Information on Old Revolver Please

[dbme2d]

I'd appreciate any history or pedigree you may have on this revolver I just got. The serial number, on the bottom of the grip frame, is 112117. Caliber is marked "38 S.&W. Special CTG" on the left side of the barrel. Two lines of text on top of the barrel include:
"SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MAS 8 (or maybe a B) USA PAT D MAR.27.94"
Second Line:
"MAY 21.95. AUG.4.96.DEC.22.96.OCT.8.01DEC.17.01FEB.6.06"
Quote marks are mine. The rest of the characters and spacing are as close to what's there as I can read them.
Thank you in advance for anything you can tell me.

 

[Muley Gil]

Welcome to the Forum.

You have a .38 Military & Police revolver. It probably shipped around 1908-1909.

 

[glowe]

Nice old S&W! Too bad someone replaced the stocks as they are at least 80 years newer than the revolver. I have a 106XXX square-butt that shipped in 1908 and a 100,XXX round-butt that shipped in 1907. Is it a square or round butt frame? Pictures below are the proper stocks on a round butt and square butt revolver. The proper name would be 38 Hand Ejector, 1st Change (or 2nd Change), depending on some minor engineering changes that are not easy to see.

 

[Jim Watson]

Hard to tell against the rug, but I think there is a gold bead set into the front sight.

 

[gmborkovic]

Jim, good eye. Does look like a little notch with an insert.

 

[JSR III]

Nice old S&W! Too bad someone replaced the stocks as they are at least 80 years newer than the revolver

I'm confused. If the gun is from 1908 and the stocks are 80 years newer then they are form 1988??? I would think that they are older than 1988.

 

[H Richard]

It reminds me of the "Half Target" front sight, with something, a bead or paint on the flat part.

 

[Model19man]

I'm confused. If the gun is from 1908 and the stocks are 80 years newer then they are form 1988??? I would think that they are older than 1988.

I think stock dealers still had those in the S&W blister packs in the late 1980's. Could be - and very likely - they were made earlier of course but very wrong for that old revolver. They might be as old as the mid 1970's.

 

[glowe]

Not a half-target, since there is no pin holding a front sight blade in place. Looks like there was a small hole drilled or filed slot into the top of the standard round blade and then filed down in the rear. Almost looks like a poured or hammered gold insert process where the hole is filled to give the gold bead strength to hold it in place??

 

[hkcavalier]

With the brass screw and the orange color to the wood, those stocks look just like the ones coming from Thailand over the last few years. They look nothing like actual factory S&W combats.

 

[dbme2d]

Nice old S&W! Too bad someone replaced the stocks as they are at least 80 years newer than the revolver. I have a 106XXX square-butt that shipped in 1908 and a 100,XXX round-butt that shipped in 1907. Is it a square or round butt frame? Pictures below are the proper stocks on a round butt and square butt revolver. The proper name would be 38 Hand Ejector, 1st Change (or 2nd Change), depending on some minor engineering changes that are not easy to see.

Thank you.
Yes, the stocks are modern replacements. I'll be looking for something period correct in appearance, if not actually contemporary to the gun. It has a square butt.

 

[hkcavalier]

It will have grips much like my 1910-ish Target.

 

[DWalt]

With the brass screw and the orange color to the wood, those stocks look just like the ones coming from Thailand over the last few years. They look nothing like actual factory S&W combats.

I was going to say exactly the same thing. Made in Thailand, sold on eBay. They are nice grips (I have, and like, several pair) but they are not factory. Good for shooting use while keeping the original grips stored safely away. At that time S&W would have called it a Model of 1902 (with round butt) or a Model of 1905 (with square butt).

 

[Hawg Rider]

Not a half-target, since there is no pin holding a front sight blade in place. Looks like there was a small hole drilled or filed slot into the top of the standard round blade and then filed down in the rear. Almost looks like a poured or hammered gold insert process where the hole is filled to give the gold bead strength to hold it in place??

Nice vintage revolver! My .32-20 M&P (ca. 1923) has a similar front sight bead modification, but mine looks like copper. Both appear to have been completed by a "shade tree gunsmith"! No big deal, it really does help me pick up the target with front sight. Enjoy!

 

[glowe]

It will have grips much like my 1910-ish Target.

Those are teens stocks with the gold washed medallion. Pre-1910 stocks had a concave top round w/o medallions. The top round configuration started with the Model 1899 and continued with both round and square butt designs up to 1910. They will be quite difficult to find today, but can be made from 1920s style stocks as well. These are much easier to find and can be converted by simply taking off the convex top round to mimic the pre 1910s stocks. I may have a proper set, but they may be worn, so will have to dig through my pile. We have a very talented person on this Forum who can re-checker them to look like new if checkering is worn.

 

[hkcavalier]

I stand corrected! Thanks Gary.

 

[JSR III]

Well I just proved to myself that you can not read these posts while you are doing something else. I read the comment in post 3 and looked at the stocks in the included photo and could not understand the 80 year comment.

That is because the OP's stocks that most likely ARE 80 years newer were shown in post 1.

Sorry guys, I will try to pay closer attention going forward...

 

[dbme2d]

New Grips

I installed some closer to correct grips. I thought you all might like to see how the gun looks today.

 

[alwslate]

I have a 1905 with a 6.5" barrel with the same style grips with the gold medallions. Serial # 162666. So Early teens? Correct grips? Past the time when the 6.5" barrel was discontinued I guess but that's what it has. Underside of barrel has a small B but no indication of being renumbered to match.

 

[glowe]

I think the 6 1/2" barrel controversy is overdone. I believe that the 6 1/2" barrel was used from 1899 up to at least 1915 before being dropped. If the barrel matches the gun, it is obvious that it left the factory with the barrel. Your revolver would be called a 38 Military & Police, 3rd Change, made from 1909 to 1915, in serial number range 146,00 to 241,703. Your gun would have likely shipped in 1911.

I have a couple 3rd Change M&P Targets with 6 1/2" barrels in the low 150,000 serial number range that were both shipped in 1910. One of the 3rd Change targets that went to Winchester, Kentucky, sold to Lewis Petry.

It is uncommon to find a long barrel on a 4th change that started in 1915, so maybe the factory stopped making them when the 4th Change came out and used leftovers until gone. Your revolver likely shipped around 1911.