38 special

[rngebhart]

Good evening. I have a hand ejector 38 special 5-inch barrel with fixed sights I would like to identify. The serial is s963088. Thank you for your help.

 

[robertrwalsh]

That serial number seems to come back to early post-war, 1945-48, probably somewhat late in the run. It runs S811338 - S999999. Photo would be very helpful.

 

[Muley Gil]

Welcome to the Forum.

The above info is correct.

 

[DWalt]

There weren't that many S-series M&Ps made in the post-war period before the C-series began. But they are not uncommon or rare. S963088 would place its probable shipment to be around December 1947.

 

[hkcavalier]

These are neat because S&W was introducing a lot of changes around this time, and guns often had a mix of these features making them a bit unusual (some rare). Good pictures with decent lighting to show fine detail will help!

 

[rngebhart]

mp 38 special photos

mp 38 special photos

 

[JP@AK]

Hi rngebhart

First, welcome to the Forum!

Second, thank you for the excellent photos and for posting the complete serial number. Especially for those of us doing research, partial serial numbers are a pain in the you know where.

Now, down to your postwar .38 Military & Police revolver:

As has been stated, December, 1947, is a highly probable ship date. I show more than 30 examples in the S962xxx to S964xxx range and the vast majority left the factory in that month. The exceptions all seem to have shipped in January, 1948.

The stocks on your gun are much later - that style came into use in about 1967.

Now, here is what I find interesting about your particular example. The S962xxx to S9635xx range was almost exclusively devoted to 2" square butt production. Other barrel lengths are nearly non-existant in this serial range. In fact, from your number I have to go 1,000 numbers lower and 800 numbers higher to find a single example of any barrel length besides 2". This does not make your gun rare, but it does make it unusual and interesting.

Best regards,

 

[DWalt]

I see that you later posted some pictures of your M&P. Indeed, the grips on it are not original - late 1960s or later. You can tell that because there are not large diamonds in the checkering around the screw holes. Correct grips would look somewhat like the picture below.

 

[JP@AK]

It runs S811338 - S999999.

Okay, you got my curiosity up. Where did the number S811338 come from? It isn't in my database and it isn't listed in the Standard Catalog.

All the records indicate the first S prefix number was S811120. I've actually located 811119 and it is an SV number. There are also a few SV numbers higher than S811120, but most of those are nickel plated guns in the SV8117xx to SV812000 run.

If you have information concerning S811338 I would be very interested in knowing about it.

Thanks!

 

[robertrwalsh]

Came from standard catalog, 4th edition, page 487, right hand column about half-way up.

 

[larryofcc]

Good evening. I have a hand ejector 38 special 5-inch barrel with fixed sights I would like to identify. The serial is s963088. Thank you for your help.

I have # S 963156, shipped 12-1947. It has a 2" bbl. Only 68 numbers from yours. It has the prewar long action and high horn diamond center stocks numbered to the gun. It remains N.I.B. too. Close, but no cigar. Big Larry

 

[JP@AK]

Came from standard catalog, 4th edition, page 487, right hand column about half-way up.

Thanks. I'll ask Jim S. about this, but I believe it to be some wierd misprint. Take a look at page 168, where the correct number is given. My research verifies the S811120 number. That gun was assembled on September 12, 1945. It did not, of course, ship that early. There is no evidence that any S prefix guns shipped before 1946. The first shipment, so far as I can determine, was to the Cleveland Police Department in February, 1946. Those guns were numbered in the S815xxx range.

I appreciate having the numbers on page 487 pointed out to me. I had not noticed them before.

 

[robertrwalsh]

One would hope that standard reference books would be perfect. They are pretty good, but not perfect. I stumble across factual errors in school text books with some regularity.

 

[AManWearingAHat]

Something about 5" Guns. Very attractive revolver and a nice find!

 

[hkcavalier]

Something about 5" Guns. Very attractive revolver and a nice find!

S&W doesn't seem to listen to us much, but they definitely are making quite a few 5" models these days. In K/L/N frame it just works balance-wise.

 

[rngebhart]

This gun is part of my stepfathers estate and we haven't had much luck finding the value. I am hoping to purchase it from my mother if it is within my budget.

 

[hkcavalier]

This gun is part of my stepfathers estate and we haven't had much luck finding the value. I am hoping to purchase it from my mother if it is within my budget.

Good condition, not all original. $400 would be quite fair IMO.