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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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Old 09-24-2014, 02:09 AM
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Default Help date model 38 Airweight

Thinking about bidding on model 38 airweight, but need to know if it is C&R (gives me a couple of bucks more if I save the FFL fee and taxes).

Serial number is 3117xx. According to my Standard Catalog, it was made some time between 1962 (no. 295000) and 1969 (no. 786544). That's as much info as I can find (albeit I just recently got the book and am not totally familiar with all the info in it.)

I figure it gotta be sometime before 1964 (which would make it a C&R based on 50 year rule), but wondering if anyone has any more specific data. I'm calling S&W on Wed., but timing is tight on the auction and I'm in WA state.

Thanks in advance.
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Old 09-24-2014, 02:50 AM
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Call the S&W historian, Roy Jinks at 413-747-3232. He should get you close on the serial#.
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Old 09-24-2014, 07:41 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwdalton View Post
Call the S&W historian, Roy Jinks at 413-747-3232. He should get you close on the serial#.
I totally disagree. Roy Jinks has better things to do than answer the phone with these kinds of questions. Most anyone who answers the phone at S&W can give you an approximate date.

Or, better yet, buy the S&W book and the serial number ranges are listed there. Maybe one of our esteemed members would be good enough to look it up for you in their book.


But please, let Roy work on things that are in more important than answering the phone with trivial dates.
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Old 09-24-2014, 11:08 AM
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I show one in the 43xxxx range as shipping in early 1966. By interpolation, it's a safe bet yours is 50 years old. But it would be nice to verify that.
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Old 09-24-2014, 12:08 PM
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An "approximate date" is the wrong thing to believe when you are buying on a C&R license! Due to the fact S&W never shipped guns in numerical order, your gun could have been shipped almost any time in a 1 year span, maybe more! Mr Jinks owns the ship date records from years past and BATF uses his expertise to establish the C&R date on an older gun via the ship date. A date from him is the only date to use! If he is busy and can't talk at that time I'm sure he will tell you!
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Old 09-24-2014, 12:14 PM
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GCA-1968 uses manufacturing dates, not shipping dates, to establish C&R or Antique status. All a shipping date establishes is that the manufacture of any lower SN of the same series occurred prior to that shipping date.
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Old 09-24-2014, 04:35 PM
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Suggestions much appreciated, but bidding went up more than I wanted to spend.

Do have an additional question, however: Is there another book with serial numbers and dates other than "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson," by Supica and Nahas? That's the one I have, but it doesn't seem to have a comprehensive list of dates and serial numbers.

And I have called S&W and just used the operator who answered to get dates for my other Smiths, so I'm familiar with the process and the very nice service I've always received from S&W. (Maybe because I'm a stockholder? I bought some shares of SWHC at a bit over 10...now it's down to nine and change. Come guys, buy more....I hate loosing money!)
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