The ATF considers a gun as having been manufactured when the serial number is applied. Unfortunately, S&W did not keep records of manufacture dates (or so we are told) and merely kept records of when guns shipped. Since the second date is later than the first, the ATF has come to accept the shipping date for their purposes when dealing with S&W's.

If however, it is a known fact that all of these frames were manufactured before the antique/modern date cut off, I would think that the ATF would accept them as antiques. If S&W was able to supply records that showed other firearms with frames serial stamped before the cut off date, then I would expect them to be acceptable as antiques as well. Finding such proof or documentation may be the problem.

__________________
James Redfield
LM #497