Help ID 5 screw hand ejector

[shootinstraight]

Hello all - recently acquired from family member, but they were not sure about the history.

Fairly sure it's a post war M&P - any help is appreciated.

5 screw, 4 " Barrel, Ramp? front sight?
Holds 6, fluted cylinder
SN S 963410

 

[Truckman]

It appears to be a postwar M&P with some nice sharp shouldered Magna stocks and what looks like a front sight modified to suit the owner's tastes...Welcome to our forum......Ben

 

[JP@AK]

Hi and welcome to the S&W Forum.

Yes, it is a postwar .38 Military & Police unit. It very likely shipped from Springfield in December, 1947.

The stocks are period correct and may be original. You can check for the matching serial number on the inside of the right panel.

The only thing I see amiss is the front sight has been altered to mimic the later serrated ramp. It was originally of the half-moon type.

 

[mh51]

Hi and welcome to the S&W Forum.

Yes, it is a postwar .38 Military & Police unit. It very likely shipped from Springfield in December, 1947.

The stocks are period correct and may be original. You can check for the matching serial number on the inside of the right panel.

The only thing I see amiss is the front sight has been altered to mimic the later serrated ramp. It was originally of the half-moon type.

Jack,
The only thing that puzzles me is that according to SCSW, that serial number was from the 1953-54 range. Maybe I misread something?
Mike

 

[shootinstraight]

The sight was confusing me, thank you for the comment. YES the stocks are original (numbers match). Thanks again!

 

[JP@AK]

Jack,
The only thing that puzzles me is that according to SCSW, that serial number was from the 1953-54 range.

Hi Mike
I'm not sure how you would come up with those dates.

The S prefix numbers topped out in March, 1948. The C prefix numbers started that month. In my dozen or so years of researching the S prefix M&P units, I've found only one that shipped later than about August of 1948, and it was one of the very few that was chambered for the .32 Long (shipped August 12, 1949 - it was an overrun from the large shipment that went to Shanghai. Most of the .32 M&Ps shipped midyear, 1948).

Now, if the OP's gun had been a C prefix unit, the 900,000 number would put it in approximately 1967!

Hence, I don't know what list you were looking at that would give you a 1953-54 date.

ADDED: Wait. I get it. You looked at the S prefix N frame list. That would be 1953-54. But this is a K frame.