2" K Frame ID?

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kwb377

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I'm not very well versed in the early revolvers, was looking for some guidance on what model this might be (it's listed online, haven't looked at it in person).

2" pinned K Frame...but it almost looks as it has a lock on the left side. And the turned down hammer spur is not something I'm familiar with.

Thanks!15452714_01_smith_wesson_38_special_revolv_1024.jpg15452714_02_smith_wesson_38_special_revolv_1024.jpg
 
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It appears to be a postwar M&P, no later than early 1948. It has the long action, so I can just about guarantee the serial number starts with an S. The hammer stud is threaded, which puts it no later than about January 1947 (S834000 or so).

The square butt frame is the most common of the 2" units in this period. Yours appears to be in excellent condition. The stocks are period correct and probably number to the gun.

I do notice the strain screw appears to have been backed out. You should snug that down before you shoot it.
 
JP@AK said:
It appears to be a postwar M&P, no later than early 1948. It has the long action, so I can just about guarantee the serial number starts with an S. The hammer stud is threaded, which puts it no later than about January 1947 (S834000 or so).

The square butt frame is the most common of the 2" units in this period. Yours appears to be in excellent condition. The stocks are period correct and probably number to the gun.

I do notice the strain screw appears to have been backed out. You should snug that down before you shoot it.
Click to expand...

It's not mine...yet. It's listed online, but wanted to get some info before I made the drive to take a look. Does $400 sound like a reasonable price?
 
I'd like to point out that the subject revolver has a small S&W logo on the left side of the frame and a completely blank sideplate. On the two-inch M&P revolvers, this marking pattern is found only on units manufactured before 1937. This gun is a great deal rarer than an early postwar model and is vastly more valuable to collectors. The stocks are postwar, but the steel is older. There should be no S prefix to the serial number, which I am guessing would lie between 600000 and 650000
 
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kwb377 said:
I'm not very well versed in the early revolvers, was looking for some guidance on what model this might be (it's listed online, haven't looked at it in person).

2" pinned K Frame...but it almost looks as it has a lock on the left side. And the turned down hammer spur is not something I'm familiar with.

Thanks!View attachment 759271View attachment 759272
Click to expand...

As David stated, this does indeed appear to be an early pre-WWII 2" M&P. These revolvers are uncommon, and the square butt versions are downright rare.

I maintain a small database of these guns, and I'd very much like to know the serial number of this one.

There are some of these revolvers where the original, longer barrel was replaced with a 2" barrel post-war. I would recommend you check the barrel flat (under the ejector rod) to see if the serial number matches as well as to see if is a star or diamond stamp to indicate a factory re-work.
 
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David's point is well taken. I didn't notice the position of the monogram. A prewar unit didn't occur to me since most of those were round butt (to which Frailer alluded).

Here's a picture of an S prefix example from September 1947. Notice the monogram is on the right side (side plate).
1747708055751.png
 
Others beat me to it, but I agree. The small S&W logo on the left side indicates later 1930s, and there weren’t many of those snubbies made during the pre-war period. It’s a keeper, and $400 would be a steal. Worthy of getting a letter if you buy it.
 
Hammer style is sometimes referred to as the fishhook hammer
The “hole you see is actually the stud in the frame the hammer rides on. In this era, the stud was fitted into a hole that went all the way through the frame - later changed to a hole that didn’t go all the way through
 
MajorD said:
Hammer style is sometimes referred to as the fishhook hammer
Click to expand...
Actually, that isn't correct. The so-called "fishhook hammer" is a postwar phenomenon. It is what S&W used once the "high speed" hammer was introduced in 1948. This one is simply the prewar style long action hammer.
MajorD said:
The “hole you see is actually the stud in the frame the hammer rides on. In this era, the stud was fitted into a hole that went all the way through the frame - later changed to a hole that didn’t go all the way through
Click to expand...
Also not accurate. The stud seen here is threaded into the frame from the inside, with the end showing on the outside of the frame. Due to a change order issued on January 18, 1946, the stud was to be pressed into the frame and polished flat on the outside. On the M&P revolvers, this change was implemented on revolvers at approximate serial number S819400, with shipments beginning in about April 1946.
In both cases, the hole went all the way through the frame on the gun's left side. The pressed stud is not obvious because the end is polished flat before the bluing is applied. Usually, with a close look, it can be seen, but it is not as obvious as it was with the threaded stud.
 
kwb377 said:
I'm not very well versed in the early revolvers, was looking for some guidance on what model this might be (it's listed online, haven't looked at it in person).

2" pinned K Frame...

Thanks!View attachment 759271
Click to expand...
Good luck!
If you get it, make sure to tighten the strain screw all the way down (front bottom of the grip frame).
 
It's mine! Arrived 3 minutes after they opened to make sure I snagged it before any other Armslist-perusing vultures could swoop in, lol. OTD w/tax was $438.

Serial number (455088) matches on frame, barrel and cylinder...stocks are non-matching. It has a star stamp on the grip frame next to serial number and a diamond stamp on the lower left of the grip frame under the stock panel.

I'll post some pics once I get home. Thanks all for the extremely helpful answers and guidance!
 
Outstanding!! Now its time for a factory letter showing when and where it was shipped. Most of the time, guns were shipped to retailers and the trail ends there. But sometimes, they have an interesting final destination and owner.
The star and diamond indicate a return to the factory for refinishing or repair, most likely refinish. To me, that doesn't hurt
the value at all, since the factory did the work.

Great snag!!
 
Look under the barrel for another diamond because the frame is too old to be a snubby. The gun was made in the early 1920s but the barrel has to be after about 1934/35 when S&W first started making the 2-in barrels. My guess is it was sent back to have a barrel replacement. Is there a date stamp on the left side of the grip frame toe? It'll be in the format of MM/YY.
 
That seems like a very low SN for an M&P snubby, would date it around 1924. I don’t believe they were made that early. Could be a factory buildup with numbered replacement parts. Other opinions?
 
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EDITED TO ADD: Dwalt and Wiregrassguy posted this point while I was still hammering on the keyboard.

The serial number indicates original assembly in 1924. As others pointed out above, an older M&P was returned to the factory for service work (indicated by star next to serial number) that may have involved conversion to the shorter barrel. One would expect a date stamp like 12.39 (for December 1939) on the left side of the grip frame indicating when such work was done. The matching serial on the barrel is a strong indicator of factory involvement, as we would not expect a local gunsmith conversion to follow factory practice when they replaced parts in a repair/modify order.

I think I recall that the diamond reflects a gun that passed through the S&W service department.

While this is not as rare as a fully original prewar two-inch M&P, it is still a great revolver at a great price. Congratulations!
 
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The link you provided shows a J frame 5 shot S&W. Not relevant to a pre war or early post WWII K frame 6 shot revolver.
 
Your picture shows that it has postwar style sharp shoulder Magna grips, in use from around 1947 and into the 1950s. There should be a serial number stamped on the back side of the right grip panel. Can you read it? Looks like you didn’t get the brass ring, but you still got a good gun at a good price.
 
I was already packed to go shooting today anyway, so I brought along some .38 and hit the range after leaving the pawn shop. Brought it home and tore it down to clean the inevitable 100 years of crud from the internals...and there was surpisingly very little.



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OP. Congratulations! What a great purchase and a great thread - this is why this Forum is outstanding! The knowledge base here is invaluable. Having read what others said I then looked at the photos and noted the serial number font was different on the bottom of the barrel vs the frame and cylinder. So I guess the factory stamped the serial number on a re-barrel in those days?
 
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I will add to the wise comments above that with the barrel change, the Service Department would also have had to change the extractor rod (and probably the extractor itself). The original mushroom shaped knob would not work with the later short barrel. It will be interesting to know what serial number is on the extractor star.
 
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