Won this S&W on GB would like some more info please

[EricandSuebee]

So I won this on GB, it was an estate sale that the guy bought it from, it appears according to the seller the original owner bought it and left it in a drawer, the seller a gunsmith looked it over and appears to him to be unfired and in great condition. The auction was titled S&W 1905 M&P. The serial # is 261330

 

[DARE]

Nice gun. Think the description is correct. You could add that it is a 4th Change. They started at serial number 241704 in 1915. So .38 M&P Model of 1905, 4th Change.
Here is my .38 M&P Model of 1905, 3rd Change #210874 from May 1913.

 

[DRankin]

I'm thinking +/- 1920...........

 

[Wiregrassguy]

I'm thinking +/- 1920...........

No. Pre-WWI.
Serial 259176 .38 M&P, 3rd Model (1905), 4th Change .38 S&W Special 6" Blue 04/00/1917
Serial 263103 .38 M&P, 3rd Model (1905), 4th Change .38 S&W Special 6" Blue 01/00/1917

 

[DRankin]

I yield to the master ...........

 

[EricandSuebee]

No. Pre-WWI.
Serial 259176 .38 M&P, 3rd Model (1905), 4th Change .38 S&W Special 6" Blue 04/00/1917
Serial 263103 .38 M&P, 3rd Model (1905), 4th Change .38 S&W Special 6" Blue 01/00/1917

Thank you, I notice you list both of those serial #'s with a 6" barrel, mine is a 4", does that make a difference at all?

 

[Ljoconnor]

Very nice! Wonderful for its age! Larry

 

[EricandSuebee]

Very nice! Wonderful for its age! Larry

Thanks Larry, I look forward to having it in person when it arrives hopefully before the weekend.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Thank you, I notice you list both of those serial #'s with a 6" barrel, mine is a 4", does that make a difference at all?

Perhaps. The ship dates we give for known ship dates are relative, not absolute WRT your gun. S&W did not ship in serial number order as is shown by the examples I provided. Also, they made guns in batches and shipped by distributor orders. During a particular period, they could have had a bunch of orders for 6" revolvers and later a bunch for 4". The only way to know for sure what your gun's ship date is is to purchase an Historian's letter of authenticity.

 

[a5werkes]

Nice catch.