Hi everyone,

Looking at a Smith and Wesson model 36 with a 3" pinned barrel, non recessed chambers. This is a square butt with original magna (?) grips. Serial # is 6J32**. Any date or information that you guys know on this one?

Thanks!

Rogue

__________________
NRA Certified Pistol Inst.

Model 36 never came recessed, barrels were pinned until about 1983,
The 3" SB came i both heavy barrel 36-1 as well as 3" taper barrel configuration.
Very nice little handgun, not as easily concealed but tames the 38 special round a bit better than the RB snub.
Condition is everything but fair to say in good condition a $350 revolver.

I have one, and it's wonderful. Mine dates to 1961. Flat latch, 36 no-dash, 3" tapered barrel, square butt.
The Chief's Chief's Special

According to SCSW 1J1861 thru XXXX has a manufacture date of 1983. I think yours would fall in this serial range

Seems a little late for a pinned barrel, 1982 elimination of the pinned barrel. But Im still learning.

Now lets see a photo

I was also thinking the 6J serial is very near the end of the pinned barrel guns.
Its hard to see from these angles but the 36-1 (bottom amd far left )
has a much heavier barrel and wider frame to match,

[QUOTE=Engine49guy;136485412]I was also thinking the 6J serial is very near the end of the pinned barrel guns.
Its hard to see from these angles but the 36-1 (bottom amd far left )
has a much heavier barrel and wider frame to match

Very nice photos and its not hard for me to see. the 36-1 is obviously a heavy barrel.

Funny how the SCSW doesn't even mention the 3" heavy barrel until the introduction of the Lady Smith in 1989

The "floating J" period is confusing. I believe 6J32XX would be 1971 vintage. Note in the SCSW that the floating J with up to 5 numerical digits is 1971-1972. From 1973 until 1982 you'll find the letter J plus 6 digits and in 1982 and 1983 you'll see the J start to float again but always with 6 numerical digits. For 1983, SCSW starts with s/n 1J18601 . . . rather than 1J1861.

Russ

edit to add: and just to make things more confusing, there's a typo in the SCSW. The 1971-1972 period s/n's should read 1J1-999J99.

Thanks for correcting my post, I now am completely LOST!
I will start over from scratch.

A total of 4 is amount of numbers/letters required not any more? The xxxx is the exact number of digits required in the serial to date it to 1983. All I have to reference is the SCSW so is it 1971? That would make it a 36-1 (heavy barrel standard) correct? So this 3" should be a heavy barrel.

A few more coaching lessons from members like you and I may get the hang of it

Thanks

Yes, I believe it is 1971. It took me quite awhile to break the serial numbering code on J-frames. The numbering system was confusing enough but is even more confusing the way it's written. I believe the authors meant that 1983 started with 1J18601 but . . . because they didn't have a clue where it ended . . . they just said xxxx (sort of like etc, etc).

Here's what I believe happened . . . someone please correct me if I'm wrong: In 1969 when the J prefix was introduced, s/n's began with J1, J2, J3 . . . etc. By the end of 1970 they reached J99999. Note, the letter J plus up to 5 numerical digits.

Rather than add a sixth digit the factory started the floating J scheme, starting 1971 with 1J1, 1J2, 1J3 . . . etc until they reached 1J9999. Then it shifted to 2J1, 2J2, 2J3 . . . etc until they reached 999J99 at the end of 1972. Note again, the letter J plus up to 5 numerical digits.

Since the floating J plus 5 digits ran out of combinations, in 1973 the factory broke down and went to the letter J plus 6 numerical digits . . . but you'll note that meant they had to start with J100000 or they would have had duplicate numbers with those in 1969 and 1970. Thus we now have letter J plus 6 numerical digits . . . but never less than six.

Sometime in 1982 they reached J999999 and had to either (1) go to J plus 7 numerical digits, (2) go ahead and adopt the three alpha, four numeric format that was already in use for other models, or (3) start floating the letter J again.

Had they decided on (1) they would have had to reduce the font even further to make it all fit on the butt of a J-frame. I don't have a clue why they didn't pick (2) so . . . you guessed it . . . they started floating the J again only this time with six numerical digits. So, starting sometime in 1982 they started with 1J10000 and ended the year with 1J18600. 1983 started with 1J18601 and at some point (we don't really know at what serial number) they finally gave into the three alpha-four numeric format.

That's my story and I'm stick'in to it . . . until someone comes up with a better one!

Russ

[QUOTE=00Buck2;136485429]Page 209 Engineering & production changes,
Scroll down to 36-1, 1967 indicates heavy barrel.

Wondering if any came with diamond magnas that year as 1968 was the diamond grip delete year officially.

BTW, the HB 36-1 is a GREAT gun !!!

I totally agree . . . the 36-1 is a great gun. It actually made it's debut in late 1966 and, yes, the early ones did have diamond magna grips. Here are two:

The top one shipped to Washington, D.C. in September 1966 (I bought it in October 1966) and the bottom one shipped to New York in January 1967.





Russ

FYI - I have a 6J serial numbered model 36 that was shipped in May, 1971

Thanks linde for helping to make sense out of this issue. I was totally confused by the SCSW in trying to ballpark a date for a 3" model 36. Your explanation helped me to determine that it is one of the 1971-1972 guns with the first "floating J". Excellent info.