Need help 44 Russian date year of manufacture.
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Hi There,
Welcome to the Forum!
I pic would be helpful because there were 3 different Russian models.
In general, .44 S&W Russian was made for the Russian Government and
the serial number was stamped on all major parts of the revolver. At the
same time, .44 S&W Russian models that were sold through the Domestic
(non Russian) sales were treated differently.
Civilian made and sold Russian models used a 2 to 4 character 'assembly'
or 'fitting' number that was used on the major parts of the revolver so the
parts that were fitted would be reunited after polishing and finishing.
This fitting number was stamped on the back of the cylinder, the underside
of the barrel latch, the back of the barrel (behind the latch) and on the right
hand side of the grip frame under the grips down near the heal of the butt.
The serial number was stamped on the bottom of the butt and on the inside
of the right hand grip panel.
Please post pics when you can!
Cheers!
Webb
Welcome to the Forum!
I pic would be helpful because there were 3 different Russian models.
In general, .44 S&W Russian was made for the Russian Government and
the serial number was stamped on all major parts of the revolver. At the
same time, .44 S&W Russian models that were sold through the Domestic
(non Russian) sales were treated differently.
Civilian made and sold Russian models used a 2 to 4 character 'assembly'
or 'fitting' number that was used on the major parts of the revolver so the
parts that were fitted would be reunited after polishing and finishing.
This fitting number was stamped on the back of the cylinder, the underside
of the barrel latch, the back of the barrel (behind the latch) and on the right
hand side of the grip frame under the grips down near the heal of the butt.
The serial number was stamped on the bottom of the butt and on the inside
of the right hand grip panel.
Please post pics when you can!
Cheers!
Webb
Last edited:
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Hi There,
Okay. This isn't a Russian Model. This is a 'New Model No: 3.' The
standard caliber was .44 S&W Russian, but it isn't a Russian Model.
In the case of the New Model No: 3 (abbreviated NM#3), Those numbers
are the serial number. S&W switch to using serial numbers instead of
fitting numbers when the NM#3 came out.
Cheers!
Webb
P.S. - The grips are somebody's home brew fabrication.
Okay. This isn't a Russian Model. This is a 'New Model No: 3.' The
standard caliber was .44 S&W Russian, but it isn't a Russian Model.
In the case of the New Model No: 3 (abbreviated NM#3), Those numbers
are the serial number. S&W switch to using serial numbers instead of
fitting numbers when the NM#3 came out.
Cheers!
Webb
P.S. - The grips are somebody's home brew fabrication.
Last edited:
Thanks!! I really like shooting it! Is there a website where I can find out when it was built?
Sam
Boulder350
Member
The only way to know for sure, when your gun shipped, is by requesting a factory letter from Smith and Wesson Historical Foundation. Smith and Wesson did not ship them in order of serial number, so dates vary. Guns around your serial number often shipped in 1881 or 1882. I had a gun that was about 200 serial numbers below yours and it shipped in 1895.
swhistoricalfoundation.com
Letters – Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation
swhistoricalfoundation.com
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Hi There,
As Mike said, you have to order a Historical Letter in order to know when
it was Sold. The date of manufacture and the date a revolver is sold can be
a decade or more apart. Unfortunately, S&W didn't keep records on when
the revolvers were made. Only when they were sold.
The NM#3 came out in 1878 and your frame was probably made in 1878 or
1879. Now S&W's process was to first manufacture the frame, fit grips to it
and place it in inventory. Later when a work order came down from the sales
department, the assemblers would check out a frame, gather the necessary
parts and go to their workbench and assemble it. When the parts were fitted,
it was disassembled and sent to the polishing Dept. for final polishing and the
finish (blue or nickel) applied. Also, if a revolver was to have special treatment,
(like engraving and/or silver or gold plating, etc.) it was done at this time.
There wasn't any order in which frames were check out for assembly and
finishing. Hence the order of completion wasn't sequential by serial number.
Also, some revolvers were assembled 'for stock' and would go into the ware-
house and sometimes not being sold for over a decade. So a Historical Letter
will only tell you when it was Sold and not when it was made.
It has been established the ALL NM#3's are BAFTE Antiques and not restricted
on the Federal level.
Cheers!
Webb
As Mike said, you have to order a Historical Letter in order to know when
it was Sold. The date of manufacture and the date a revolver is sold can be
a decade or more apart. Unfortunately, S&W didn't keep records on when
the revolvers were made. Only when they were sold.
The NM#3 came out in 1878 and your frame was probably made in 1878 or
1879. Now S&W's process was to first manufacture the frame, fit grips to it
and place it in inventory. Later when a work order came down from the sales
department, the assemblers would check out a frame, gather the necessary
parts and go to their workbench and assemble it. When the parts were fitted,
it was disassembled and sent to the polishing Dept. for final polishing and the
finish (blue or nickel) applied. Also, if a revolver was to have special treatment,
(like engraving and/or silver or gold plating, etc.) it was done at this time.
There wasn't any order in which frames were check out for assembly and
finishing. Hence the order of completion wasn't sequential by serial number.
Also, some revolvers were assembled 'for stock' and would go into the ware-
house and sometimes not being sold for over a decade. So a Historical Letter
will only tell you when it was Sold and not when it was made.
It has been established the ALL NM#3's are BAFTE Antiques and not restricted
on the Federal level.
Cheers!
Webb
