S&W Factory Repair/Refinish Stampings

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VaTom

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I read in a forum post that when a revolver is repaired or refinished by S&W at the factory that there are stampings on the frame underneath the grips to identify that factory rework has been done.

Any information about this and what to look for would be appreciated.

VaTom
 
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I'm no expert but there may be star on the butt which is usually associated with a refinish. You may see R-N meaning refinished to nickel from blue. There is often a date on the grip frame like 8.75 meaning the work was done in August of 1975. A stamp on underside of barrel may indicate a barrel swap. Most often the exact nature of the work is unknown and that can be frustrating.
 
You may see R-N meaning refinished to nickel from blue.
Click to expand...

This stamp is for a refinish in nickel, regardless of original finish. Other stamps include "R-S" aka refinish - standard (blue), "R-B" aka refinish - blue. Other times a diamond with a "B" inside is seen for refinish in blue. Barrel rework markings were often a diamond, which indicated rework or replacement. Sometimes the serial number was re-applied, sometimes not, depending on when the barrel was replaced. This is also true of the cylinder. Sometimes a "S" with a diamond is found, instead of just a diamond marking. Date codes are sometimes 6 digits, such as 10.17.39 although they are normally month / year. Sometimes a star is by itself, sometimes a date code is by itself (on the grip frame).

S&W discontinued marking the guns when reworked either in the 70s or 80s. I called them and asked this very question a few years ago when I was having a 27-2 re-plated. They informed me that they do not presently mark the guns sent in for rework / refinish in anyway. Since the details of the rework was filed under the sender's name, and not the serial number (except perhaps in rare cases), the work which was actually done is largely unknown today.
 
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I have a Model 1917 Commercial that has been professionally refinished at some point prior to my acquiring it.

Serial numbers on frame, barrel, cylinder, crane and grips match. Assembly numbers on frame and crane match.

However there is a B stamped on the flat underside of the barrel where the serial number is stamped. Do not find this anywhere else on the revolver.

On the frame under the grips is an N 1 stamping.

Any idea what the B would stand for?
 
Thanks - Can't keep yokes and cranes straight. Old age!

S&W cylinders rotate counter clockwise and Colts clockwise - I think I got that one right. Only have 1 Colt revolver vs. 4 S&W revolvers!
 
Muley Gil said:
[...] By the way, Colts have cranes. S&Ws have yokes. :)
Click to expand...
Since colt made swing out cylinders first, this settles the old question: which came first, the bird or the yolk?

Also by the way, I recall Handejector posting that rework dates were never 6 digits.
 
By the way, Colts have cranes. S&Ws have yokes. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks - Can't keep yokes and cranes straight. Old age!
Click to expand...

Tom,

Never fear! Here is a handy-dandy little diagram I made to help you keep it straight! ;)

colt%20vs%20SW_zpsxxolyyib.jpg
 
Also by the way, I recall Handejector posting that rework dates were never 6 digits.
Click to expand...

I guess my pre war 44 did not get the memo! Now technically this is a 5 digit code, but anyone can see, that in the way they did this code, if it was done in say, October, for example, it would then have been a 6 digit code!

Hopefully Lee never tells you to jump off a cliff! There would likely be disastrous consequences observed! ;)

IMG_9846_zpsr4p3kd0c.jpg
 
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Lee wrote rework date stamps that included the day of the month were faked. Other than saying that I would not bet my money that they are authentic I do not know which of you is correct.
 
Lee wrote rework date stamps that included the day of the month were faked. Other than saying that I would not bet my money that they are authentic I do not know which of you is correct.
Click to expand...

Well there is no way that date code on my revolver was faked! The gun also has a circle P stamping, which refers to re-plate.

IMG_9847_zpsqvidbcb9.jpg
 
The one in the picture above is date stamped 5 29. There is no dash and it the spacing between the 5 and the 29 is about the width of thee to four digits.

of course, this was back in May of 1929. S&W could of worn their punch tools out and had to acquire a new one after a half a century.
 
These are some service marks on a gun I own---and that I sent back for work. I do not actually KNOW what these marks mean (some of them anyway), but I know what I asked them to do----and I know what they did---sort of.

The date stamp is easy: 460---April 1960----LH grip frame (where the "stocks" go).

S<> on the same grip frame.

S <> on the barrel flat.

S <> on the cylinder (under the ejector).

What did I ask for? Refinish from matte blue to bright blue----because I wasn't willing to wait six months for a special ordered bright blue gun. It took two weeks this way. I asked that their very best craftsman go through the gun and make it as perfect as it could be.

What did they do? They refinished as instructed----with absolutely NO sign it had been refinished. They changed the timing of the bolt/cylinder stop such that there's no turn ring (except for about 1/16" just before the lead into the cylinder stop notch at each chamber-----after fifty some odd years, and about a half a boxcar full of ammo run through it. Whatever else they did was magic, because it was/is SLICK!!

What didn't they do? They didn't do anything (besides refinish) to the barrel. So why does the barrel carry the service mark noted above? Good question. I have no answer. Ditto for the cylinder.

That's it---end of report.

As an aside (on another gun). This is a nickel gun from the 30's---very spiffy. Star on the left side of the grip frame. Star on the cylinder (under the ejector). Star on the barrel (inside the ejector rod shroud). Star on the yoke/crane. Star on the inside of the sideplate. The innards appear to be brand new. This gun was shipped to a police department. It was either put into a sock drawer immediately upon arrival---or was COMPLETETLY rebuilt later on. When? Another good question. There's a five digit stamping on the left grip frame---no .'s, no -'s, no /'s, no spaces. Could it be a date? Absolutely---one of two different dates actually. There are no other markings of any sort (other than typical fitter/inspector codes).

Go figure!

Ralph Tremaine
 
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Welcome to the forum.

It is possible that the 5 digit date stamping in the photo above was done by someone outside the factory but with knowledge of factory policy about stamping the date.

It is also possible that it was done by a first day on the job employee that didn't get the memo regarding the correct way to apply the date stamp.

It is also possible that 8 . 26 . 29 was the employees birthday and he wanted to commemorate his birth date for all time on this particular gun. Or that he was ticked off because he had to work on his birthday. Or he was hung over from the weekend since 8/26/1929 was a Monday. ;)

I think that sometimes although the investigation behind a gun is more fun than just putting it in a drawer, we get way too wrapped up in the minute details over markings that will never be explained and will only make your brain hurt trying to understand. Anything short of being there and looking over the workers shoulder is pure speculation on our part.

With anything S&W there are going to be weird things. Missing roll stamps, unusual markings, sights that should not have yet been available etc.

Sometimes we just have to realize that we may never know all the answers and that especially with S&W's, nothing is ever hard and fast. :D
 
Possible refinish on a 27-2 5" Nickel

What would a S in a triangle (much like a pool rack) signify?
There is also a circle with an R in it?
There's also 5 numbers with no spaces?
 
David Kidd said:
What would a S in a triangle (much like a pool rack) signify?
There is also a circle with an R in it?
There's also 5 numbers with no spaces?
Click to expand...

These are all on the right grip of the frame under the grip.

It is a 27-2 5" Nickel in the original wood case with the paper work. No pics. I bought it at a gun show today for $1200.00, if it isn't right I could return it tomorrow.
 
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David Kidd said:
[...] There's also 5 numbers with no spaces?
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Every time I think I know something about rework/refinsh stamps I get contradicted but we can safely say that if it matches the other two assembly numbers the 5 digit number has nothing to do with rework. The other two will be on the back side of the side plate and on the yoke. Frame assembly numbers were moved from the yoke cut out to the left side of the grip frame to make room for stamping model numbers so we expect it to be on your 27-2's grip frame.

David Kidd said:
These are all on the right grip of the frame under the grip.
It is a 27-2 5" Nickel
Click to expand...
Right or left? I expect all these rework/refinish stamps and the frame assembly number will not be on the same side as the side plate.

Changing the topic slightly, in the two years since this thread went dormant Handejector has posted that he never wrote that rework dates never contain the day of the month. One of us must not have the sharp memory we had in our youth.

Also, Hondo44 has been posting that the service department stamped an S or two on revolvers that they altered to fill a special order. Consequently, revolvers that were never shipped back to S&W sometimes have the service department's S stamp. However he did not write that their S would be inside a triangle or diamond.
 
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