Pre M-19?

[Engine49guy]

Came accross a private party sale Model 19 the other day.
It has no red ramp front site, no model marking in the crane and no trigger guard screw .

SCSW says the "pre" 19's intro sn# was K-26001 in 1950 .
sn#s ended at K288988 in 1956 .

Owner says serial is 79XXX.
It is definately not model marked .

My guess is probably a non model marked goofup at the factory.

If the sn# is K-79xxx it would be a 4 screw...its not.

Until I inspect it am guessing the sn# is 7K XXX which would make it a 19-3 made in 1974.
Anyone care to speculate until I get an eyeball on it?

 

[Doc44]

79XXX may be the assembly number. If it is, the s/n could be around K300000 or so and the revolver could be a pre-model 19. The SCSW numbers are usually estimates and not absolutes. However, the gun should also be a 4-screw and since it is not, you are probably correct that it is a 19-3 that missed the model marking step during manufacturing.

Bill

 

[mikepriwer]

E

The pre-19's started in 1955.

I generally agree with Bill, although I don't know what "S300000"
is suppossed to be.

Ask the owner to read everything that is on the butt - everything from
one edge to the other.

Later, Mike Priwer

 

[Doc44]

Mike...My mind was on N-frames, should have been K300000.

Bill

 

[Göring's S&W]

My guess is probably a non model marked goofup at the factory.

If the sn# is K-79xxx it would be a 4 screw...its not.

Until I inspect it am guessing the sn# is 7K XXX which would make it a 19-3 made in 1974.
Anyone care to speculate until I get an eyeball on it?

I agree with your assessment of a goofup at the factory. I think the more reliable way to identify age (over checking the yoke) would be the screw count. It appears as though the gun is a 3 screw frame, since you said there is no trigger guard screw. That screw was eliminated after the upper side plate screw was eliminated = 3 screw. I think it could be a 19-3 or later myself based on the info. Check to see if its P&R'd, which could indicate an earlier model 19.

 

[Engine49guy]

Thank you for the input,
I just returned home to an email saying he removed the grips and check the SN# .
Again he says 79XXX.

Something is not right.

Cant be 79XXX, Cant be a pre model with 3 screws.

Im still betting it is a factory escapee with no model stamp.

 

[smith17]

Is the barrel marked as a .357 Magnum?

 

[Doc44]

The lowest serial number for a Combat Magnum is K260001. If the serial number is really K79XXX, it is not a Combat Magnum (pre-19). Ask the person who owns the revolver to read the serial number off the bottom of the grip frame (like Mike suggested).

Bill

 

[CraigJ]

Pre 19

My 4 screw is K 2618XX. Unfortunately it was butchered before I bought it. Looks as if it was re-blued over the old blue and other disgusting kitchen gunsmithing. Need to send it back to Smith and try to get it looking better. CraigJ

 

[Engine49guy]

Turned out to be a dash 3 that left the factory without a model stamp.