Hey Guys!

It has been a crazy while since I have been on, and a lot has changed. I feel bad that it has been so long, but I think I'll be on here more regularly again.
Anywho, my father is a lawyer and does estates for people as a part of his business. He had a client who was dying that had no family left, and a fairly substantial collection of firearms. He didn't want them ending up in the wrong hands so he gave them to my dad.
Being a nice guy that my dad is, he let me pick one from the estate, this little number was my choice!
Now, I have no idea what it is. .38 caliber, hammerless, 5 shot. Looks a lot like today's Airweight models made by S&W, but it does not say "Airweight" or "Ladysmith" or anything other than, caliber, S&W Logo, and all the usual stamps.
Could someone help me solve this problem, and figure out what this guy is? I Have a feeling it is an Airweight model, before they were designated as "Airweights." As far as year, I again have no idea. But I can tell you one thing, I absolutely love it!

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Swing the cylinder open and read the model number that's stamped on the frame in the yoke cut.

This is a different model, but the photo shows the location. Yours may or may not say "MOD", but the number will be there.

__________________
"I also cook."

Per Chad's suggestion above, I believe you'll find 640 . . . an early production (circa 1989) Model 640 Centennial Stainless. I say early production because it has the "CEN" prefix in the serial number.

There is an Airweight Centennial Stainless Model 642 but the Standard Catalog of S&W says it didn't begin until 1990 with s/n prefix "CNT" in the early production. The SCofSW also says it would also have "Airweight" laser engraved on the sideplate.

Don't know what all you had to choose from but believe you made a very good choice.

Russ

That was extremely helpful! I am so glad to know now that they do that. And you were right, once I popped it open I saw a 640 under than handle so now I have some reference so thank you guys both.
Out of the 5 guns that my Dad was given I feel I got the better of the deal too! There was this guy, an old Savage (that my dad actually cleaned and sold to his buddy who collects for a pretty penny), a Taurus Judge Tracker version (which I did have my eye on), another S&W that looked like my 686 with a 6 inch barrel blued, and an old BLR .308 (which I actually have a new version of now).

You'll love your 640, one of the all-time great J-frames. I've carried one built in 1990 for years as my EDC. Of the guns you mentioned, it sounds as if you made a fine choice--though the old Savage might have tempted me. Was it a .32 ACP?

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Oh well, what the hell.

I do love it already! It is my "shorts" gun, nice and light. My other EDC is a XD 9 subcompact, it does great all winter long and when I wear jeans; but I am a huge shorts fan and it gets to be cumbersome. The Savage was actually one of their old rifles, Savage 300 I believe? I was never sure what caliber it was, I was too focused on this guy.