I am helping a friend with info on a 48-3 with the 8" barrel. It is a pinned/recessed 1975, but using my 4th Edition S&W book, the serial number is not listed I can see. It has me thinking as to whether it's a -2 to -3 transition model? The serial is 8k999 & change. The 48 -3 starts it seems at the 8k200xxx mark. The entry just above is a 6k number to an 8k, but that 8k entry ends before this model 48s serial starts. It lies in between the two somewhere. Is it made clearer in the 5th edition book maybe ? Where does the 48-3 8k999xx fall?
Model 48-3 transition gun?
- Thread starter Becket
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Hair Trigger
US Veteran
5th Ed SCSW says in the "engineering & Production changes for the M48-2 "many S/N's in the 6Kxxxx range." That doesn't make sense to me because the dash 2 was 1962-1967, the dash-3 was 1967-1977 and the SN listings in the appendix show 6K SN's as 1974 and 1975. What is the SN of your revolver, stamped on the bottom of the butt? If you have target stocks you'll have to remove them to see it. You can also look inside the yoke cut for one like this (my M48-4 is from 1981). 8K should be 1975, the listing shows 8K20763 through 9K 100000 is 1975.
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In the 5th Edition for 8k999xx falls in 1975.
OP
Ok I believe those numbers are different than in 4th edition
OP
Been a long day, jeez; of course it is after 207xxx. We were trying to fit it into the start of the -3, instead of the end of that year, like of a regular number (99 is before 207) without seeing its as 999 serial number being higher. Both of us did it. Thanks, my old brain couldn't fit anything more in today apparently. Beauty of a 48 safe queen though, regardless.
Both the 4th and 5th Editions have the 8K numbers incorrect. According to Dr. Jinks, the 8K numbers break down this way:
8K1 - 8K20763 = 1975
8K20764 - 8K80000 = 1976
8K80001 - 8K99999 = 1977
That would put production of the OP's Model 48-3 in 1977, at the end of the dash 3 run, not near its beginning.
The SCSW is correct on the 6K numbers:
6K1 - 6K58917 = 1974
6K58918 - 6K99999 = 1975
8K1 - 8K20763 = 1975
8K20764 - 8K80000 = 1976
8K80001 - 8K99999 = 1977
That would put production of the OP's Model 48-3 in 1977, at the end of the dash 3 run, not near its beginning.
The SCSW is correct on the 6K numbers:
6K1 - 6K58917 = 1974
6K58918 - 6K99999 = 1975
The book is incorrect here also. According to Dr. Jinks, the 9K numbers are:
9K1 - 9K13999 = 1976
9K14001 - 9K83999 = 1977*
9K84000 - 9K99999 = 1978
(*I have no idea what happened to 9K14000)
The note in the 5th Edition about the Model 68 is probably correct. That model was introduced in 1977, so it makes sense that the earliest examples could have been stamped in the 9K10000 range (1976 production).
Pizza Bob
Member
OK, so what about the 10K serials. This is a 48-3 with an early 10K serial (10K0XXX) that I thought was from 1977.
Adios,
Pizza Bob
10K1 to 10K9999 were used in 1977.
