Model 41 S/N starting with UMB

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

A friend has a Model 41 whose serial number starts with UMB. He wants to know its "birth year." It is not clear to me from S&N #3 or #2 whether that is a normal number for a S&W autoloader, or part of some special run, as he thinks may be the case. I do not have a S&N #4.

Can anyone tell me when his Model 41 was born, and whether the serial number was anything special, or just in the normal run of numbers?

Many thanks.

 

[first-model]

If the serial number is three letters followed by four numeric digits, then it's a fairly modern (after the early 1980's) gun. S&W went to that system so that every gun that came out of the factory (regardless of model) could have an absolutely unique serial number.

The three letters don't have any particular significance. I believe that certain blocks of serial numbers were reserved for certain models, but I learned a long time ago not to read too much into that.

For what it's worth, some other manufacturers use a similar system. Glock did three letters and three numbers for many years, and has just moved to four letters and three numbers. Same idea.

If he calls Smith & Wesson customer service, they *may* provide the year that the gun was shipped. For more specifics, he'd need to request a factory letter from the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation, which costs $100 per gun.

Mike

 

[Brister1984]

For what it's worth, I have the 4th ed and UMG is not listed there either. Do you have a model number? That might help narrow it down. I have an M41 with UAR serial and I believe it to be from 1997. Hope that helps.