"C" prefix serial #?

Pep69 · Oct 31, 2020

First post so forgive any fat finger typos.
I have for many years a SW 2" barrel revolver.
Serial #: C 137###
4 Screw

1 Screw in front of trigger guard
yoke has a number but above that number is o 1. Not sure about the o as it is not stamped well
Barrel has a CN 137###
Cylinder has a C 137###
Both grips underneath have C137###
it looks to be nickel plated from the factory.
With all that info, my questions are when was it mfg'd and is it special in any way. Is it a M&P?

thank you

Bullet Bob · Oct 31, 2020

Welcome from wherever you are. It is an M&P (also called a "pre-model 10"), probably from 1948-49. There should be a 5th screw under the grip.

Nice gun!

Pep69 · Oct 31, 2020

Ahh ok when I said 4 screws i was only counting the ones on the side plate. I guess the 5th screw is in front of the trigger guard...right?
thanks,

Bullet Bob · Oct 31, 2020

Correctomundo.

JP@AK · Oct 31, 2020

Yep, it is a .38 Military & Police with the 2" barrel and square butt, with five screws. Nearby serial numbers were shipping in the second half of 1950. Because they did not ship in serial order, the date could be a little later, but late summer or autumn of 1950 would be a good guess.

The finish does appear to be original.

Both grips underneath have C137###

That is odd. The normal practice was to stamp the serial number only on the inside of the right panel. I've never seen a left panel stamped by the factory.

Pep69 · Oct 31, 2020

I looked again, you are correct about the serial number on only one inside of the grip.

would this be a scare model?

Art Doc · Oct 31, 2020

The C prefix was used on M&Ps from 48 to 67 when they reached C999999 and rolled over to D1. If it left the factory in nickel there will be a letter N stamped on left grip frame.

PS that style of hammer (I won't say the name I saw it called in print because when I do I get corrected and I'm tired of it) was used 48 to around 56 or 57 so quick glance can give you date range.

Wiregrassguy · Oct 31, 2020

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! When that hammer was introduced on the .38 M&P revolver in 1948 it was called the "high speed hammer" by S&W. It is a short throw action that was introduced by S&W with the 1940 K-22 Masterpiece and carried over to all the Masterpiece calibers after the war. Your snub is not scarce. However, the short tubes command a premium over the longer barrel versions. Your gun seems to be in decent condition from the one side we can see. I'd say it would sell in the $500 range, maybe more in certain areas of the country.

Pep69 · Oct 31, 2020

There is a N there so factory Nickel.

Pep69 · Oct 31, 2020

Wiregrassguy said:
Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! When that hammer was introduced on the .38 M&P revolver in 1948 it was called the "high speed hammer" by S&W. It is a short throw action that was introduced by S&W with the 1940 K-22 Masterpiece and carried over to all the Masterpiece calibers after the war. Your snub is not scarce. However, the short tubes command a premium over the longer barrel versions. Your gun seems to be in decent condition from the one side we can see. I'd say it would sell in the $500 range, maybe more in certain areas of the country.

Thank you for the info.

JP@AK · Oct 31, 2020

Art Doc said:
that style of hammer . . . was used 48 to around 56 or 57 so quick glance can give you date range.

This is correct, so far as I know. I have one that shipped in October, 1952, with that hammer. My wife has one that shipped in February, 1952, with that hammer. My 1955-56 examples (all target models) have target hammers, so I cannot confirm any that late, but I suspect they were still in use at that time.

As Guy mentioned, the factory called them "High Speed Hammers," but some people use a sort of shorthand and refer to them as "Speed Hammers." Some also call it the "fishhook" hammer, which is a nickname, based on its shape, but the factory didn't use that terminology. Personally, I don't care what anyone calls it, but I prefer to use factory nomenclature when I can.

NavySCPO · Oct 31, 2020

For reference, my 38 M&P shipped in March 1950, SN C102944. As many have said, not particularly rare, but very popular in the snub nose version.

K Frame 38 with a short barrel, what’s not to like?

Igiveup · Nov 1, 2020

NavySCPO, That is a beautiful revolver. Has it been reblued. The grips really set it off, so to speak.

Muley Gil · Nov 1, 2020

"K Frame 38 with a short barrel, what’s not to like? ��"

The square butt. Yes, I know I'm outnumbered here on the forum when it comes to the 2" M&Ps, but in a good pancake style holster, it is easier to hide a 4" round butt revolver than it is to hide a 2" square butt. Now if the OP had shown a 2" RB M&P in nickel, I'd be trying to hit the "LIKE" button three or four times.

My apologies to Pep69 for the thread drift. You do have a beautiful revolver that you should be proud to own.

mod#10 · Nov 1, 2020

Very nice! I also come very fond of the S&W M&P .38 I recently purchased one myself. C 167xxx in nickel finish. I have researched and and found out the nickel is not factory finish love it the same however. IT is stamped with a L behind the grip on the right side. Would anyone know what the L stamped would be?

Muley Gil · Nov 1, 2020

Welcome to the Forum, mod#10.

The "L" is an assembler's mark.

NavySCPO · Nov 1, 2020

Igiveup said:
NavySCPO, That is a beautiful revolver. Has it been reblued. The grips really set it off, so to speak.

No sir, she is original and the pictures really don’t do it justice, beautiful and my birth year I bought on the forum earlier this year.

The grips are stamped 10293, and the gun is 102944...maybe a Friday afternoon mistake in stamping, we’ll never know but that’s awfully close. Since they don’t ‘officially’ match I put the Grashorn Elk on, I thought they looked very nice, but here’s a shot with the original (maybe).

mod#10 · May 29, 2021

found another pre model 10 snubby
all matching#s c31280
would love to narrow dates down to what year

GerSan69 · May 30, 2021

Book says 1948-1951 numbers were C1-C223998. So sometime in '48, maybe?

JP@AK · May 30, 2021

mod#10 said:
c31280
would love to narrow dates down to what year

1948 is almost certain. Only a letter can tell you for sure.

But, here is a sampling of known ship dates in the general range of your revolver. It illustrates, among other things, that shipping wasn't in serial order. All but one of these had a 2" barrel. The earliest one (C33066) had a 5" barrel.
C23410 September, 1948
C27271 September, 1948
C33066 April, 1948
C33967 November, 1948
C34206 November, 1948

"C" prefix serial #?

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