Well, the place to start obviously is the beginning. I've seen photos of guns that were in far worse shape than yours. Amazingly restored to like new condition. Of course, a fair amount of engraving efforts were made to restore proper markings. I'm sure you don't want to go that far. I've never restored a S&W or a revolver of any kind. But, I've done a fair amount of work on 1911 style guns.
The best advice I can give you is to start in one area, say the trigger and finish it before you start on the next. Always being mindful of the next area you want to do. I find it distracting to the max to have to lose my concentration while working in one area only to find I'm missing a part. It's like work work work, then wait a week for the part you didn't realize you didn't have. When faced with a problem that seems to be unsolvable. I've been known to stop working on the project and just think about it, mostly in the back of my mind, while going about my regular daily business. Most time I have an epiphany and am able to complete the task. Don't rush. Think things through. Good luck on fitting the side plate. That's one thing I do know about. I just fit my first one. Took me 8 hours with files and abrasive paper. It didn't come out too bad.
