Serial Numbers

[Glenn Kelley]

I've spent a couple hours today trying to understand the S&W serial number system .
Here in Canada we have a graduated form of firearms licensing .
Certain guns are in the Prohibited class . These are guns of .25 and .32 calibers and/or anything with a barrel length under 4" .I have a license to own these . To pass them to my wife,children or grandchildren they must have been made before 1946 .

There are several revolvers coming up for auction this fall . Is there a serial number that I can use to distinguish the pre '46 guns from the later ones ?

Glenn

 

[Modified]

It depends on the model of gun. S&W has used a variety of serial numbers.

Your best bet would be to get a copy of Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson: Jim Supica, Richard Nahas: 9780896892934: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51g75mX4-SL.@@AMEPARAM@@51g75mX4-SL. Amazing book for the money. With a 1946 cut off date any of the pre-war guns (which in my opinion are some of the best anyway) will be available to you.

Identification can be a bit difficult at first, but the book really goes into very explicit detail about how to identify the different models.

 

[Hondo44]

Glenn,

With few exceptions each model Smith had an individual serial # Range starting with #1. So every serial# can appear several times, once in each model range.

The Standard Catalog of S&W, 3rd edition is the book you need. Of course when in doubt you can always come here but if you post about a gun you'll need to use this guide:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/325506-identify-your-gun-take-2-a.html

 

[JudgeColt]

For the sum of $50 US, get a Letter of Authenticity from Roy Jinks to have confirmation of the actual ship date, and keep that with any Pre-1946 Smith you buy.

 

[DWalt]

Proofhouse.com will give you SNs for many guns (especially Colt), but not S&W. PM me and I will e-mail you a file that shows many S&W serial numbers that should be helpful.

 

[Glenn Kelley]

I ordered the book.Thanks Sixgun .
There are several .32 S&W guns in the auction .There are 2 that I will be interested in . I'm going from pictures and the written discriptions .I don't have a lot to go on.
The 1st one is listed only as a 32 S&W #601320

The second is a Regulation Police 32 S&W #353816

I'm only interested in the year of manufacture .Thanks.

 

[Hondo44]

Here in Canada we have a graduated form of firearms licensing .
Certain guns are in the Prohibited class . These are guns of .25 and .32 calibers and/or anything with a barrel length under 4" .I have a license to own these . To pass them to my wife,children or grandchildren they must have been made before 1946 .

Glenn

Glenn,

If I understand, the prohibitions of .32 and barrel under 4" are negated if made before 1946 if someone doesn't have the license?

#601320 is a post war, after Jan 1953 Improved I frame .32 Hand ejector with round butt. If it has a round front sight and it looks like a 4" barrel, it has a 4.25" barrel. If it has a ramp front sight with a barrel rib and looks like a 4" barrel, it is 4".

#353816 is a pre war .32 RP c.1922 to 1923. If it looks like a 4" barrel, it actually measures 4.25".

 

[Glenn Kelley]

Thanks Jim,
Thats what I suspected .

Prohibited class gun licenses can only be possessed by people that had a gun that met at least one of the criteria for banning at the time of the ban . This applies to anything regardless of age.This is referred to as a 12.6 license .
If it was made before 1946 then they can be passed to a close relatives .
They can possess and sell but not acquire accept from a close relative .
They get a 12.7 license .
This is all a one chance thing . If I fail to renew my license or loss them all for some reason(fire or theft for example ) I lose the 12.6 .

Why is the barrel length set at 4 "? Arbitrary decision as best I can tell .
Why the prohibition on .25 and .32?This law was passed at the time the Iron Curtain came down and there was a flood of guns in these calibers coming out of Eastern Europe and every wanabe in Toronto had one stuffed in his pants . Because it was the most common gun confiscated they banned it . (Olympic target guns are the only exception to the rule.)

Glenn