38 M&P Transitional?

[Vtgw938]

Found a five inch M&P with prewar frame and parts and a serial number of S83....or close to that so about 1946. If does have matching sharp shoulder Magna stocks. Is it considered a transitional if no new parts other than the stocks? Is it more desirable as such?

 

[smith17]

Are they prewar magnas? I have one a bit lower in serial number than yours and it wears them, numbered to gun.

 

[Vtgw938]

Are they prewar magnas? I have one a bit lower in serial number than yours and it wears them, numbered to gun.

No they are sharp shoulder post war.

 

[JP@AK]

serial number of S83....or close to that so about 1946.

If you supply one or two more digits of the serial number, I can give you a pretty close estimate of the month and year of shipment.

Is it considered a transitional if no new parts other than the stocks? Is it more desirable as such?

Personally, I believe "transitional" is not an appropriate term for the K frame S prefix revolvers. A lot of minor changes took place during the 1946-48 period, but nothing warranting the "transition" label. It's just a postwar Military & Police revolver. The N frame situation is much different.

Also, at S830000, it is unlikely that any parts are "leftover" WWII pieces.

 

[DWalt]

Postwar M&Ps (I also will not use the term transitional) first hit the commercial market around March 1946. S 83xxxx would indicate postwar civilian production shipment from a little later in 1946, not one of those made up on wartime-produced military frames in inventory after VJ Day. Postwar M&P production ended around SN S 990xxx in 1948.

 

[Vtgw938]

Does it matter that it doesn't have the speed hammer so I'm assuming long action? I'll post pics and full serial number tomorrow. Thanks all.

 

[JP@AK]

Does it matter that it doesn't have the speed hammer

No, it does not. The long action lasted on the M&P until about serial number S990184 and shipping began in March and April 1948. Some units with higher numbers than that still had the long action. The highest number I've recorded is S996765, a 6" unit that shipped in June 1948.

The long action was not used on the C prefix M&Ps, and those started production in March 1948.

 

[Vtgw938]

Pics.

 

[Major 2]

I'm not familiar with the term sharp shoulder Magna VS prewar magna.
Could someone post a side-by-side photo comparison of the two, please ?

OK Google searched and I read the description
but saw no side-by-side photo comparison

 

[Vtgw938]

Pre-war have sharp shoulders but don't look like post war. so the term differentiates early post war magnas and later magnas (exceptions exist I'm sure). I'll dig up some pics.

Left is pre-war, center is post but sharp shoulder and right non-sharp shoulder.

 

[DWalt]

Does it matter that it doesn't have the speed hammer so I'm assuming long action? I'll post pics and full serial number tomorrow. Thanks all.

No practical difference. S&W called it the High Speed Hammer. Supposed to allow a shorter lock time. Some feel the DA pull of the old long action is smoother, and prefer it to the short action.

 

[DWalt]

Pre-war have sharp shoulders but don't look like post war. so the term differentiates early post war magnas and later magnas. I'll did up some pics.

The sharp shoulder Magna style was used into the early 1950s. S&W should have kept it, seems to me to be more elegant. There are some differences between the pre-war and postwar sharp shoulder stocks. Pre-war, and some early postwar, SS stocks are fairly desirable and priced accordingly.

 

[JP@AK]

Pics.

S837785 most likely shipped in September 1946, possibly October.

S837783 is in my database; it has the 6" barrel.

 

[Vtgw938]

S837785 most likely shipped in September 1946, possibly October.

S837783 is in my database; it has the 6" barrel.

Thanks.