I recently inherited a Model 19-4 2 1/2 inch with a pinned barrel and recessed cylinder that appears to be nickle plate from the factory. The roll marks seem to be too sharp for post delivery work. There is an N in a triangle on the grip frame. As far as I can tell this points toward it being a factory nickle gun. I'm trying to figure out when it was made and what would be a good value for insurance purposes. Looking on Gun Broker, prices are all over the place. The only shop that might give a value would be Collector's firearms in Houston. I don't trust those people at all.



Serial number is 3X252 there is a sideways F below the number and an 8 in the middle of the number.










I have several K, L and J frame revolvers, most are less than 20 years old. The only older revolver is a 586 I bought new in 1985.



Thanks in advance for any information.

That isn't the serial number. It is on the bottom of the grip frame. That is a factory nickel gun. And I would value it at $1250.00
Nice gun around 40 years old.

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The N should be on the left side of the frame and not in a triangle. At least that's the way I've seen them. And on your gun is the trigger and hammer nickel? They should not be if from the factory.
Welcome to the forum by the way.

Looking at it again it kind of looks like a hard chrome finish instead of nickel. Hard to tell by those pictures.

Did Smith and Wesson do a factory hard chrome finish? If it was plated post sale, it was a really good job, all of the makings are sharp as the ones on my known factory original revolvers.

The factory did not do hard chrome as far as I know.
Here is a factory nickel M36 with the N stamp on the left side of the frame and rear of the cylinder.

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The rear of the cylinder looks identical. Oddly the serial number in the frame is sharper than on the example you show.



Is there an S&W database that can match the serial number with the original configuration?



I've been able to get info on Beretta and Sig pistols from their websites.

My pictures do not show the serial number. It is on the bottom of the grip frame and cannot be seen in these pictures. Your's will also be on the bottom of the grip frame.
To find out the original finish you would need to send for a factory letter which would cost $100. It would tell you when it shipped, where it was shipped to and what configuration it was in when it left the factory.

Serial number.

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I guess I'll need to contact S&W to find out what I have. My uncle never told anyone about the revolver, it was in a sock at the bottom of a file cabinet.

That serial number comes from 1978/79.

I am no expert and it is hard to tell from the pics, but it just doesn't look like nickel to me. If I saw that gun w/o seeing the model stamp I would have guessed it was a 66. Like BamaBiker shows there should be an N stamped on the back of the cylinder and on the left side of the grip frame. My nickel guns are not in a triangle, they are just an N. The flash chromed hammer and trigger are what you see on the 66 as well.

RonMor
The 33K serial number almost certainly tells us it was produced in 1979.

The N in a triangle usually denotes a nickel job by the Service Department after the original shipment. The S in a circle may be the notation for the work being done by the Service Department. We've seen that before. Part of the problem here is that by 1980, Service Department stamps weren't as consistent as they had been in the past. So there is a bit of guesswork involved.

In the case of your gun the thought of a refinish is reinforced by the absence of an N on the rear face of the cylinder. Very seldom did the factory fail to stamp the cylinder with an N during initial assembly. The reason is the N is put there early in the process so that when the parts go to the finish shop, those guys know what finish to use. No N and the cylinder would be finished in blue.

What is most curious about this example is what appears to be flash chrome on the hammer and trigger. That isn't something the Service Department would normally do. One theory would be that the gun was sent back to S&W for nickel plating. Then, someone else put the plating on the hammer and trigger. Or, possibly, someone simply installed a hammer and trigger from a Model 66. Who knows?

But I'd bet money that if you letter this gun, you will find that it originally left the factory with a blue finish.

__________________
Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

I need to pop off the side plate and look at the hammer. There is some wear and a tiny line of pitting, that makes me think it and the trigger were plated at some point. I'm beginning to think it was a police officers gun that was plated early in it's life. The trigger and hammer being done later when some corrosion started. The finish on the trigger and hammer are different from the rest of the revolver.

Be careful! Purchase a set of good quality gunsmithing screwdrivers for sideplate removal. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to check youtube for disassembly videos. Take pics as you go!
Nice gun. My first thought was that it was a Model 66. Are you happy with the rubber grips or are you going to find a set of S&W magna stocks for it?

Forgot to add, Welcome to the Forum!

I have the proper tools and taking a side plate off is a very simple task. I've done action jobs on my J, K, L, and N frames. I'm fairly experienced at building, tuning, and customizing single shot, bolt and lever action rifles. Just rechambered and did a trigger job on a Henry 357 single shot to 357 Max to go along with my Dan Wesson 357 Max.



I have a set of Ahrends retro combat and a set of S&W combat grips in the stash of stuff, one of those will likely go on the revolver.

If it were mine, I'd spend the money on a letter. Maybe even tell them you suspect it was returned in later years for factory nickel finish and see what they say.

Nice gun to have. Congrats.

Sending off for a letter of authenticity. I hope I can find out what was done and when.

Pulled the side plate, the hammer and trigger look like they were plated to stop/cover corrosion. There's a little pitting on the hammer along the left top edge. The revolver was very clean inside, no crud just grease where it should be.

I spoke with my late uncle's legal secretary last night. She recalls the revolver was traded sometime ago ago, for a will. She thinks it was for retired Texas DPS CI officer. My uncle practiced law for over 60 years. There were a lot of law enforcement folks at the funeral.