New to the Site. Please Help Identify

[gee.cobra]

Greetings All,
I'm new to the sight but have been collecting S&W's for a few years. I just obtained a pre-model 10, .38 Special hand ejector, 5" barrel. After opening the side plate, I found it is different from any other K-frame I've worked on. It has the normal flat mainspring and an additional flat spring that powers the trigger rebound function and bolt. It also has a pinned blade front sight, a driftable rear sight. a round butt that once must have had a lanyard loop as part of the serial number is obscured by a plug. The full serial number, however, is stamped on the underside of the barrel. There are some other numbers stamped in numerous places throughout the piece that don't match the serial number (perhaps a date of manufacture). Additionally, the serial number on the cylinder does not match. The cylinder appears to be parkerized or perhaps a dull blue finish, where the remainder of the gun was once blued. There are telltale lines in each chamber, as if the chambers were bored to accept .38 Special cartridges.
I'm open to any information the site may have, opinions and otherwise. I don't know if the sights are factory or add ons. Reading some other sites, I believe this to be a model 1902 but not certain.
Thank You all for any information you might provide.

Paul

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! It seems you have quite the Frankengun, there. You have a .38 M&P Model 1902 frame made around 1904 with a WWII British Service Revolver cylinder. The target sights are probably not factory. We really need to see the entire gun to tell if there is more to the story. The cylinder has been reamed to shoot .38 Special as it originally was chambered for .38 S&W. Are there any proof marks stamped on any of the parts?

 

[Truckman]

The S/N has been obliterated by what I can only assume was a lanyard ring hole...I'm not familiar enough with the 1902's to guess whether it originally had one...If the barrel happens to be original, it may still retain the S/N on the barrel flat...A target model too!......Ben

 

[glowe]

Welcome to the Forum. As Ben suggests, look at the bottom flat on the barrel for a stamped serial number. It looks like you have a Model 1902, 1st Change frame from around 1904-1905 with a serial number that is something like 5?521. I believe the cylinder could have been from a WWII Victory British Service revolver, since there is a "V" stamped. The serial number looks odd and doesn't make sense since I think is is stamped 139985? The BSR was chambered in a slightly larger 38 S&W caliber, but yours has been rebored so it can take the longer 38 Special. Most of the WWII Victory guns were finished in a flat coarse finish similar to parkerizing.

The sights are not factory, but were added later by an owner. It would help to see a picture of the whole gun on both sides and another picture of the barrel flat.

 

[DWalt]

The partially missing butt serial number does create a bit of a legality problem. Not sure I would want to keep it. FYI, it is not a pre-Model 10. To collectors, that term applies to M&P revolvers made during the postwar period, approximately 1947-57, having the short action.

 

[Truckman]

The sights are not factory, but were added later by an owner.

Reminiscent of a Bisley sight......Ben