Pre Model 29 I'm Confused?

[AC Man]

I have a pre 29 4 screw serial number 171927 Lettered. Dates to April 1957 shipped.

I have a pre 29 5 screw serial number 167196 no letter.

Would this date to 1956? (my birth year) It is hard to figure out the serial numbers in this era. What is your best guess on the 5 screw?

 

[murphydog]

Doc44 would have the answer, but the best guess is...maybe. They didn't ship in SN order and I would guess a late 5-screw gun might have sold after an early 4-screw.

 

[marinevet]

Get a letter.........then you will know.......Happy Birthday if it works out..........

 

[DARE]

Yeah, get a letter. Or join S&WCA and ask Roy Jinks.
In another current thread Doc44 (I think our best 44 Magnum expert) said most guns around S153000 were late 1956 or early 1957. Since your number is 16000 higher, my guess would be 1957. Have seen guns with very close numbers that shipped a year apart. Have seen guns several thousand apart that shipped on the same day.
Here is my gun, S153063 that shipped December 14, 1956.

 

[Nightowl]

You can drive yourself nuts trying to figure out N frame shipping dates in the early-mid 1950s. Examples: Some early .44 Magnums had serial numbers in the S130xxx, then they jumped to the S150xxxs. I have a .357 Magnum S150426 that shipped Feb 28, 1957 and a .44 Magnum (4 screw) S171643 shipped August 16, 1957! I also have several S159xxx .357s shipped in 1956. S159312 shipped Feb 1956, a year before the S150xxx!

As I understand it, the factory would schedule "runs" of a certain gun, like the .357 Magnum, where they made them continuously and store them in the vault, then move to another model, while selling those stored until they were out. I could be wrong about this, as I was told this many years ago when I was ordering something and was told it was not scheduled to be "run" for another year or two. Anyway, trying to correlate a serial number with a shipping year is just a wild xxx guess!

 

[22hipower]

Have seen guns with very close numbers that shipped a year apart. Have seen guns several thousand apart that shipped on the same day.
Here is my gun, S153063 that shipped December 14, 1956.

To illustrate the point, I have a four inch, S161859, which shipped in November of 1956.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[JP@AK]

I have a pre 29 5 screw serial number 167196 no letter.

Would this date to 1956?

This doesn't really tell you anything, but .44 Magnum serial number S167199 shipped on August 15, 1957. S167200 shipped on July 11, 1956.

As others have said, shipments were not even close to serial order. The best thing to do is buy a letter.

 

[Truckman]

S176150 shipped 6/1958...S169944 shipped 3/1957...Sorry, that's all I have......Ben

 

[Capt. F.]

You can drive yourself nuts trying to figure out N frame shipping dates in the early-mid 1950s. Examples: Some early .44 Magnums had serial numbers in the S130xxx, then they jumped to the S150xxxs. I have a .357 Magnum S150426 that shipped Feb 28, 1957 and a .44 Magnum (4 screw) S171643 shipped August 16, 1957! I also have several S159xxx .357s shipped in 1956. S159312 shipped Feb 1956, a year before the S150xxx!

As I understand it, the factory would schedule "runs" of a certain gun, like the .357 Magnum, where they made them continuously and store them in the vault, then move to another model, while selling those stored until they were out. I could be wrong about this, as I was told this many years ago when I was ordering something and was told it was not scheduled to be "run" for another year or two. Anyway, trying to correlate a serial number with a shipping year is just a wild xxx guess!

Years ago I called the mother ship to see about having the 6 1/2” barrel on my 29 swapped out for an 8 3/8”. Talked to the Service Manager, Mr. Longton (sp?). Told me they weren’t doing runs of 8 3/8” .44 barrels at that time but would contact me when they were. Two months later I got a call, shipped the gun and got it back two weeks later. Still have it.

 

[Doc44]

You are in luck as I have this 44 Magnum in my database. It shipped on July 13, 1956 .

Bill

 

[Hawg Rider]

I have a pre 29 4 screw serial number 171927 Lettered. Dates to April 1957 shipped.

I have a pre 29 5 screw serial number 167196 no letter.

Would this date to 1956? (my birth year) It is hard to figure out the serial numbers in this era. What is your best guess on the 5 screw?

Yep, the .44 Magnum manufacturing and shipping dates can be very confusing. Thank goodness for Doc44 and other Forum gurus that are extremely knowledgeable and keep accurate databases! According to Doc44, my 4-screw S177963 (pictured in the wrong presentation case) was manufactured in 1957 but didn't ship until June 1958. I guess there wasn't a big demand for .44 Magnums in the early years. Dirty Harry certainly changed all of that! AC Man- how about a couple of pics of your 4-screw and 5-screw for us to appreciate?

 

[boykinlp]

Yep, the .44 Magnum manufacturing and shipping dates can be very confusing. Thank goodness for Doc44 and other Forum gurus that are extremely knowledgeable and keep accurate databases! According to Doc44, my 4-screw S177963 (pictured in the wrong presentation case) was manufactured in 1957 but didn't ship until June 1958. I guess there wasn't a big demand for .44 Magnums in the early years. Dirty Harry certainly changed all of that! AC Man- how about a couple of pics of your 4-screw and 5-screw for us to appreciate?

I agree, we need pictures of those for us to check out!
Larry

 

[bdGreen]

.44 Magnum 6 1/2" blue S176686 ** June 1958 **

4-screw

enjoy,

bdGreen

Tap on image to enlarge.

 

[bdGreen]

.44 Magnum 6 1/2" blue S 165445 **June 1956**


I also have this one, in the correct black presentation case.

enjoy,

bdGreen