Help identifying old smith and wesson

[Thecockroach420]

Need help identifying this smith and wesson .The numbers on the yoke are 5519 the serial numbers are 35808* it has a 4 in barrel with 38 special barely visible on it. I can barely make out the smith and wesson trademark symbol on the side. Please take a look at the pictures, and information is greatly appreciated

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! You have a .38 Military & Police Model 1902, 1st Change made around 1903. Your gun has gone back to S&W for work which is indicated by the star behind the serial number. If you carefully remove the grips, post a picture of the left side of the grip frame and we may be able to tell you when the service work was done..

 

[Thecockroach420]

Thanks for the information tjt was verry fast and helpful .heres a picture of the frame with the grips removed

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Well, well. It seems your gun went back for service in May 1914 and September 1919. It was reblued according to the <B> on the heel.

 

[Alk8944]

The star after the serial number is referred to as the re-work mark. It indicates by itself that the gun has been repaired in some way after it was first issued. The numbers stamped on the lower, left front of the frame indicate the gun was sent back to the factory in May, 1914 and September, 1918. The re-work star could refer to either date. There is no way to know what work was done on either date, it could be anything from a major component replacement to a re-finish. There is no re-finish mark, but I am not sure that would be applied to a gun this early. I can't read the tiny stamp on the heel of the frame, but it could be a B in a diamond as Wiregrassguy said.

Note: Maybe you can read the dates better, but looking at them again the last number month could be either 8 or 9, and the year 1918 or 1919. I can't be sure.

 

[Thecockroach420]

So being as this Is a verry old gun would it be a mistake to fire the gun? It wouldn't seem that the condition would be diminished any, there's areas of bluing missing and some minor pitting but no rust or anything inside the barrel. Should I shoot it or stick with my strikeman bore sight target system? It was a pawnshop find but I would hate to mess it up.

 

[Muley Gil]

So being as this Is a verry old gun would it be a mistake to fire the gun? It wouldn't seem that the condition would be diminished any, there's areas of bluing missing and some minor pitting but no rust or anything inside the barrel. Should I shoot it or stick with my strikeman bore sight target system? It was a pawnshop find but I would hate to mess it up.

It looks OK for live fire to me. Just use standard velocity ammo.

I have an 1842 Harpers Ferry musket, built in 1845, and an 1863 Springfield, from 1864, rifle musket that has been cut to rifle length. I shoot both in North-South Skirmish Association competition.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

So being as this Is a verry old gun would it be a mistake to fire the gun?

It looks OK for live fire to me. Just use standard velocity ammo.

I think Gil says it well. The older guns are fun to shoot if for no other reason than to marvel how advanced they were back then. There is always a risk that something on the older guns will break. Your hand ejector was designed to handle the pressures of current standard velocity ammo. So, you have minimal risk of a problem shooting modern cartridges. However, your model's action is obsolete being made up of flat springs and levers. There are a couple of flat springs - the trigger return and main springs - that flex every time you pull the trigger or cock the hammer. The flexing work hardens the metal making it more brittle. Eventually, they will break - not from the cartridge pressure, but simply from cycling the action. The main spring can be readily replaced. But the trigger return spring has been obsolete since 1905 and there is no source of replacement parts except from a gun that has been parted out. Or, if you are lucky, your broken spring can be repaired.


I don't tell you this to dissuade you from shooting the gun. If you keep the gun clean and properly lubricated, you reduce the risk of spring failure. And you should enjoy shooting it for many years.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Welcome to the Forum! You have a nice vintage .38 M&P and the hard rubber stocks (grips) look to be in VG condition. There were literally millions of M&Ps manufactured over many decades, so they are not particularly rare or valuable. Since this revolver is not a family heirloom, why not take it out to the range. I wouldn't be afraid to shoot it, and it should be a lot of fun. Enjoy!