Looking for info on pistol

[Doc Savage]

Hello all, first post so please bear with me. I inherited this pistol from my father and grandfather. I've gotten some info from another forum, but looks like there could be some better info here so I'll see what you can tell me. Yes I know I need to get a factory letter and plan to after Uncle Sam decides to give me some of my money back.

Dad had gotten this pistol from my grandfather sometime before 1961. There was a house fire then and Dad reported the pistol lost, but it doesn't look like it was really near any heat. In the 70's my brother and I fired it some with old ammo and it fires well (other than the bullets bounced off a 1/4" sheet of plywood at about 20 yards). I acquired it and have fired a couple of rounds recently and it is real smooth. I cleaned it good (first cleaning it's probably seen since the 60's).

It is a double action. The barrel is marked as a Model 91, but all the stamped serial numbers match (barrel, latch, cylinder, and frame). The grips look. It is nickel plated, but is missing some plating.

I've been told it is a 4th model based on the serial number, and the barrel shouldn't be from a model 91, but since the serial numbers match it seems like it came from the factory like that. Does that sound correct?

Here are pictures,

I doubt it's worth much, but does have some sentimental value so will probably end up on display. Thanks for any thoughts.

Robert

 

[Doc Savage]

Hello all, first post so please bear with me. I inherited this pistol from my father and grandfather. I've gotten some info from another forum, but looks like there could be some better info here so I'll see what you can tell me. Yes I know I need to get a factory letter and plan to after Uncle Sam decides to give me some of my money back.

Dad had gotten this pistol from my grandfather sometime before 1961. There was a house fire then and Dad reported the pistol lost, but it doesn't look like it was really near any heat. In the 70's my brother and I fired it some with old ammo and it fires well (other than the bullets bounced off a 1/4" sheet of plywood at about 20 yards). I acquired it and have fired a couple of rounds recently and it is real smooth. I cleaned it good (first cleaning it's probably seen since the 60's).

It is a double action. The barrel is marked as a Model 91, but all the stamped serial numbers match (barrel, latch, cylinder, and frame). The grips look. It is nickel plated, but is missing some plating.

I've been told it is a 4th model based on the serial number, and the barrel shouldn't be from a model 91, but since the serial numbers match it seems like it came from the factory like that. Does that sound correct?

Here are pictures,

I doubt it's worth much, but does have some sentimental value so will probably end up on display. Thanks for any thoughts.

Robert

 

[Doc Savage]

Almost forgot, it is a S&W .38. Dad thought Granddad got it in WWI.

Robert

 

[MikeyL]

Doc Savage: Neat little gun! Based upon the information in the 3rd Edition of the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, you have a .38 Double Action, 4th Model. This model was made between 1895 and 1909, with serial number range 322701 to 539000. Guns with serial numbers under 382022 are pre-1898 antiques, and have a slight premium. The SCSW also notes that the Model 91 (a single action) barrels interchange, and if the serial numbers match, Smith clearly was using up old supplies!

(I don't think they ever threw anything away). Values are $200 for Very good, $250 for Excellent condition, but only $120 for Fair. Nice family heirloom.

MikeyL
S&WCA #2010

 

[cflier]

Hello Doc,
Welcome to the forum. I'm sure that some more knowledgable people than I will chime in here. But, the serial number that I see in the last picture is actually on the latch, not the barrel. I guess that just muddies the water a little more.
Mark

 

[deadin]

Mark,
If you check out the pictures of the rear of the cylinder you can also see the serial on the rear of the barrel unit.

 

[Doc Savage]

Thanks all,

It doesn't show that great, but in the two shots of the cylinder, the barrel number does show. One thing I noted (and why I posted both pictures) is that the first time I looked, I only saw the last 4 digits of the serial number on the barrel. The second set of pics I took of it where I held the latch down, I noticed that the whole number is there (well the second digit is real hard to make out, you can just barely see it if you zoom in on the original shot, I resized everything for the board post).

Just an educated guess based on the serial number spread and assuming a constant production rate, I'm guessing an 1896 year of manufacture. Blew me away when I realized I'd been firing a gun over 100 years old. I had never expected it to be that old. Of course now I want to get something newer that I can use and not just display like I plan to do with this.

Robert

 

[cflier]

You're right Dean, I hadn't noticed the barrel # in the other picture.
Mark

 

[opoefc]

MikeyL's explanation is correct for the gun. Many examples of this model have the "Model of '91" barrels that are original to the gun and are numbered to the gun, as S&W was using up surplus parts.

 

[glypnir]

They all look the same to me - 345665

 

[klondike]

Doc - Great photos. I am envious. BTW if your gun
is in good mechanical condition it might be fun to shoot it. Elmer Keith in his famous book "Sixguns" mentions that his little .38 DA was very accurate. He states that he outshot everyone on his National Guard pistol team using that gun.

 

[Doc Savage]

Only shot about 3 rounds last summer. Brother and I probably went thru 20 rounds back in the 70's, and the only ammo I have is from that same box which was old back in the 70's. Probably need to get some new ammo before I judge whether it is accurate or not.

Right now I'm thinking about getting a factory letter and putting the letter and pistol in a shadow box for display. I have a non-working American Bulldog that was my father-in-laws and will probably display it with this one.

Robert