Need help (please) Model 1 , 3rd Issue

[Vivaladen]

Hello everyone, need of some help to date a S&W Model 1 , 3rd issue.

I have read allot about it and saw that their serial numbers had to be between number 1 and number 131163 ?

now i have encountered one with serial number 1314XX which is a higher number (see where iam going?)

Iam not in the posession of the SWCA Journal 25th edition and could not find that article written by Roy Jinks anywhere else online to help me date this Revolver...

Can someone who is in posession of that article help me to figure out the date manufacturing or somehere close to it?

The serial number is : 131439

Sorry for my bad english , it's not my native language and a great thanks in forward

 

[gmborkovic]

Where about you from son? Mine aint to good either, and its my only language. I understood your question perfectly. I just had a Mod-1 2nd issue researched, it shipped July 1865. If you were a member of the S&WCA, you can request a search from Mr. Jinks. Or wait till the historical letters to resume for $75. Yours is a late gun and very interesting. Could have shipped well in to the 1880s. Your English is very good. Best

 

[Vivaladen]

Hey gmborkovic! thanks for the reply and the kind words,

i'am from the old world, the Netherlands hehe everyone gets at least English as second language at school. (some french aswell but you have to draw the line somewhere)

I checked out allot of posts here, and saw that there where some people who could check serial numbers in that article, reason i want to know a date is because of the Gunlaws here in the Netherlands if a firearm was manufactured before 1 januari 1870 it's free to own and between 1 januari 1870 and 1945 it has to met some specific requirments and otherwise you need a gun permit which is kinda a big deal here.

so that's kinda why i wanted to know a date of manufacturing..... still kinda weird such a high serial number

 

[gmborkovic]

From my government letter, all Mod-1s are antiques, by our rules. Not Jan 1870. Would not cast a bet on your ship date and country rules. Best to you.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! I'm sorry that I am not in possession of the Journal article you seek. However, I do have Roy Jinks book on the history of Smith & Wesson. The highest SN published in the book is the same as the number you quoted. But, we have learned that anything can happen with S&W. In his book, Mr. Jinks states that sales of the 3rd Model were brisk up until 1872 when S&W could no longer prevent other manufacturers from using their bored through cylinder design. Then, sales tapered off until production was halted in 1882. With a SN as high as yours, it is highly unlikely the gun shipped before 1870. I believe Ed Cornett (alias opoefc) will be along shortly and can tell you when the gun was manufactured if he has the production logs from that period.

 

[glowe]

Welcome to the Forum. The Model 1, 3rd Issue revolver was manufactured from 1865 to 1881. As you noted, it was made in the serial number range from 1 - 131,163. There are many models out there with serial numbers above what is considered the last one made. What I have always suspected was that there were lots of leftover parts at the factory. If special orders came in and there were parts available, the company would likely have filled the request. There is an example in the SWCA database with a number within 25 of your serial number, so they are out there. When was it made?? Most likely not too long after 1881, but a factory letter would be the only way to get the exact date if that number exists in production logs.

 

[JSR III]

One must remember that this was long before the days of computers. These records were hand written in day books and many times the production numbers are based on a physical count by going through these books. If you are scanning one of these logs and you reach a certain serial number and then go forward a few pages and no more are listed, you might take that number as the highest recorded. If production stopped for a few years and then started again, you could end up with a higher number reached several books and years later.

There are also missing ledgers so all that is reported is not necessarily all that were made.

 

[JSR III]

Just to extend the conversation, I have seen a Model 1, 3rd that has a serial number in the 132,000+ range. A lot of the reported serial ranges are merely estimates.