Was it during the Model 1905 3rd Change or early in the 4th Change?

Based on period guns I have owned the positioning of the patent dates was dependent on barrel length, not a specific time period. 4" barrels were marked on the side because there was not enough distance between the front sight and barrel "contour" for them. 5" and longer barrels they are marked on the top of the barrel because there is space for them on those lengths.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Actually, the side barrel markings were of a relatively short duration. All 4" 1899s and 1902s had markings on the top of the barrel. 1902, 1st Change switched to the side markings. Mike Priwer once stated that the side stampings ended around the mid-1910s when the factory had a new stamp made that allowed the address/patent dates to return to the top of the barrel.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I wonder if the change in patent dates placement coincided with removing the trademark from the side plate.

Small logo on left side ran from 1920 to 1936, except for the 32 Safety, and it was some years before 1920 when the barrel logo was changed. There was no logo S&W used from 1917 to 1920.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Pics of early 4th Change now in my possession. I have since noticed it has the later style type trade mark (no border around the words trade mark) on the side plate. In my search for another example I found pics another 4" serial 245021 but it has the earlier style trade mark. Anything in a database of approximately what serial they changed the side plate trade marks?

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The highest serial number that I've owned with the barrel side markings is 206306, shipped in 1913. I did see a picture of 264130 with the barrel side markings, shipped ~1916.

Mike Priwer

I think you answered your own question. The change was between 245,000 and 252,000, so likely 1916. Actually, the logo itself was considered to be a medium size from 1899 to the early 1920s. The difference was the Trademark was surrounded by a border before 1916. The larger S&W logo started about 1937 somewhere around serial number range 665,000 when they added REG. U.S. PAT. OFF to the bottom of the logo. This practice continued after WWII.

Model 1899 - 5557


K38 Masterpiece

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	1948 K44863.jpg (84.2 KB, 85 views)
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Gary
SWCA 2515

Here's a better detailed picture I found of the 1916-17 Trade mark on a 4" .32 WCF serial 76366.

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S&W_Trademark_2nd_Type_32WCF_76366.jpg (71.4 KB, 21 views)

The point is that your logo circle should measure the same as earlier models. The Model 1899 measured 5/8" diameter. What is your measurement of the outline circle around the logo?

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Using calipers it is just about .540".

So slightly smaller, by only about .08"?? Maybe it happened when they broke the older stamping die, but have no additional information on that stamping.

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Gary
SWCA 2515