I have just gotten a copy of Supica and Nahas book, Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. I was looking at the tables in the back trying to determine the manufacture dates of some on my S&W revolvers. I'm finding that the serial numbers on my handguns are NOT in the lists in the back. The list that seems to lacking in the serial number ranges is the one entitled: All Other Revolver Models. This is the list with the three alphabetic letters preface of the numbers. This list is very confusing. The prefixes on my revolvers, a Model 60 is AEB, Model 629 AEN and Model 60 is ALU. None of those alphabetic letters are in the list.

Does one just arbitrarily say that AEB and AEN are close to the AEV listed in the list so the dates of manufacture are close the AEV series? The same thing with the ALU, which is close to ALA-ALC range, so the dates are close?

How does one account for serial numbers that are not in the list? One would think that if the serial number was used by S&W, it would in the list.

Thanks.

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Bill

They started with AAA in 1983 so you can sort of estimate the date on yours. Any 3 digit prefix gun isn't going to be really old.

Bill - realize that the third edition of the book was copyrighted in 2006! Given time for compiling and printing ahead of that date its possible that anything made in 2004 or 2005 did not make the publication with their associated S/N prefixes.
Just my $0.02.

Yes, I realize that my revolvers aren't going to be "old" guns. But does that mean that every letter combination was used or were combinations skipped? If AAA was started in 1980 and BBF was started in Jul. 1988 does it mean that any letter combination starting with A can be found? If all of the letters combinations were used it would mean that over 7 million revolvers were made between 1980 and 1988 and that doesn't really sound true.

__________________
Bill