is this Model a pre ten? cannot figure this one?

[wwingsong]

I bought this from a guy today who said it has been on top his fridge for over 60 years unfired? cannot figure it out, 5 screws , pinned barrel, C prefix, case colored hammer and trigger, round front blade sight, small square notch rear sight, 2 inch barrel, round grips, serial numbers on 1.barrel flat-2.grip frame-3.back of ejector- 4.rear of cylinder. no turn line on cylinder or any sign of ever being fired,any help would be appreciated thanks, and the caliber? is it 38SW or 38 special?

 

[10xatten]

I'm not the best person to ID an older Smith, but that sure is pretty. You lucked out, big time.

 

[Muley Gil]

Welcome to the Forum.

Yes, that is a pre M10. The caliber should be marked on the side of the barrel.

I just got your pictures to open. It is a .38 special.

 

[Duke44]

Nice little snub. The hammer looks blued in the picture. Am I seeing things?

 

[Peak53]

A few answers and questions. Yes, it is a gorgeous apparently pre-model 10 (post-war) given the half moon front sight and short action hammer. It says .38 Special right on the barrel. The serial number indicates approximately 1953 DOM. However, the grips don't add up as they don't have the diamond center, which was eliminated approximately 1968. Plus, it may have been reblued, which would cast doubt on the unfired status. Are the hammer and trigger blue or case hardened? There appears to be a wider than normal gap/groove around the sideplate, often indicative of a non-factory reblue. Or, maybe it was just unfired for the last 60 years? Which doesn't say anything about the years before that.

 

[jsfricks]

I'm with Duke44. Hammer and trigger do look blued, but you say they're not. Sideplate edges are rounded, possibly a refinish. Tip of extractor rod appears to be blued too. But depending on what you paid for it it'll make a great home or truck gun.

 

[vinny77]

He had a refrigerator that lasted 60+ years?

 

[Absalom]

In agreement with the others, the gun in your photos most definitely does not have a case-colored hammer and trigger, even though you say so. Sometimes the lighting of a photo can be deceptive, but here we have multiple pictures. As also mentioned, the grips are replacements, which would be odd on an unfired gun.

 

[Laketime]

He had a refrigerator that lasted 60+ years?

Best answer ever!

 

[Peak53]

None of the above keeps this from being a great, shootable snubby. Collectors are notoriously picky. Shoot, clean, repeat.

 

[Muley Gil]

He had a refrigerator that lasted 60+ years?

I live in a 1850 farm house. The hot water heater dates to the early 1960s. Still works fine.

 

[wwingsong]

it had a set of Rubber grips on it I threw these on when I got home, The side covers are tight but the hammer and trigger are blued in fact, so does that mean the revolver has been reblued?

 

[A10]

Blued hammers and triggers are usually a dead giveaway for a rescue. Nice shooter grade gun.

 

[JP@AK]

He had a refrigerator that lasted 60+ years?

It is entirely possible. The "beer fridge" in my garage is an International Harvester. IH made refrigerators from 1947 until 1955 when the division was sold to Whirlpool. Mine was made in the early 1950s, so it is almost as old as I am.

I bought it in 1989 for $25, and have moved it to 5 different houses during that time. It still runs great - the defroster even still works!

Here is a picture.

 

[wwingsong]

awesome sir! you have put a snarky comment to rest. when a 80 plus year old vet tells me something about a gun he has had that many years I tend to believe him. Beautiful Icebox you have there!

 

[Glashaus]

It is entirely possible. The "beer fridge" in my garage is an International Harvester. IH made refrigerators from 1947 until 1955 when the division was sold to Whirlpool. Mine was made in the early 1950s, so it is almost as old as I am.

I bought it in 1989 for $25, and have moved it to 5 different houses during that time. It still runs great - the defroster even still works!

Here is a picture.

AWESOME IH beer fridge!!! I grew up around IH/FarmallTractors, very cool!

 

[jmace57]

It is entirely possible. The "beer fridge" in my garage is an International Harvester. IH made refrigerators from 1947 until 1955 when the division was sold to Whirlpool. Mine was made in the early 1950s, so it is almost as old as I am.

I bought it in 1989 for $25, and have moved it to 5 different houses during that time. It still runs great - the defroster even still works!

Here is a picture.

Yeah Jack, but you're in Alaska! It's barely had to work all those years!

Jim

 

[glowe]

None of the above keeps this from being a great, shootable snubby. Collectors are notoriously picky. Shoot, clean, repeat.

When a relatively new member asks about a gun, we should be obligated to provide the most accurate information available, and it has nothing to do with being picky. If others did not share their knowledge with us when starting in the collecting world, we would still not know the differences between a re-blued gun and an original.

There are lots of uneducated, unethical and dishonest sellers out there and no one wants to pay big bucks only to find out they have made a bad purchase. There is absolutely nothing wrong with collecting shooters, but I do not want anyone to pay top dollar for something misrepresented by a seller.

 

[bigwagon]

Just because he kept it on top of the fridge for 60 years doesn't mean he never took it down, had it refinished, or bought a new refrigerator. I have an original condition pre-10 2-inch from 1950 (more than 60 years old) and the finish looks nothing like yours, which does appear to be refinished.

 

[DWalt]

All I can say from your pictures is that it probably has been refinished, and if so, not by S&W. Your SN would date its shipment to around 1954-55, making it definitely a pre-Model 10. K-frame snubbies have an attraction for many, and they are always in higher demand than those having longer barrels. Even if reblued.