5 screw, pinned barrel, 5" barrel length, half moon front site, grooved rear site channel caliber states 38 S&W Special CTG, serial S-9860XX, 6 round fluted barrel... I thought a M&P but the ejector rod does not have the "mushroom" on it...Your help would be appreciated... Original matching sn# stocks

It is an M&P, ca. 1947

So would this be a 38 M&P (Model of 1905-4th change)?

Kinda sorta. It is a .38 Military & Police (Postwar). It is a transitional model with the older long action, like the 1905-4th, but it has the newer internal safety.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Yes, it is. They made a lot of those guns, and only the mint ones are worth significant sums of money, but all of them, every single one of them, are quality firearms, and lots of fun to shoot. Modern ammo is okay, but I prefer milder factory loads. They're easier on the hands. Have fun!

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Why, I aughta.....

OK I got it...DWalt shows circa 1947 "according to the 2013 BB" "Post war production frames will also have the four address lines of MADE in USA...etc on the right side. This does not have the Four address lines...is this what makes it transitional along with the missing mushroom on the ejector...Sorry sometimes this can be confusing,,,

That is one of the very last long-action .38 M&Ps. At about S988000 the design changed, and the last 12,000 or so S-prefix M&Ps are short-action guns. At that point the number series was reset with a C prefix, and all C-series M&Ps are short action guns. The knobless ejector rod would be expected on not only the new short action guns, but on the late S-prefix M&Ps as well.

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David Wilson

definitely....NO SAFE QUEEN HERE...LOL....but locks up great and trigger is so smooth

thank you ALL, complete understanding now

If you search around, there have been discussions about the change from the old hammer to the new high-speed hammer, also the ejector rod change. A general assumption made is that those changes occurred at the same time the S-series changed to the C-series. Generally true, but not quite. It started at the high S-900000 SN, and was pretty well complete by the time the C-prefix SNs started. Changes do not occur overnight, as there are old parts in inventory to use up, so transitions can occur over a period of months. Yours is essentially the same as the Model 1905 4th Change, but with the newer (1945) addition of an improved hammer block safety. That it what the S in the SN means.