Serial Number Dispcrepancy

[MakeMyNight]

S&W Model 64 (38 spl) with 4" heavy barrel, purchased new in March of 1979.
My elderly father in law owns this, and I was with him when he bought the gun brand new.

The serial number shows only as NO7647 or N07647 strangely as it seems.
There's not a 25K (whatever) prefix and number anywhere on the gun.

Can anyone shed some light on this serial number discrepancy?

 

[scha]

Is this the serial number shown on the bottom of the grip frame? The number on the grip frame should be the official serial number.

Hope this helps.

Steve

 

[MakeMyNight]

No serial on the bottom of the grip frame....smooth as a baby's behind.

 

[Bullet Bob]

Exceedingly strange - do you have a picture of the bottom of the grip frame?

 

[Retired LTC USAR]

Does he still have the box? If so, look on it and see what the serial number is. That will answer the question.

 

[MakeMyNight]

No, I didn't think to record any images.
No box either....long gone, I guess.

I had more recently cleaned, ceramic stoned, and lubed the internals, plus changed the rebound spring to a 14 lb spring so "Dad" could easily use the revolver in DA mode again.
His advanced age and health problems made it difficult to use the gun DA, given the factory trigger WOP. Much better now!

When I couldn't find a (digit,digit K then 4 digits) serial on the gun, that's what peaked My interest.
I'll have him check his CCW permit in the future to see what that shows for a serial number.

 

[MakeMyNight]

I just got a brain storm.....My brother in law had it listed on his CCW permit.
All is good.

Serial is 1K46xxx.........TY, everyone!

 

[murphydog]

Two thoughts; first, the model 64 did not have a K SN prefix, only the adjustable sight guns had this. C, D and then three-letter prefixes are possible. Second, you may have a legal issue with a gun that has no SN in the usual place and no other places where it would have an SN.

 

[Okla]

If the SN is not stamped on the pistol, then where did your brother in law get this SN from??? .

 

[MakeMyNight]

Two thoughts; first, the model 64 did not have a K SN prefix, only the adjustable sight guns had this. C, D and then three-letter prefixes are possible. Second, you may have a legal issue with a gun that has no SN in the usual place and no other places where it would have an SN.

This serial must have been the one issued on the original carton and receipt.
Dad's state of residence requires the gun be registered to the CCW holder's permit.

I'm going to write to S&W about this gun, and let them know who originally sold it to My father in law, and approximate date of sale.

I agree, this is a peculiar serial number issue, and may need to be finally straightened out.

Dad always carried his model 64 as a back up to his 12 gauge shotgun, while black bear hunting. We all shot that model 64, along with My model 67, which was bought from the same gun dealer, on the very same day.

Hopefully, S&W may have some answers, or a simple solution.

 

[Goony]

Let me ask a question - is it a round butt? If so, being that it's a 4" heavy barrel, I'd then suspect that it may have been converted from an original square butt configuration, and this may account for the absence of a serial number there.

I agree with Alan that in most jurisdictions this renders the gun illegal to possess. I also am on board with his observation that the "K" number you do cite would not have been assigned to a Model 64.

 

[linde]

This serial must have been the one issued on the original carton and receipt . . . We all shot that model 64, along with My model 67, which was bought from the same gun dealer, on the very same day.

Since they were bought on the same day . . . and the number was likely picked up from the receipt . . . my guess is the 1K46XXX serial number is for your model 67. That still leaves the mystery of what serial number is on the model 64.

Russ

 

[MakeMyNight]

Let me ask a question - is it a round butt? If so, being that it's a 4" heavy barrel, I'd then suspect that it may have been converted from an original square butt configuration, and this may account for the absence of a serial number there.

I agree with Alan that in most jurisdictions this renders the gun illegal to possess. I also am on board with his observation that the "K" number you do cite would not have been assigned to a Model 64.

Grip frame is square butt, and not modified.

Since they were bought on the same day . . . and the number was likely picked up from the receipt . . . my guess is the 1K46XXX serial number is for your model 67. That still leaves the mystery of what serial number is on the model 64.

Russ

The model 67 carried a serial of 25K3xxx on the grip frame.

 

[Goony]

Well, without photos, we're all just making guesses here....

I've never heard of a Smith & Wesson revolver making it out of the factory sans a serial number on it. If I were a dealer and received such a piece, even back in 1979, I'd have returned it for remediation of that deficiency or a replacement.

 

[MakeMyNight]

Well, without photos, we're all just making guesses here....

I've never heard of a Smith & Wesson revolver making it out of the factory sans a serial number on it. If I were a dealer and received such a piece, even back in 1979, I'd have returned it for remediation of that deficiency or a replacement.

MY next trip out of state to Dad's, and I'll take some photos.
I'm just as flabbergasted as anyone regarding the missing serial number.

 

[MakeMyNight]

I just called Dad again, and asked him to open the cylinder and look inside, on the crane itself.

The serial number is there, and it's 1D46xxx and Dad's county pistol permit office typed the wrong letter (K instead of D) on both his and the brother in law's permits.

That serial number falls to circa 1979, verified by the Supica/Nahas book of knowledge.

Murphydog is right on the money, regarding the serial letter.
Thank You to everyone for Your input.
Mystery solved!

 

[steveno]

the "real" serial number is the one on the bottom of the grip frame. what does that say?

 

[Art Doc]

I believe only target sight K frames have a K prefix. The 64 likely has a D prefix. My 64-2 is 1D73800 and I think it's from around 1980.

 

[scha]

According to SCSW "around 2000 S&W put the serial number on the left of the frame below the cylinder, in the yoke cut, and in very small numbers under the grips on the frame and eliminated the serial number on the butt. By the end of 2002 all this changed again with the serial number one the butt..."

Apparently, this revolver is one the did not have the serial number stamped on the butt of the grip frame.

Hope this helps.

Steve

 

[MakeMyNight]

the "real" serial number is the one on the bottom of the grip frame. what does that say?

This is the first S&W that I've seen without a frame stamped serial number. At this late stage of the game, I don't think Dad really gives a flyin' hoot. It'll be for his heirs to deal with.