1938 model 10 38 special?

Smith & Hammer

Smith & Hammer

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new forum member and gun collector.
a freind of mine is selling their s&w 38 spl and said it was a pre war, 1938. it has the 5 screws, wooden grips, and a 6" barrel, and it looks brand new.
they bought it used in 1979 ( they still have reciept! ). I guess what I would like to know is what to look for to confirm its year made and a good fair value price. I dont have the s/n.

thanks Bryce Smith
 
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The serial number is the only good indicator of age. As we don't know exactly what model revolver it is (there are several possibilities), nor its condition and originality (looking "brand new" could mean refinished), it's not possible to estimate a "good fair value price." How about some additional information and several pictures?
 
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They were called .38 Military& Police back then. A serial number will be the only way to really put a date to it. Should have a 6 digit serial on butt of handle. There were 2 kind of grips available then an uprgrade called magnas which were rather scarce and service grips which came standard. My 1st picture shows a .38 M&P wearing magnas and second picture of one wearing service grips of that time frame. Tough to give value without pictures but between $500 -$750 if all original in like new condition. Hope this helps
 

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A 1938 gun will have a serial number in the 600,000 range with NO letter prefix on the Butt.-



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It will have a large ejector rod knob like this one--


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Welcome to the forum Bryce.

Not a bad way to enter the world of collectable Smith's. I hope your, soon to be your, M&P is a nice one.

Pre war K frames are delightful.
 
If it is indeed an M&P (Model 10 as a model name did not exist until the late 1950s) manufactured or sold in 1938, its SN range would likely be in the range of 65xxxx to 67xxxx. But it is difficult to be precise as during the Great Depression, older guns could sit in factory inventory for years before they were sold, i.e., a gun with a much lower SN could have been sold in 1938.
 
hello all, I was able to get the s/n # for the s&w 38 spl that I'm looking at.

s/n 256497. she is now saying its a 1955 manufacture.so I was hoping one of you knowlegable folks could maybe ball park a year? they're asking $550 for it.

bryce
 
B Smith said:
more info, their is a letter k that precedes s/n on the butt
Click to expand...

Okay, now that changes the entire ballgame.

With a K prefix (assuming that this is what we’re talking about), it cannot be an M&P, but would have to be an adjustable-sight model from 1946 or later. These aren’t my specialty, but I think 1938 would no longer be an option as there were no pre-war K-prefix guns.
 
B Smith said:
was having problems posting, so I'll start over.

the year has changed to about 1955 and has a s/n # K 256497. going to go ahead and buy it, want to double check the sellers info.
Click to expand...

Hello B, I'll add my "welcome" to your growing stack of good cheer.
Messages between you and other members seem to be crossing in the wind, an unfortunate aspect of forums like this. Allow me to answer your question.
I looked it up and yes, the serial number given to you is indeed listed as 1955 in the "Bible" of the Smith and Wesson enthusiast, The Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson, 4th Edition. Another thing that should be pointed out is that a "K" serial number was used for adjustable-sight revolvers. Fixed sight guns had their own prefix. Several years after 1955, the company switched to a 3 letter - 4 number system for all guns, just a little trivia to add to the confusion. ;)
I hope you enjoy your new-to-you firearm. We're all, as you may have surmised, S&W fans over here and as such, enjoy photos of others' new acquisitions, so I hope you'll show off your gun with a few photos. Not too difficult to add to a post... similar to many other forums.
I hope you'll stick around and take part in the discussions around here. There is a king's ransom in knowledge among the members, many of whom even worked for S&W in the old days.
Again, welcome!
 
OP, sounds like you're buying a K-38 Masterpiece. $550 for a pristine gun is a very good price.

Mine is from 1953, yours probably has a shinier finish.

These are great shooters and a hidden gem in our modern age of "most bullets one can cram into the lightest gun."

RV1Ar2ah.jpg
 
Good example why some basic info is required for ID even by experts (which I am not). The full and complete serial is an absolute must as it will generally allow a correct ID.

Even I, the nonexpert, can tell by the K prefix serial that the revolver being discussed is a target grade K frame with adjustable sights, not a Military & Police or a Model 10. A K38 Masterpiece from the 1950s is a very fine and desirable revolver. In 1958, when model numbers appear, the K38 becomes the Model 14.
 
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