Hand ejector I.d help

[gunsanddogs]

acquired a s&w 38 special 5"bbl. Fixed sight.
Having trouble identifying exact year , model , etc. Left side of barrel in 2 lines reads, 38 s.& w. Special and u.s service ctg's.
Cylinder, bottom of barrel, bottom of square grip frame all numbers match . Has 4 screws on side plate and no screw on front of trigger guard , the numbers look to be c176 ? Number on yoke cutout very hard to read , maybe c1035 or 1036 . Any help appreciated

 

[Muley Gil]

Welcome to the Forum.

Can you post some pictures?

 

[DWalt]

It does not seem you have a correct SN. Should be on the butt, bottom flat on barrel, and rear face of cylinder. Also is the butt square or rounded.

 

[s&wchad]

This Sticky should help...

(Click here)> To IDENTIFY your Gun >

 

[Hondo44]

Welcome to the forum.

You have a very early Military and Police K frame based on the barrel marking from about the turn of the 20th century.

The serial number will help date it closer.

 

[MajorD]

Something doesn't compute - the top screw on the frame was deleted in production before the one on the front of the trigger guard.
( so a five screw would have four side plate screws plus the trigger guard screw, a 4 screw would still have the trigger guard screw but 3 side plate screws)
Are you sure about the serial number? Use the one on the bottom of the butt. A prefix of C puts it in the 50's 60's

But the caliber nomenclature suggests a much earlier gun ( 1900ish)

 

[Muley Gil]

Something doesn't compute - the top screw on the frame was deleted in production before the one on the front of the trigger guard.
( so a five screw would have four side plate screws plus the trigger guard screw, a 4 screw would still have the trigger guard screw but 3 side plate screws)
Are you sure about the serial number? Use the one on the bottom of the butt. A prefix of C puts it in the 50's 60's

But the caliber nomenclature suggests a much earlier gun ( 1900ish)

Sounds like an 1899 or a 1902.

 

[Hondo44]

Something doesn't compute - the top screw on the frame was deleted in production before the one on the front of the trigger guard.
( so a five screw would have four side plate screws plus the trigger guard screw, a 4 screw would still have the trigger guard screw but 3 side plate screws)
Are you sure about the serial number? Use the one on the bottom of the butt. A prefix of C puts it in the 50's 60's

But the caliber nomenclature suggests a much earlier gun ( 1900ish)

Yes a much earlier gun. That's why it doesn't compute because the screw count descriptions are for dating guns in the ~1952 to 1961 period. They're not relative to early guns as you've discovered. For example the turn of the century early k and n frames did not have the trigger guard screw. The early I frame also differs in screw count.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Sounds like a .38 M&P made between 1902 and 1907 or so. IIRC, that's the period S&W was stamping the US Service CTG caliber on the barrels. And it would be early in that period since it likely is a Model 1902.

 

[glowe]

Welcome to the Forum. The assembly numbers on the yoke do not matter but the bottom of the butt contains the official serial number. You state a square butt, which is 1905 or later. There were a series of 4 screw M&Ps made in 1905. Made between serial numbers 58000 and 62450 with no trigger guard screw. 2 line caliber marking did not go away until 1908. Get out your magnifying glass and try to read the butt number again.

 

[mikepriwer]

Gary is referring to the introduction of the square butt revolver, known as the Model of 1905. The first square butt serial number is 58000, and are intermixed in the round-butt serial number series. These guns have a 4-screw side-plate, and no screw in front of the trigger guard.

At serial number 62450, the 5 frame screw was added, in front of the trigger guard. Both round butt and square butt revolvers were always identical guns, except for the butt configuration. Both butt configurations have a flat bottom, which is where the serial number is stamped. The difference is in the contour of the front and rear grip straps.

Regards, Mike Priwer