Help, I think it's pre-WWII, but not sure

[Here4aSeason]

This is my dad's. He just bought it, but he doesn't know much about it. I've done some research and all I know is it may be pre-WWII because it doesn't have a letter in the s/n. It has a 5" barrel and .38 special. Here are some pics:

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc430/Here4aSeason/IMAG0100.jpg

 

[Art Doc]

It's from the early 1920s and has been poorly refinished. S&W never plated the hammer and trigger.

 

[David LaPell]

It is definitely as Saxonpig says pre-WWII. The dead give away is the knob at the end of the ejector rod. Also as Saxonpig said too, it is definitely refinished, and not real well either.

 

[Art Doc]

I think the large ejector knob was changed to the small one around 1923 if I recall correctly. This is a very early Military & Police Model. I would limit this gun to mild loads out of concern for imprecise tempering of steel back then.

 

[Hammerdown]

Hello Here4aSeason
I see this was your first post, so welcome to the forum. To add a Little more here as Other's have said this is a Pre-War Model of 1905 Forth change M&P revolver. it is a Little tough for me to see it's exact serial number in Picture # 3 but it appears to me to be 361,777. If that is the case it is safe to fire everyday factory loaded .38 Special ammo in this gun as S&W started Heat treating the cylinders of these at serial number 316,648 in 1919 which was Just slightly ahead of your serial number if it is Indeed as I saw it being 361,777. I assume the stocks are correct for the gun due to the wear they exibit and being of Non medallion convex style, and as other's have indicated it appears to have been refinished in nickel. If you open the cylinder and look up on the barrel flat {Being the bottom side of the barrel area}i t may have a B-Prefix stamping before the gun's serial number which would mean the gun was originally made with a Blued finish when it left S&W. Like all Old S&W's of that vintage I would suggest that a Gun smith check it out prior to shooting it to deem it safe and sound to shoot. If it checks out to be safe to fire enjoy it as these were the staple gun for S&W and very accurate when shooting semi wad cutter or Full wad cutter lead bullet ammo of 148 Grain design.....

 

[Here4aSeason]

Thanks for the quick response everyone! I agree that the refinish was poorly done haha! I believe my dad will be taking it to a gun smith to have it restored. He was happy to hear that it should most likely be blued, he was planning on having that done anyway! Does anyone have an idea what it may be worth after restoring?

Thanks again!

 

[hsguy]

Welcome to the forum. Restoring the gun will not increase the value at all. I would leave the gun as is and just shoot it. The edges, screw holes and sideplate show the effects of the refinish and will not improve. To me that is a $150 gun at tops and will not be worth more with a re re-finish. I would save the money on a re-finish and put it towards an original gun. Nice eamples can be found in the $300-$500 range. If the bore and internals are good it should be a fine shooter.

 

[alaskavett]

Less then it is worth now. Unfortunately you have a fairly common gun here that has already been messed with and who knows what irreversible damage has been dune to it. You have not stated how it cycles or if it even locks up well. It will probably cost you $400 to $500 to "restore" a gun that will then be worth perhaps some $375 at most. If it were mine I would ensure it is shootable and just shoot it as is. If you are wanting a similar gun in better condition check the classifieds on here and your local gun shows may be full of great finds for you and your Dad. Kyle

 

[Iggy]

First of all, welcome to the forum.

You can't try to turn a 75 year old man into a 22 year old and have him come out looking very well.

Respect that old timer for what it is. Shoot it with reasonable ammo and enjoy it.

 

[Art Doc]

This gun cannot be restored as most of the stampings were buffed off. trying to restore it would not end well and would cost three times what the gun is worth. Shoot it and forget it or sell it and buy a better gun.

 

[JSR III]

Welcome to the forum. I would guesstimate that it would cost in excess of $700 to bring this old workhorse back to like new condition. It could be refinished and all lettering and logos can be recut. Unfortunately, it would not make much sense as the gun would not be original and value would not be increased.

As others have stated, enjoy it, shoot it with light loads (after checking it out or having a gun smith do so) and save your money for a better example in original condition.

 

[delta-419]

Welcome to the Forum! You will find some great advice and knowledge here. I have to agree with the other members that this is such a common type S&W and that it would be very expensive to refinish. If it was a scarse revolver (not rare) such as a 38/44 that could be considered a "graveyard project" and funds were not an issue then in MHO it would be worthy of a rebuild. As said, the mechanics are the primary concern for a safe gun. What every your decision, good luck with it and again welcome aboard!

 

[Here4aSeason]

Unfortunately whoever did the refinish didn't have a clue about what they were doing. There is nickel in barrel and it looks to have pits in it as well, so there's no safe shooting this without a new barrel. It has a very solid cycle, but I think my dad is thinking of this as more of a project to gain a little smithing experience than having valuable piece. He even mentioned just getting some .38 blanks and just having a cool cap gun haha! Thanks for all of the advice, this is a great forum!