Sir, I don't mean to be sarcastic, but there are already a ton of posts on the serial number methods used by the company for the last century-plus. A simple search -here- using the Forum search function instead of the internet would be much more fruitful and much less frustrating. Thank you, though, for your good intentions.
Smith&Wesson K Frame Serial Numbers by year of manufacture
- Thread starter press-1-for-english
- Start date
Sir, I don't mean to be sarcastic, but there are already a ton of posts on the serial number methods used by the company for the last century-plus. A simple search -here- using the Forum search function instead of the internet would be much more fruitful and much less frustrating. Thank you, though, for your good intentions.
OP
press-1-for-english
Member
No sarcasm felt. I stand corrected. I should have realized that there is a wealth of information already available on this forum.
Welcome aboard!
Your gun is right around the time S&W assigned and stamped model numbers on the gun. Swing the cylinder open and look in the frame cut. You may see "MOD 17", "MOD 18" or it may not be model marked. Both are K frame .22's with adjustable rear sights, but they had different barrel lengths, ribs and front sights.
The model 17 had a 6" barrel and was named the "K-22 Masterpiece".
The model 18 had a 4" barrel and was named the ".22 Combat Masterpiece".
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K346905 is almost certainly model marked. As Chad stated, it will either be a Model 17 or Model 18, and the names he gave are correct.
Thank you! Last August, I obtained a very nice former-LE 3K21xxx Model 15-3. The list confirms the 1971 year that I was told.
fiasconva
Member
Thanks for the post. It's a good source to print and keep for yourself.
That list has a lot of numbers. Was that made from memory?
Thanks for all that info.
Thanks for all that info.
Ship dates
It has been stated that "S&W did not ship guns in serial number order!" This statement is glaring when seen in a database with serial numbers in numerical order. An example from one of my databases.
N509483 28-2 Mar-78
N542311 28-2 Jul-79
N543657 28 Jul-79
N544290 28-2 6"
N557300 28-2 4" Apr-80
N560228 520 Jun-80
N560253 520 Jun-80
N560528 520 Jul-80
N566696 28-2 Jul-80
N568549 28-2 Sep-80
N568907 28-2 4" Sep-80
N575787 28-2 Sep-80
N576785 28-2 4"
N580098 28-2 Feb-81
N581108 28-2 6" Dec-80
N586571 28-2 Dec-81
N587803 28-2 Feb-81
N598826 28-2 Dec-81
N601360 29-2 4" Dec-78
N602753 29-2 8 3/8" Nov-78
N601741 29-2 4" Dec-78
N608994 27-2 Nov-78
N611519 27-2 Jan-79
N613823 25-2 May-79
N615224 25-2 Mar-79
N615635 57 May-79
N616533 57 Mar-79
N616801 57 Apr-79
N618244 57 Jun-79
N622540 29-2 Feb-79
N628390 27-2 Feb-79
N629100 629 6" prototype Nov-78
N629193 629 6"
N629572 29-2 6" Apr-72
jcelect
It has been stated that "S&W did not ship guns in serial number order!" This statement is glaring when seen in a database with serial numbers in numerical order. An example from one of my databases.
N509483 28-2 Mar-78
N542311 28-2 Jul-79
N543657 28 Jul-79
N544290 28-2 6"
N557300 28-2 4" Apr-80
N560228 520 Jun-80
N560253 520 Jun-80
N560528 520 Jul-80
N566696 28-2 Jul-80
N568549 28-2 Sep-80
N568907 28-2 4" Sep-80
N575787 28-2 Sep-80
N576785 28-2 4"
N580098 28-2 Feb-81
N581108 28-2 6" Dec-80
N586571 28-2 Dec-81
N587803 28-2 Feb-81
N598826 28-2 Dec-81
N601360 29-2 4" Dec-78
N602753 29-2 8 3/8" Nov-78
N601741 29-2 4" Dec-78
N608994 27-2 Nov-78
N611519 27-2 Jan-79
N613823 25-2 May-79
N615224 25-2 Mar-79
N615635 57 May-79
N616533 57 Mar-79
N616801 57 Apr-79
N618244 57 Jun-79
N622540 29-2 Feb-79
N628390 27-2 Feb-79
N629100 629 6" prototype Nov-78
N629193 629 6"
N629572 29-2 6" Apr-72
jcelect
fiasconva
Member
It would be great if post #2 could be made a sticky.
First post on this forum, just joined after buying 3 K frame S&W's yesterday at a local estate auction near Roanoke Virginia. This is definitely a K22 Masterpiece, no model number. Serial # is K3233XX. That places it early 1958 according to my research here on this forum. I had to tell the lady who did my paperwork that the K was part of the serial number and must be included in the purchase receipt to avoid confusion with a pre war K frame pistol.
The auction was only one picture per gun, almost non existent description so I drove 222 miles from Yorktown Va to the auction and back in one long day.
This Masterpiece is truly described perfectly. I had nine guns marked for bidding and bought 3. All were K frame Smiths with the other 2 being 38 specials 454k serial range and 90K serial range.
The one specific to this post is virtually flawless with one scratch on the bottom of the trigger guard. I have not even removed the grips but this gun only leaves my cold dead hands. I'm 74 and Pop lived to 103 so that may be a while. My bid was $500 or $525. I could only take one of the 3 home since my 30 year concealed carry permit had expired a year ago. Probably get the other two shipped to my FFL within a month. I'll write an introduction post with a photo soon.
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Welcome to the S&W Forum!
Sounds like you had fun at the auction and came home with a gem.
I'm not surprised that your K-22 is not marked as a Model 17. The lowest K prefix numbered gun found so far with a model mark is a Model 17, serialized at K326533. It shipped from Springfield in November 1958.
Show us pictures when you can. Do it by starting a new thread, so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle.
ezb57
Member
I have a question and I'll risk it getting buried in this big thread:
So if a year shows a range of serial numbers, do they all get used that year?
Will they start the next block of numbers with the new year?
So if a year shows a range of serial numbers, do they all get used that year?
Will they start the next block of numbers with the new year?
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
Yes. Here is an example:
S207,000 – S219,999……Late 1960 – Early 1961
S220,000 – S227,999……Late 1961 – Early 1962
S228,000 – S231,999……Late 1962 – Early 1963
S&W did Fiscal Year; so late 1960 is after July 1, 1960 to early 1961 means June 30, 1961.
Is there more detail on the K frame range from 1915 to 1941?
ezb57
Member
Thank you for that, I suppose I had two questions there.
So in another way, using your first example, in a 12 month period did they produce 7000 revolvers in that series regardless of sales? My big question is are/were there unused serial numbers?
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