Info request mod 31-1 S/N ADB15xx

[Joe all]

I am interested in any info relating to a Smith and Wesson Model 31-1 with the Serial Number ADB15xx. This serial seems odd to me. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[murphydog]

Welcome! It is a very late production model 31 from about 1983. Earlier versions had six digit SNs, then in 1969 to the early 1980s an H prefix.

 

[Joe all]

Serial prefix

Can you interpret the prefix ADB? What ate the meanings of these letters?

 

[Green Frog]

According to the SN list in my old copy of Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (4th Ed) that SN range was used in 1983. They sat on the shelf sometimes for a couple of years, but that should put you close to the mfg date. Since it starts with an A, you can assume this comes from early in the triple letter prefix era, but it has no real significance other than to get the SN down to a manageable 7 digits, 3 alpha, and 4 numeric.
Froggie

 

[murphydog]

In about 1980, S & W started the move away from several different serial number letter prefixes (D, H, K, N, R, etc.) to the three letter/four digit format. Some guns went a few more years before this change was made. These went (more or less) in alphabetical order starting with AAA, but not always.