History of 4 line address on frame?
- Thread starter beagleye
- Start date
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The order to start stamping the four-line address came down in April 1948. I believe the first guns with the four-line address shipped in late April or early May. That's for the N-frame and K-frame models. Volume production of I-frames didn't resume until a couple of years later, so most of the postwar small guns had four-line addresses. The postwar N and K guns can be found with both single line and four-line addresses depending on which side of April 1948 they were manufactured.
Generally came into use following WW II for all frame sizes. However, as with any S&W changes there was a long transition period until it was used exclusively.
Most N frame "post war transitional" guns (pre '50 model guns) can be interspersed with either the preponderance being stamped just 'Made In USA'.
Most N frame "post war transitional" guns (pre '50 model guns) can be interspersed with either the preponderance being stamped just 'Made In USA'.
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1Aspenhill
US Veteran, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
My research has shown that for HDs, the transition to 4 Line Address occured in the mid S68000 serial number range in 1946. I can get more specific when I'm home with my notes. All 38/44 Outdoorsman revolvers that I have seen have only the 1 line address, even though by serial number you would think they should have 4 Line address. I'll get back later with the other info that I have.
Hope this helps,
Bill
Hope this helps,
Bill
That's very interesting. I look forward to your further report because I need to correct a major misunderstanding about four-line dating if you have 1946 guns with the longer address block.
In my earlier post I should have pointed out that there is a small class of prewar guns that currently sport four-line addresses but did not have them originally. These guns were returned to S&W for refinishing during a period (1960s? 1970s?) when it was factory policy to restamp refinished revolvers with the four-line address. This didn't happen a lot, but if you have a prewar gun with a four-line address block, that's what happened.
EDITED TO ADD: Beagleye, we simultaneously posted on the same point! Great minds, same channel, etc.
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I remember Roy Jinks was instrumental in getting the factory to stop doing that.
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1Aspenhill
US Veteran, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
As I posted earlier, between S68327 and S68348 we see the 4" HDs go to a 4 Line address and a straight ejector rod. S68341 was shipped from the factory on 25 July 1946. While this is true for the 4"guns, it was not true for the 5" guns. The 5" guns S68417 and S68967 had a 1 line address and the later guns with serial numbers S72265, S72291 and S72299 all have a 4 Line Address and the large ejector knob. Since all the Missouri State Highway Patrol guns were 5" and transition guns, we expect that they will have a mixture of 1 and 4 line addresses in the group since they are over a wide serial number range. This is what I have seen and have pics on. I hope this helps.
Bill
Bill
Any kind of factory rework on an early gun gives it a demerit unless its super rare, then they are always collectible because it's better than no specimen at all in a collection.
But quality reworked guns are nice for shooters; more obtainable pricewise an shootable w/o depreciating a pristene example.
