Anyone own a 1953 22/32 Kit Gun they know is from 1955? I have a pre-35 on the way and the serial number is 2303X. The SCSW is not that specific about the DOM for that serial range, anyone have a 22/32 that's close to it and knows their DOM? I'm hoping it's a birth year gun, 1955, which is possible. Once I get the gun I'll have it lettered but that won't be for a while.


thanks,

Rob

Even if you knew the date of another Pre-34 or Pre-35 with a similar serial number, it might not tell you anything useful about your gun's ship date. The mid-1950s strike me as an era in which S&Ws were being shipped with even more disregard for general serial-number sequence than in other decades, if that is possible.

My sense is that the Model of 1953 products were slow starters. Ignoring the shipping sequence and assuming these guns were at least produced in serial number order or something close to it, i think you may find that your gun dates from a little after 1955. But it will take a letter to nail it down precisely. Whether this turns out to be a birth year gun or not, please post pics when you get it. I think the I-frame target .22s are more popular now than they were back when.

I wish you good luck. I'm sort of in the same boat when it comes to looking for a birthday or even birth month gun. When I started burning oxygen in 1945 the company was making only one model, and deliveries may have been slowing with the winding down of WWII. I have a serial number range of nearly 50,000 to work with.

__________________
David Wilson

You may not need a letter.
Call S&W and ask.

Emory

Hi Rob,
Just to restate, the DOM and shipping date which is the only date you'll get in a letter (DOM was not recorded) can be vastly different; up to a year or more depending on sales at the time. Therefore most collectors use a DOS for the vintage of their guns and that may be what you're after. Since no one knows the DOM, only specific details of the gun can be used to "guess" at the DOM.

For example, in your case the # of screws on the sideplate including the one under the right grip may give a better indication of the DOM. The change from 4 screws to 3 screws by eliminating the upper most screw took place in the 1955 period according to the SCSW book at serial # 11,000. But even that is not definitive since my data base indicates mostly 4 screw guns prior to # 23,000 with lots of overlap and no clear cut # when this change took place. So as you can see, your # is right on the "cusp" of the change. As David said, known shipping dates of serial numbered guns near yours indicate post 1955 shipping and I show no guns later than # 193XX shipping before 1/56. But this could still mean a DOM in your birthyear, we just can't prove it beyond any doubt.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Thanks Jim,
I do know about the differences between DOM and when they shipped. I just called S&W and the customer service rep who helped me took some time thumbing through pages and told me that it looks like a later 1955 gun. Close enough for me, I'm a later 1955 guy.

thanks to all,

Rob