I found this S&W 19-4 .357 today. I have $450.00 in it.

Serial: 56K9981.....I figure it must have been made around 1979 or so. As usual any help dating it would be greatly appreciated.

It's got some cosmetic "warts" but since it was set-up with target hammer/trigger/stocks it seemed to be worth it.

I generally don't mess with 6" revolvers but this one sort of "spoke to me" if that makes any sense. I thought it would make a capable companion with my .357 lever-action carbine.

There is no cutting along the top-strap above the forcing cone so I suspect it must have had very few if any .357 rounds through it. It's tight as a tick.

Attached Images

DSCN9826 (2).jpg (153.6 KB, 157 views)

OP Congrats!! I think you got that for a good price. To a steal, but better than what it could have been,
Enjoy that iconic K frame

Your serial number is right at the end of 1979 from SCS&W 4th Ed.

You did well with that purchase. I hope that your Model 19 shoots as well as mine do.

__________________
Keep your powder dry.

I would have bought that in a heartbeat.

Thank you very much.

Do you happen to know what the last serial in the 19-4 series is?

Very good gun purchased at a very good price. You have done well!

__________________
Pine_Worker
Ex-LEO, NRA Life

No one can do that. It just doesn't work that way. Guns were not even assembled in serial order, let alone shipped that way.

The K serial numbers assigned in 1979 included:
24K6701 - 24K99999
All 26K, 27K, 28K, 29K, 30K, 31K, 32K, 33K, 34K
All 45K, 46K, 47K, 48K, 49K, 50K, 51K, 52K, 53K, 54K, 55K, 56K
All 75K, 76K and 77K.

And they were not all used in that order.

In 1980, the 57K through 68K numbers were used (along with many others) but the 69K numbers were not used until 1981.

So, saying something like "Your serial number is right at the end of 1979" based on a list published in the Standard Catalog is reading far too much into the listing (which isn't accurate to begin with).

Summary: Occam's razor does not apply to S&W serial numbers.

__________________
Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Yep, like you point out, about as clear as mud.

Are those the original grips? Simply going off my undependable memory but I thought the speed loader cut out came later than 1979?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

great find. around my area north east ohio shops would ask at least 600.00 in that condition.at the gun shows around here 800.00 they ask 500.00 to 600.00 for beat junk at the shows around here