A relative recently passed away and left me a Smith and Wesson 38 with "38 S&W Special CTG" etched on the barrel. I don't know much at all about these guns and would appreciate any information (date, value range, etc.) for a gun like this. The serial numbers on the butt of the gun and the underside of the barrel match -- 11###.

A second number appears on cylinder hinge (and on the gun where the hinge attaches): 51037.

Thanks for any information.

Welcome to the Forum. We'll need some more information to identify your S&W and pictures if you are able to post them. Is there a letter prefix in front of the serial number on the butt . . . like "C" 11XXX? Also the barrel length would be helpful . . . measure from the front of the cylinder to the muzzle tip. Again, pictures would be best.

Russ

We do need more info. You make no mention of a model number on the frame visible when the cylinder is swung out (appears as MOD 10 or MOD 36, etc) so we presume it was made before 1958 when the model numbers appear.

Six shot or five? A six shot 38 Special would sound like a Military & Police Model (probably with a 4" or 6" barrel) and a serial of 11,000 would make it a very early one, like around 1910 or so. A five shooter with that serial could be a J frame model (probably with a 2" barrel) from the early 1950s.

There are other possibilities, as well.

__________________
No life story has happy end.

Thanks. I gave you all the numbers that appear anywhere, after a very careful inspection. Definitely a six shooter.

How do you measure barrel length? With the cylinder flipped out, the length of the barrel alone is 4".

OK, on the butt of the gun there are no letters and numbers, but underneath the barrel, it looks something like:

C 111## S (with the S a little lower than the rest on the line)

A 6-shot .38 Special with the SN mentioned is a .38 Military & Police, later called the model 10, as the other posters mentioned. It was probably made in 1948.

It should have the serial number on the bottom of the grip frame. Your first post mentioned:

"The serial numbers on the butt of the gun and the underside of the barrel match -- 11###."

Your second post stated:

"OK, on the butt of the gun there are no letters and numbers..."

?

__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The C prefix makes it a post war Military & Police, likely 1949 or 1950.

Don't know about the S stamp. May not be factory but added by a police or security agency that owned it.

Barrel is measured from the muzzle to the face of the cylinder. The 4" barrel is the most commonly seen length.

Sounds like a basic M&P from around 1950 or so. This gun (in various versions evolving over many decades) is the most popular revolver in the world and S&W sold millions of them. In 1958 it becomes the Model 10. Most folks around here would probably pay about $300 for a decent example of such a gun.

__________________
No life story has happy end.

If the number is 11xxx, with no letter prefix, then its a model of 1899.
I presume that the extractor rod end hangs free under the barrel, and
the underside of the barrel does not have a catching-mechanism for
the end of the extractor rod ?

Mike Priwer

I'm a newbie to this forum and have enjoyed reading the Q&A. I don't know where to begin, I guess the best thing is to start from the beginning. My brother acquired a hand gun from his uncle (by marriage), after his passing. He gave me the gun to hold on to it, since then I cleaned the gun and put it away, never shooting it. My brother since then has passed away, its been some 4 years now. I just cleaned out my gun case and found that gun. Would like to know what the age of the gun. On the right side of the barrel has 38 S&W special CTG on the L side of the barrel has Smith & Wesson serial # on the bottom of the grips has 5K17796. If you open the cylinder chamber (where it hinges) I found this Mod 67 and #44918 also below these numbers is an S then off to the side of it in big numbers 27 then below that looks like a 6 this really looks weird. Has anyone seen this and do you know what all these numbers mean... The revolver is nickle, 6", adj rear sight, wooden checkered hand grips with S&W logo, oh I forgot that on the cylinder hammer side has a "V" stamp. I hope that I can get some info on the revolver. Thanks Sorry for the long explanation...

This is a Model 67, which is a stainless steel revolver, not a nickel
plated carbon steel gun. A magnet should not be attracted to it.
It dates from the middle 1970's, and is perhaps a $400 gun - maybe
a bit more.

This is probably not the best thread for it - you might want to
post it on the next thread, covering the latter years.

Mike Priwer