What is the real MFG date?

[Fortcouragearmory]

I have a Model 36 (no dash), nickel-plated, serial #J551XXX. It has it original box appropriate for the gun....silver box, blue lettering, blue steel corner re-enforcements. The grips are w/o diamond insert. Here's my confusion, the no dash 36s were made up to about 1967, but the diamond insert grips were dropped in 1968. Just to further confuse the issue, the "J" serial numbers didn't start until 1969....if I remember all the above correctly. So, when was my unfired, NIB 36 actually made? I know S&W was all over the map as far as serial numbers in order, but a three- year stretch? Please, someone un-confuse me.

 

[colt_saa]

For every rule that you learn about S&Ws, there is an exception.

A three year out if sequence discrepancy is not out of the realm of possibility.

If you are truly concerned, for a fee, you can request a historical letter from the Factory that will supply you with the revolver's ship date (mfg dates were not recorded).

 

[murphydog]

The model 36 was produced until 1986, when it was replaced by the 36-2. The J prefix followed by (up to) six digits started in 1973, so yours was probably shipped in the mid-late 1970s. Hope this is helpful.

 

[K-9]

S&W never threw anything away. They used boxes,stocks,etc.until they ran out. There are plenty of guns that are "out of sequence". A letter may help you on that.

 

[hotrod150]

There's nothing out of the ordinary with your model 36. Per SCSW, it shipped 1976-77. What's probably confusing you is that the 36-1 (3" heavy barrel) was introduced in 1967 and produced concurrently with the model 36 (2" & 3" tapered barrel). In 1988 they were superceded by the models 36-2 & 36-3, the -3 being the 3" HB version.