Pre-Ten date help

[HOGSTR]

I'm hoping one of you fine fellows can help me narrow down a manufacturing date to a specific year on a couple of post-war M&Ps.

S860xxx 5"

C408xxx 5"

I can get close with the Supica book, but not down to the year. The S prefix gun has no lanyard ring hole.

Any help appreciated...

 

[JSR III]

I will take a shot.

S 860XXX 1946/47

C 408XXX 1957

These are just WAG's using my collection as a guide. Remember that S&W did not ship in serial number sequence so guns with numbers 1 digit apart can ship years apart.

 

[Art Doc]

If it has an S prefix a post-war M&P will be 1946 to very early 1948 since the C prefix started in 1948. Sort of like when asks the date on a V Model. It's always going to be 1942-45.

 

[opoefc]

S860XXX would be Dec 46/Jan 47 C408XXX is July 1958. Error factor= 3 mos, either way. Ed.

 

[Art Doc]

Civilian guns were shipping in 1945? That's new to me. I always heard it was 1946.

 

[The Gila Bender]

Found this tidbit on another website, with credit to "onmilo":

"Easy way to tell if it is a 1946 or a 1947 is the location of the serial number. Guns made in 1946 still had the serial placed to the end of the grip strap to provide space for the lanyard pin hole. In 1947 S&W moved the serial number to a more centered location on the grip strap."

I compared two 1946 transitionals: .38 M&P and .44HE 3rd. The .38 M&P serial number is off center to the right, the last digit near the edge of the bottom strap, leaving room for a lanyard at the center. The "S" is far left, about 1/4" from the left edge.

Learned something today....

 

[DCWilson]

Gila Bender, that's an interesting distinction. I ran off to look at my M&P from January 1947 and found a situation that is sort of in between. The S prefix is left and the serial number pushed right, but the numerals are a little spread out. That leaves the first numerical digit right where the lanyard loop would be anchored.

As a nit-picking collector, I will start thinking of these as the "Lanyard non-accommodation transitional" models.

 

[opoefc]

David, Your S868055 is the rare transitional invisible lanyard swivel model ! Issued only to undercover law enforcement personnel for parking meter enforcement. Ed.

 

[The Gila Bender]

As a nit-picking collector, I will start thinking of these as the "Lanyard non-accommodation transitional" models.

Oh goody, more S&W minutiae to obsess over!

 

[HOGSTR]

You guys crack me up...thanks for the help!

 

[ncarter11356]

32=20

Looking for some info on a S&W 32-20 OTG my dad gave me.
Serial # 136983. 24854 on the frame and on the cylinder.

 

[KEN L]

Looking for some info on a S&W 32-20 OTG my dad gave me.
Serial # 136983. 24854 on the frame and on the cylinder.

From what part of the gun did you get the "Serial # 136983"?
You lead us to believe the serial number is 24854 since you say it is on the frame and on the cylinder. So, which is which? Do you have any pics??

If 24854 - early 1906
If 136983 - late 20's

 

[DWalt]

Looking for some info on a S&W 32-20 OTG my dad gave me.
Serial # 136983. 24854 on the frame and on the cylinder.

It is always better to start a new thread than to tag onto an existing one if your question is unrelated to the original topic. It causes confusion otherwise.

If 24854 is stamped on the butt, on the rear face of the cylinder, and on the bottom of the barrel, it likely would have shipped from the factory around 1906. Does it have a round butt or a square butt? The rounded butt version would be called a Model of 1902, a square butt would be called the Model of 1905. Most of the 1902s of that time originally had black hard rubber grips.

On the other hand, if the number stamped on the butt is 136983, it is a .32-20 Military and Police model which probably shipped in the late 1920s, but possibly into the 1930s. OTG is really CTG, S&W's abbreviation for cartridge.