I am trying to get a date of manufacture for a model 19-3 with serial # 9K57261. Can anyone narrow down the year of this gun to see if it qualifies as a C&R purchase?

Catalog says 1976.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Can somebody tell me what the date of 4k39 is please?

1973 according to the Catalog.

Thank you so much for the help. Can somebody tell me what catalog they're referring to? I have the 4th edition of the standard catalog of Smith and Wesson and cannot seem to nail down exact production dates with it. If this is the catalog to use, where do I look? I see the production changes and approximate dates after each model number and dashes but there is no definite dates for a given serial number there. Please forgive me for being impatient and asking instead of scouring the pages. I just notice that people seem to be able to give exact dates and I don't see how.

The SCSW Vol 4 will not give you an EXACT date. It will give you a range, based on your serial number. If you want a specific date you would have to contact S&W.

Newer models that have the alphanumeric serial numbers (ABC1234) usually have a special order code on the box/case label that will give you a better idea of the ship date.

A special order code of 7015 would be January 15th 1997....but it also could be January 15th of 2007....you would need to know your Model's production history.

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BTDT, Got The T-Shirt

see Appendix B.

If you have the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, then start by looking up the s/n in Appendix B, pages 485~492. Sometimes that is all you need to get a year of manufacture. Shipment of a particular gun can be later.

Other times you may need to use both the dash number and the serial number, or ask here.

In most cases you can come pretty close.