Why did S&W but a letter in the middle of the serial #?

[ImDrRich]

Greetings All -

A long, long time ago, in a far, far away place, Smith & Wesson put serial numbers on revolvers. They were easy to look up the year then, but sometime after than they added a letter in the middle of a serial number, such as 62JXXX, or 19KXXX.

How does one date these firearms? I can't make hide nor hare out of the 5th Edition for these.

Thank yew.

Rich

 

[Frailer]

This can be a bit confusing, but if you’ll look at the K frame serial number listing in your SCS&W you’ll see the serial numbers start with a K followed by digits. Once the digit sequence was exhausted they started over with 1K + digits, then 2K, etc.

 

[JP@AK]

On the J frames from 1970-1973, the serial numbers had a maximum total of five digits with one or more in front of the J. In the Fifth Edition, you will find this on page 584. The only qualifier is that in the SCSW, it shows this to be from 1971-1972. That part is incorrect.

This scheme is known as the "roving J." It only occurs in the years noted above.

 

[MajorD]

The ATF and GCA 68 happened, and compelled makers to modify how they used serial numbers. Prior to that time, multiple models could have duplicate serial numbers which was frowned upon ( for example an I frame and K frame with the same serial number) letters were added, and the roving J series was born. From my perspective it is sort of handy as you can at this point in time identify any roving J gun as a curio and relic status firearm

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Prior to the "roving J series," as Dr. Jinks named it, Smith & Wesson used a J plus up to five digits (J1 - J99999) in the first series for Airweight and carbon steel Bodyguards and Chiefs Specials (1969 - 1970) in response to passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968. Other J-frame revolvers used letters H, L, M, and R.

The equipment Smith & Wesson used to stamp serial numbers on a J-frame's butt in that era could only stamp six characters on a J-frame so the company instituted the roving J series next (1J1 - 999J99). Finally in 1972 the company obtained new serial numbering equipment capable of stamping seven characters on a J-frame so the next series ran J100000 - J999999 between 1973 and 1982.

Between that series and the current alphanumeric series the company used 1J00000 - 1J47502 (1982 - 1983) for Airweight and carbon steel Bodyguards and Chiefs.