Help date a Model 10?

[WHelena01]

Hey guys,

Decide to clean some of my guns today, one of which was my mom's .38 special. Started wondering when it was made, took a guess and originally posted on the the 61 to 80 forum. Was told it might be a pre 10 or a Pre War M&P and to move to this forum. The serial number is 181601 and the number behind the wheel is 5259. She bought at a pawn shop for $225.00 for protection since she was living alone. She really liked shooting it. Thanks.

 

[JP@AK]

Definitely not a Model 10. It is a .38 Military & Police Model of 1905, with the third engineering changes, and it shipped before the Great War. One indicator is the extractor rod knob, which is early. That and the serial number.
The stocks are late - after about 1968.
4" barrel.
Your revolver is in pretty nice shape and shows no signs of being refinished.
Jack

 

[JP@AK]

When I said the knob was early, I meant it is still mushroom shaped. But it is the second style - all one piece, I believe.
The mushroom shaped knobs went away in about 1927 or so.
Jack

 

[Alk8944]

I have to disagree with Jack, this gun shows every sign of being refinished in the past, and not terribly well. Look at the rounding of the butt of the grip frame, the rounding of the serial number on the butt, and the way the hammer stud hole below the thumbpiece is wallowed out. At least whoever did the polishing did the frame and sideplate assembled so the typical rounding edges of the seam is not present. But, he apparently left the sidepate screws in place when polishing as they now all appear to flat headed. The top edges of the topstrap are rounded where they would be sharp on an un-molested piece. The gun also appears to have a post-WW II style thumbpiece.

By SN it is a 1905 3rd change, fairly early, and probably was put-up sometime in either late 1909 or, more likely, during 1910.

Reason for edit, I wanted to look at the pictures again before finishing.

 

[JP@AK]

I have to disagree with Jack, this gun shows every sign of being refinished in the past, and not terribly well.

Thanks, Alk8944
I've been having Internet issues and I had a hard time getting the photos to stay loaded. After a re-boot, I can now study them.
The sideplate screws have been flattened. That is very obvious. I can't see any roundness left to those screw heads, except maybe a little on the top screw. I'm sure this is because the buffing was done with the sideplate in place, which accounts for there being no rounded edges on it, with the tell-tale gap.
You are also right about the cylinder release. The flat edges yell "late model."
I just looked at the butt of a Model of 1905 in my collection, and the bottom edges of the grip frame on the OP's gun are showing way too much taper where they meet (or don't meet) the walnut. The bottom edges should be quite square with very little gap between the wood and the frame.
Good catch!
My apologies to the OP for my misleading comments.

At least I got the model variant right, and the general period the gun was likely to have shipped. So I'm not a total screw-up. Just 90%.

Jack

 

[JP@AK]

Depending on when she bought it, at least "Mom" didn't get taken too badly. This is about a $200 gun. I'm sure it still shoots!
Jack

 

[JP@AK]

Here is what the cylinder release should look like on a gun of the OP's vintage.
The revolver in the photo shipped in April, 1908.

 

[WHelena01]

Depending on when she bought it, at least "Mom" didn't get taken too badly. This is about a $200 gun. I'm sure it still shoots!
Jack

She loved shooting it. I have videos of her shooting and she was a great shot. Last year, I took it out and shot it with my kids and we had a great time. Mom wasn't looking for a safe queen, she wanted a gun she could shoot, if needed. This fit the bill. I don't care if it's worth only a dollar, it's priceless to me.

 

[JP@AK]

I don't care if it's worth only a dollar, it's priceless to me.

I completely understand. And I feel that same way about some things I have that belonged to my parents.

Best regards,
Jack

 

[Old TexMex]

That's a great heirloom, reblued what not, it has a good story. Look after it, it's a beaut.

 

[WHelena01]

Thanks for the info. When mom bought it she was wanting something newer than her H&R 22 revolver that was made in the 1960s...only if she new the S&W was older than her.