Odd serial number

[Blackdog]

I recently bought a stainless Model 65 that's seen lotsa use and has a S/N stamped on the left side just below the cylinder. The S/N starts with TDC, then 5 digits. The original S/N is, of course, on the bottom of the grip frame and is completely different than the one mentioned. Any info would be appreciated. I'm guessing it was an inventory/arsenal number used by an institution of some type.

BD

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

TDC= The Department of Corrections?

 

[VM]

<span class="ev_code_BLUE">"The S/N starts with TDC"</span>- this is not a serial number

G4F is on right track...........some Dept. put their own ID on it - probably when it was issued to the Officer.

The {only} serial number is the one that S&W put on the butt.

 

[lzhome]

Texas Department of Corrections or maybe Tennessee??

 

[smith17]

BD:
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice used to be the Texas Dept. of Corrections before the 90s. In about 1982, they traded in most of their Model 64s for 65s. Recently, they sold off of bunch of those 65s. I never understood why they changed from the 64 since they never shot .357s.
Ed

 

[rburg]

The Discovery Channel?

 

[jjones33]

TN marked it's revolvers on the left side frame just below the cylinder. THPXXXX is the State Troopers and TDCXXXX is for TN Dept of Corrections.

Better than average chance that is who marked it.

A THP marked gun...

 

[Blackdog]

Yep, that's very similar to the the number on my model 65. Cool.

 

[texasplinker]

The Texas Dept of Corrections changed it's name to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Instsitutional Division around 1990. I have been employed with the agency a little over 15 years. About 3 years ago the agency traded a couple hundred S&W Model 65's in on some Glock 31's in .357 Sig. Almost all of the Model 65's that were traded in had TDC and a number stamped on the frame, below the cylinder, as most were purchased prior to the change in the agency's name. A few just had a number stamped below the cylinder without the TDC. The Glocks were primarily issued to Wardens and Sergents that worked with tracking dogs used in escapes and aprehending felons that fled on foot from local police. After carrying the Glocks a couple of years someone decided they needed a manuel safety and the agency traded the Glocks in on the new S&W polymer M&P in .357 sig, which is available with an optional manual safety that is simialar to those found on a 1911. We still have a lot of old Model 65's that are still use today. However, before long all of the Model 65's will be traded in on the new Smiths. Hundreds should be hitting the market over the next year or two. Some have been caried a lot and have substantial holster wear, but most have been shot very little. Keep an eye out for them if they interest you. Gander Mountain ended up with quite a few of them the last time they made a swap. I purchased a Model 65 with a TDC number, that the agency acquired in 1977.

 

[Sgt Neutron]

I have a TDC stamped M-65 that I got a few years ago. For the princely sum of $235, I got me a nice backpacking gun

.

BTW, TDC to me stands for "Top Dead Center", for us old guys that can remember doing a tune up with a set of points, a set of spark plugs (8), a set of feeler gauges, and a timing light.

 

[fyimo]

Originally posted by Sgt Neutron:


BTW, TDC to me stands for "Top Dead Center", for us old guys that can remember doing a tune up with a set of points, a set of spark plugs (8), a set of feeler gauges, and a timing light.

A large segment of this forum probably doesn't know what a set of points for a car is or a timing light. These things go with slide rules and 8 track tapes

 

[bmhiii]

A large segment of this forum probably doesn't know what a set of points for a car is or a timing light. These things go with slide rules and 8 track tapes

I would fall into the category of doing any emergency setting of points using the thickness of a match book cover as a gap gauge. It worked and got us out of the mountains...

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Timing lights are new technology. How about a flashlight and some wire and a couple of alligator clips for static timing setting?

8-track? I remember when 1/4" tape was the latest thing. Anyone remember wire recorders? I never had one, but the father of the kid who had one told me that when he was a kid, and they went down to the river to wash their clothes, rocks hadn't been invented yet, and they had to beat their clothes against their heads to get them clean.

I think he made that up.