Help With Approximate Year of Shipment

[oldmcdonald]

I recently bought this Pre Model 10 from the big auction site at a pretty affordable price and am trying determine a better approximation of shipping date than 1946-1948. Note pre-war grips. Serial number is S 816276. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Hondo44]

That's a beauty!

You can interpolate from the book range of 1945-1948 S811120 - S999999. For the shipping date you'll have to get a letter. Very Likely 1945.

If you join the S&W Historical Foundation for $35 you be able to call and get the Month and year.

 

[JP@AK]

I recently bought this Pre Model 10 from the big auction site at a pretty affordable price and am trying determine a better approximation of shipping date than 1946-1948. Note pre-war grips. Serial number is S 816276. Any help is appreciated.

Hi

That one is in my database. I saw it quite a while back on GB. I noted at the time that the stocks numbered to the gun, so they are original. I do not have an actual ship date for it, but it was a commercial shipment and very likely left the factory in March, 1946. Postwar civilian shipments started on the first of that month. By mid-April, no further shipments of these unit wore the prewar style stocks. Moreover, I have several serial numbers recorded in that range that shipped in March, 1946. I'd give very good odds on a bet yours shipped that month.

Nice purchase!

Incidentally, several guys here will tell you that it is not a "pre-Model 10." It still has the long action. The High Speed Hammer (which defines the so-called "pre-Model 10") was not introduced until March, 1948. The first production unit with that hammer was S990184, and it shipped on April 7, 1948.

 

[larryofcc]

Hi

That one is in my database. I saw it quite a while back on GB. I noted at the time that the stocks numbered to the gun, so they are original. I do not have an actual ship date for it, but it was a commercial shipment and very likely left the factory in March, 1946. Postwar civilian shipments started on the first of that month. By mid-April, no further shipments of these unit wore the prewar style stocks. Moreover, I have several serial numbers recorded in that range that shipped in March, 1946. I'd give very good odds on a bet yours shipped that month.

Nice p4th, 1948.

Incidentally, several guys here will tell you that it is not a "pre-Model 10." It still has the long action. The High Speed Hammer (which defines the so-called "pre-Model 10") was not introduced until March, 1948. The first production unit with that hammer was S990184, and it shipped on April 7, 1948.

I have # S 991735, a 5" M&P, shipped 4-48 that still has the long action. Parts is parts, so they say. Big Larry

 

[JP@AK]

I have # S 991735 . . . that still has the long action.

Yes, Larry, it shows in my database.

One should not assume that all serial numbers after S990184 will have the new short action. In fact, I have identified several in the S991000 range and even a few in the S996000 range that have the long action. But those are anomalies.

It should be remembered that S&W did not always assemble guns in serial order, let alone ship them in order. That said, the vast majority of M&Ps above S990000 were assembled with the new High Speed Hammer.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Not to cut in, but you guys are pretty awesome, all the knowledge! And if you don't know the answer there's a place to get the answer. Pretty nice...

 

[DWalt]

Very early in the S series, it certainly shipped earlier in 1946. Most here would call it a “postwar M&P” as it has the old long action design. The newer short action (High speed hammer) appeared very close to the end of S series production.