I recently inherited a .38 airweight spl. Ctg. I want to figure out what model it is so I can order a holster for it any help would be greatly appreciated serial number c58xxx

I'm not an identification expert but posting pictures would probably help.

Also, if you open the cylinder and look at the vertical part of the frame under the barrel it may be stamped or engraved with the model number.

A C-prefix Airweight with a five digit number would be a K-frame (from 1949), too early for a model number. For a holster, the only other thing that matters is the barrel length.

PS: The only problem is that after checking the SCSW, C58xxx is too low and too early for an Airweight; standard production began around C223999.

Are you sure you're not mis-counting the digits and missing one?

Yes I miscounted it is c58xxxx

I checked under the barrel it says mod 12-1

Aha. Then the size is indeed a K-frame, a Military & Police Airweight from about 1962. You shouldn't have any trouble finding holsters, it's probably S&W's most common frame size. Any holster that fits a Model 10 with the same barrel length will fit this one.

I have a 12-2. I am a bit more choosey about my holsters for it. The condition is pretty close to perfect and I don't want to mess it up. My similar Colt (Cobra?) was almost "white" with wear when I bought it and don't really care if a Kydex holster messes it up a little!

But the six shot snubbies make great back packing guns, concealed or holstered on the hip belt. (Much lighter than the Light Weight Government 1911 I carried when younger!)

Ivan

Now, the sticky wicket. I don't know if all M12-1 has the aluminum cylinder, but at least some did. Or at some point, it may have been upgraded to a steel cylinder. If, it is steel, you're good to go. With an aluminum frame and tapered barrel, you may want to avoid hot +P ammo. If it does have an aluminum cylinder, then you might want to avoid firing it at all. One or more of the chambers may already be cracked. However, if none of the chambers are cracked and the frame & grips are in reasonably good shape it's worth a bit of money. It's not particularly rare, but it is a bit of oddity. Folks will pay more for an oddity. If the chambers check out ok and you must shoot it, you'd be wise to shoot as mild a 38spl round as you can find. Something like a 148 gr wadcutter (not semi wadcutter). You might get enough money to buy a stronger gun with enough money left over to buy plenty of ammo to practice with.

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NRA Benefactor

No worry. The serial places this gun several years too late for this to be a possibility. The aluminum cylinders were a thing of the early years and the experiment was over by 1954 or so; I'd have to look up the exact year. Of course, the advice about +P is good regardless.

PS: Looked it up. According to the SCSW, aluminum cylinders fall between serials C190000 and 310000, all in the pre-model period. So C58xxxx is well clear, and in fact all Model 12 stamped guns should have steel cylinders.

That's correct. The issue had long since been taken care of by the time model numbers were applied.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318