in th SCS&W. I'll look again. The grips on my 28-2, 1979-80, are numbered, one number off from the serial number.

Page 25. I guess posts have to be more than 6 numbers and letters, so now this is.

I agree with the earlier comments. I bought a 19-3 w/2 1/2 inch barrel new and the left grip was numbered to the gun. Right grip was not numbered at all. I recently purchased a used 19-4 with 4 inch barrel and the target grips were not numbered at all, but with the difficulty I had removing them makes me think there were original to the revolver.