I'd appreciate help ID'ing/dating these 36s

[DonDee]

Well, actually one 36 and one empty box.



The nickel 36 came in the gray box on the left, and it's the first new handgun I ever bought. I remember buying it at Rich's department store (now Macy's) at Perimeter Mall in Atlanta. I think it was 1971. I was just 21 and I walked right up to the counter likeI was buying a wristwatch! Aaah, the old days...

The one that's gone I bought a year or so later as I recall at Wilson's Store in Lavonia, GA. It was stolen from my truck in my own driveway many years ago. My fault of course for leaving it there, but what's done is done. Still, it kills my soul and I want to replace it with one as close as possible.

So my questions are:

Could anyone date these guns in case my memory about these has faded like it has on most other things?

If the guns are only a year or so apart why are the boxes different colors?

What are the "special instructions #9351" on the box for the blued gun?

Does the "S" under stocks on the blued gun mean it was a square butt? I swear I remember it having a round butt, but there's the old memory thing again...

If it's any help the parts drawing in both boxes is labeled July 1, 1971.

Like I said I want to replace the blued gun as close as I can but I'm not sure what year, etc. I need to start searching for.

I appreciate any help, folks.

[murphydog]

The nickel gun is from 1969, but it could have sat on a shelf for a while before you got it. These came in silver boxes. The blue gun was probably shipped in 1972. The writing in the special section looks like someone wrote a stock or inventory number there. The S does mean a square butt frame. Hope this is helpful.

[DonDee]

Originally Posted by murphydog

The nickel gun is from 1969, but it could have sat on a shelf for a while before you got it. These came in silver boxes. The blue gun was probably shipped in 1972. The writing in the special section looks like someone wrote a stock or inventory number there. The S does mean a square butt frame. Hope this is helpful.

Alan it sure does and I appreciate it. I guess to come close to the old one that's gone I need to look for a blued Model 36 with a square butt from around 1972. Now how to identify such a gun when I see one and know what I'm looking for is another thing!

[murphydog]

You're very welcome. The 1972 J frames have an odd SN, so if you find one with 2-5 digits and the J appearing in different parts of the sequence, a combination close to the SN on the blue box would have shipped about the same time.

[DonDee]

Originally Posted by murphydog

You're very welcome. The 1972 J frames have an odd SN, so if you find one with 2-5 digits and the J appearing in different parts of the sequence, a combination close to the SN on the blue box would have shipped about the same time.

Alan, if you (or anyone else) could tolerate two more questions:

Given that the nickel gun is from 1969 but has a 1971 parts diagram original to it, is it possible that the frame sat around Smith for that period of time? When you mentioned it sitting on a shelf I was thinking about the retailer until I remembered and rechecked the instructions/parts list in the box.

Second, is this a 36-1 even though it doesn't have a "1" after the dash on the box, or would it be describes as a 36 "no dash" model?

Thanks again!

[murphydog]

S & W is famous for not shipping in numerical order, so if was assembled and put in the back of the vault with a bunch of newer guns piled in front...you get the idea. The 36 was made from 1957 to 1988, when it was replaced by the -2. The 36-1 was the 3" heavy barrel version made at the same time as the 36.

[DonDee]

Originally Posted by murphydog

The nickel gun is from 1969, but it could have sat on a shelf for a while before you got it. These came in silver boxes. The blue gun was probably shipped in 1972. The writing in the special section looks like someone wrote a stock or inventory number there. The S does mean a square butt frame. Hope this is helpful.

THAnks Alan.

Did the "floating J" just float anywhere in the serial number, or perhaps better asked if you remove the "floating J" from the series of digits is what's left still the accurate sequential serial number regardless of where the "J" was?