Help with serial number

[smithguy47]

Smith & Wesson Model 17...#K563466 (number on the bottom of the grip area)
How to identify date of manufacture? I am hoping it is a C&R over 50 years old.

Many thanks,

SG47

 

[scha]

This serial dates to 1964.

Hope this helps.

Steve

 

[ianto94]

Have a similar request. S&W Model 36, serial number 345XXX. Can anyone help with date of manufacture? Thanks.

 

[whataboutbob]

1962 began with 295000 and 1969 began with 786544 so somewhere in the early 60's

 

[smithguy47]

Thanks Steve...may I ask where I can find that info next time around?

Thanks,
SG47

 

[jsfricks]

Thanks Steve...may I ask where I can find that info next time around?

Thanks,
SG47

This is about your best source.
Amazon.com: Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson eBook: Jim Supica, Richard Nahas: Kindle Store@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JXjaAywdL.@@AMEPARAM@@51JXjaAywdL

 

[DWalt]

"S&W Model 36, serial number 345XXX"
I have one listed with a SN of 427xxx having an early 1966 shipping date. So yours might be a couple of years earlier - maybe 1964. If it's really important to precisely date it, your only option is to part with $50 for a factory letter.

 

[Doc44]

K544249, a Model 19-2, shipped on June 17, 1964, but I know of a couple of others in the K560000 range that did not ship until March 1965, so I would get a shipping date from S&W before proceeding.

Bill

 

[DWalt]

re K563466, I show one about 12K earlier which shipped in early 1964. You can't know without a letter, but sometime in mid-late 1964 is probably a safe bet. However for manufacturing date (which is what BATFE uses), the range is K555,000 – K605,877 for 1964. So you should be safe, but not 100% guaranteed you are quite there yet.