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S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 3-Screw PINNED Barrel SWING-OUT Cylinder Hand Ejectors WITH Model Numbers


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  #1  
Old 12-27-2012, 05:58 PM
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Default When was this Model 49 new?

I have a pawn shop find, Model 49, blued , # 16340.

One source says the number falls into the 1952 range. Can anyone second this?

I have three so I guess I'm a M49 collector now!
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Old 12-27-2012, 06:14 PM
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Is that a J16340 from the butt? Then 1969'ish.

If early J frame, pre- "J" pre-fix, then I too would go with the 1952'ish suggestion.

Must say I would like a 49 in Nickel.
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Old 12-27-2012, 06:15 PM
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Yup, 1952 per SCSW
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Old 12-27-2012, 06:18 PM
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Well, something is definitely amiss. First, no S&W revolver built in 1952 would have a model number. The order came down to include model numbers in the summer of 1957 and some lines did not get them until 1958.
Second, the Model 49 Bodyguard was not introduced until 1959. So you need to take a harder look at the serial number. Are you looking at the bottom of the grip frame? That is where you will find the correct number. I suspect you just left out a digit, because the first Model 49 serial number we know about was 163051. That would make yours quite early, but in 1959, not 1952.
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Old 12-27-2012, 06:38 PM
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Well, the frame is stamped MOD 49, I got the number off of the frame under the grip.
#1 It looks as if someone leveled the butt with a file on the pawn shop gun (left)
#2 Three of the uglies
#3 Obese relative

The blued gun is wearing the grips off the nickled one. The blued gun came with some screwless hogue boot grips.

I usually enjoy a puzzle but not with gun ser #s.
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Old 12-27-2012, 06:47 PM
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Hello Simmer down
If the gun we are talking about is the one on the left in your first picture, someone has filed the serial number off the butt. If they restamped it on the side of the grip frame (which is what I think you are saying) they probably just accidentally left out one digit. As I mentioned in my earlier post, that is the only explanation that makes any sense, given what we know.
I don't know for sure, but with the original serial number filed off and an incorrect one stamped on the frame, this gun may very well be illegal to own. This is not a good situation.
JP
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Old 12-27-2012, 07:00 PM
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Hello Simmer down
If the gun we are talking about is the one on the left in your first picture, someone has filed the serial number off the butt. If they restamped it on the side of the grip frame (which is what I think you are saying) they probably just accidentally left out one digit. As I mentioned in my earlier post, that is the only explanation that makes any sense, given what we know.
I don't know for sure, but with the original serial number filed off and an incorrect one stamped on the frame, this gun may very well be illegal to own. This is not a good situation.
JP
I checked the sales ticket and the frame stamp was used as the ser # but based on history of these models, as told here, it looks like a boo-boo. I need to follow up tomorrow from the seller on this. Thanks.

What would be the advantage of trimming the butt, assuming the point was not to de-identify this?
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Old 12-27-2012, 07:32 PM
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What would be the advantage of trimming the butt, assuming the point was not to de-identify this?
I have no idea. Strange.
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Old 12-27-2012, 07:38 PM
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Quote:
What would be the advantage of trimming the butt, assuming the point was not to de-identify this?
That is the only thing that comes to mind.
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Old 12-27-2012, 07:44 PM
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Hmmmmm, I wonder if that no serial # on the butt gun was ever in Dallas back in the 60's?

Last edited by Alnamvet68; 12-28-2012 at 03:01 AM. Reason: missed by a decade
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Old 12-27-2012, 08:20 PM
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What happened in Dallas in the 50's?
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Old 12-27-2012, 08:26 PM
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Hmmmmm, I wonder if that no serial # on the butt gun was ever in Dallas back in the 50's?
I got it in Dallas.
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Old 12-27-2012, 08:37 PM
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I'm guessing Jack Ruby is what he's talking about, and that was 1963. I'm sure that gun will never make into a private collection.
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Old 12-27-2012, 08:49 PM
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I'm guessing Jack Ruby is what he's talking about, and that was 1963. I'm sure that gun will never make into a private collection.
Ruby used a Colt.
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Old 12-27-2012, 09:01 PM
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Ruby used a Colt.
Cobra
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Old 12-27-2012, 10:30 PM
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Ruby used a Colt.
Yes. I think he was referring to Oswald's alleged murder of Officer Tippit. That action seems to have involved the use of a wartime M&P that had the barrel snubbed off to 2".
And before anyone gets his panties in a bunch and calls me a conspiracy nut, I say "alleged" because Oswald did not live long enough to be tried; and short of a trial, he cannot be considered guilty. He probably did shoot the officer, but it was never proven in a court of law.
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Old 12-27-2012, 11:29 PM
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Officer J.D. Tippit, (he was Airborne, too)
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Old 12-28-2012, 12:00 AM
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Officer J.D. Tippit
Thanks for the correction on the name. Sorry, I should have looked it up instead of going by memory. I've gone back and edited my post to correct it.
Thanks again.
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Old 12-28-2012, 12:04 AM
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Glad I found this thread. I have a mod 49, and was looking at a number 32R00 stamped just below the Mod 49 stamp on the cylinder arm. That confused me and I could find nothing on this number. Mine has aftermarket grips so I looked inside and whoolla! J70559. Mine is beautiful, shoots great. My dad left me this one. Any idea how old it is?
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Old 12-28-2012, 12:13 AM
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After reading MPD3244's entry I looked again. On the yoke itself, opposite Mod 49 when the cylinder is latched, 16340 is stamped again with 36 in a different font beneath it.

What do you suppose that means?
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Old 12-28-2012, 11:40 AM
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alright, mpd3244, your J70559 is most likely from 1970.

but simmerdown, your gun is a disaster waiting to happen. the serial number on the grip is the official number, and it has been removed. removing the number is a crime, possessing the gun with the number removed is a crime. if i got that gun at a pawn shop, i would QUICKLY be taking it back for a refund. there are cases where the atf will allow the number to be restamped if it has been damaged, but it is extremely rare, and it would have to be accompanied by documentation to that effect for the rest of its life.

the numbers in the yoke/crane area are just soft-fitting/assembly numbers, and have absolutely no meaning after the gun leaves the factory. it is fairly common for unknowing dealers to use one of these numbers as the serial number when filling out forms, but they are meaningless numbers! when this happens, all the ensuing paperwork is totally incorrect!

your serial number has clearly been ground off! you have a hot potatoe! i am just offering you free advice for your safety and security! the batf doesn't take defaced serial numbers lightly. if you bought it recently from a reputable dealer, that might give you some SHORT window of explanation, but i would be very quickly taking that rascal BACK!

sorry for preaching, but i would hate to think you got in trouble, while asking advice on this very friendly, informative forum!!!

good luck,
ed
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Old 12-28-2012, 11:53 AM
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your serial number has clearly been ground off! you have a hot potatoe! i am just offering you free advice for your safety and security! the batf doesn't take defaced serial numbers lightly. if you bought it recently from a reputable dealer, that might give you some SHORT window of explanation, but i would be very quickly taking that rascal BACK!
Ed is absolutely right! Now that we know where the number came from, we can be certain this is an illegal gun. Run, don't walk, back to that store and demand your money back. This is not a situation you want to remain in.
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Old 12-28-2012, 12:09 PM
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As a LEO, they are correct. If I were to discover a weapon with a filed off S#, immediate red flags go up and the weapon will be seized. The pawn shop you bought it from however, if reputable, should have reported the weapon on a manifest that gets sent to the local PD or ATF. It may have slipped through their web however, because the s# that is on it is false and did not return any hits. IDK....I am not sure if they check to see if the s# conform to the make/model. For instance, if I run a VIN, and don't enter the numbers right, it will come back, 'does not conform'. I'm not sure if our stolen weapon data base is capable of that.

Can anyone answer my question posted above concenring my Mod 49? Thanks
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Old 12-28-2012, 12:10 PM
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Sorry, I missed the reply. 1970. 3 YRS OLDER THAN ME! Thanks
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Old 12-28-2012, 12:15 PM
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Can anyone answer my question posted above concerning my Mod 49? Thanks
Yes. Sorry I missed that.
Probably shipped in 1970.

And thanks for your addendum on the illegal gun. I think far too many gun shop owners are quite ignorant about S&W serial numbers. They look in the yoke cutout and see a number and think it is the serial number. They could end up paying a heavy price for their ignorance, I would think. If I had an FFL today, I would be extremely careful about this stuff. The BATFE is not to be treated lightly, I wouldn't think.
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Old 12-28-2012, 12:20 PM
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1970. 3 YRS OLDER THAN ME! Thanks
I was standing here contemplating your answer and thinking how nice it would be to still be in my late 30s - I have two kids older than you are. Then I noticed that this was only your 3d post on the forum. Where are my manners???

Welcome to the S&W Forum! Thanks for joining us.
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Old 12-28-2012, 03:56 PM
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I took the gun back and discretely explained the Ser# was filed off. A hush fell over the place.

Cash was returned to me and an offer to "make up for your trouble" was made. There wasn't anything in the case that looked good but I stop in weekly so I'll keep an eye out for another SW snub.

Thanks for your concerns. I'm way too pretty for prison. (eye roll)
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Old 12-28-2012, 04:09 PM
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Whew! I'd say the shop did not know where to look for a serial number. As long as you ended up with your cash and not a number on your new orange jumpsuit
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Old 12-28-2012, 04:37 PM
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I took the gun back and discretely explained the Ser# was filed off. A hush fell over the place.

Cash was returned to me and an offer to "make up for your trouble" was made.
Great! It sounds like this was an honest mistake by those guys and they were willing to make it good. Terrific!

Thanks for letting us know.
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Old 12-29-2012, 01:29 AM
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good deal. i am sure they weren't trying to hoodoo you. i don't know how many times i have had a dealer start writing the soft-fitting numbers in the serial number space! it is understandable, i guess, if the gun has targets, but pretty silly when it has magnas.

i am glad it worked out for you!

ed
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