Greetings all. I am trying to help a friend ID a gun acquired from an estate sale. I have been browsing a few sources online and all indications are that its a 5-screw J-frame .38 snubby from the early 1950's. However, the serial number on the grip looks to be way too high for that era, I was hoping someone might help shed some light on it.
It has the four screws on the frame and one in front of the trigger guard. There is no model number stamped on the outside of the frame.
The butt is square, front sight is rounded with serrations.
Inside the frame when the cylinder is open is a number "545XX" and the number on the cylinder crane is the same but one digit higher.
This all seems to point to it being an early 1950's gun, but the serial number on the grip is "915XXX" which seems way too high from any of the references I have seen.
I am told the gun originally belonged to a police officer from Los Angeles. Is it possible the serial number was from some run of guns made for a department or something?
Pictures:
It has the four screws on the frame and one in front of the trigger guard. There is no model number stamped on the outside of the frame.
The butt is square, front sight is rounded with serrations.
Inside the frame when the cylinder is open is a number "545XX" and the number on the cylinder crane is the same but one digit higher.
This all seems to point to it being an early 1950's gun, but the serial number on the grip is "915XXX" which seems way too high from any of the references I have seen.
I am told the gun originally belonged to a police officer from Los Angeles. Is it possible the serial number was from some run of guns made for a department or something?
Pictures:

