Linda
A gun without a serial number raises the question: How did it get that way ? There are
at least two answers. One is that someone removed the serial number. Another is that it
was legally made that way. The problem is that, without some additional information, above and
beyond and away from the gun itself, the question can not be answererd.
Let me give you another example. One of my McGivern guns letters as being open on the records.
Supporting documentation makes it clear that this was a McGiven gun. Its a 2 7/8" .38 M&P
target, round butt, about 1935 or so by the serial number. The serial number is right smack
in the middle of a block of K-22 first model guns. Ie, about 20 or 25 K-22's on either side
of it, in the shipping records. This is the only serial number, in that block, that is open.
The cylinder and barrel and target sight leaf are not numbered at all. And, the round-butt
grips do not fit right - they overhang the bottom of the butt by 1/16 to 1/8". I've tried
several other pairs of round-butt grips - they all fit the same - much to long. Yet, the stamping
of the serial number looks just like all the other guns that I have, of that era.
I don't know what is going on here - I'm missing the crucial piece of information that is
need to explain this. If I had to guess, I would say that the original serial number was
milled off, and then the butt restamped with this K-22 serial number. That would explain why
the grips don't fit right, but always overhang. But - I don't know this, and I will probably
never know exactly what is going on. And , if this is what happened, I can't imagine why -
unless McGivern sent a gun back to the factory, and in the process of repairing it, had to
replace the frame, and elected to give it this unassigned serial number. I'm missing the
documentation to explain what happened.
As to your other question regarding revolvers, I have no information about that.
Regards, Mike Priwer
