Need Help with Year of 19-P

AWS · #1 03-21-2024, 06:10 PM

I am trying to identify the year and anything else about this 19-P with Pachmayr Grips. Serial number is AWF0683.

L-2 · #2 03-21-2024, 06:35 PM

1987 – AFL, AHC, AHV, ALC, ANK, ANN, ANR, ANS, AUC, AUK, AUV, AVA, AVB, AVN, AVV, AVY, AWD, AWE, AWF, AWP, AWT, AWU, AWW, AWY, AYE, AYF, AYL, AYW
1988 – AFZ, AWP, AYC, AYE, AYM, AYR, AYU, AYY, AWD, AZA, AZH, AZJ, AZE, AZL, BAF, BAN, BAP, BAR, BAS, BBA, BBF, BBH, BBN, BBT

Supica, Jim; Nahas, Richard. Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson) (p. 491). Gun Digest Media. Kindle Edition.

My book shows 1987 and 1988.

More book info:
export to South America (Peru) in limited quantities with 2-1⁄2" barrel with round butt or 4" barrel on a square butt. Product code: 100701 4", serial ranges of AWD0244-1870, AWE0725-2442, and AWF0028-0508 Manufactured 1987 A sale ANIB reported at $1,300.

Supica, Jim; Nahas, Richard. Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson) (p. 219). Gun Digest Media. Kindle Edition.

AWS · #3 03-21-2024, 07:57 PM

Thank you for the information.

snw19_357 · #4 03-21-2024, 11:23 PM

I agree with '87 & '88. The vast majority of these were made in late '87 and shipped in '88.

Product code for the 4" was 100727 and most are Belgian proofed for Wischo in Germany. Are there proof marks on the underside of your barrel?

Oh, and those are the grips they came with.

Need Help with Year of 19-P-19-p_awf1538_prfb-jpg

Need Help with Year of 19-P-19-p_awf1538_prfb-jpg

AWS · #5 03-22-2024, 05:41 PM

Here are the markings on the underside of the barrel.

Pizza Bob · #6 03-22-2024, 06:39 PM

This special run of fixed-sight model 19’s was made for the Peruvian government. After shipping approximately 1500 units, Peru cancelled the remainder of the contract. Since the production run was completed, S&W shipped approximately 1240 guns to its German distributor Wischo and disposed of the remainder through domestic distribution channels. Total production was approximately 3825. My gun is somewhat of an outlier as the serial prefix is AVZ. The SCSW IV states that serial number prefixes for these guns were AWD, AWE and AWF. If serials were assigned in alphabetic order (unknown) one could assume that AVZ guns preceded the bulk of the order They certainly weren’t shipped in alphabetic order as this gun has proof marks indicating that it was one of the guns exported to Germany.

Side Note: When the Peruvian procurer was asked why they didn’t just order Model 13’s (.357 Mag, fixed-sight,K-frames with exposed ejector rods), he replied that his men sometimes liked to use their guns as clubs and he didn’t want any bent ejector rods.

Adios,

Pizza Bob