Apr 06, 2014  If you open the cylinder and look at the frame, it will have a model number, 10 or 12, that makes a difference in value. So does condition, original box, docs and tools, deduct some for nonoriginal stocks (grips). Smith & wesson serial numbers dates, smith and wesson revolver serial numbers, smith and wesson revolver serial numbers date. The Smith & Wesson Model 10, previously known as the Smith & Wesson.38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police or the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, is a revolver of worldwide popularity.In production since 1899, the Model 10 is a six-shot,.38 Special, double-action revolver with fixed sights.Over its long production run it has been available with barrel lengths of 2.

• Smith And Wesson Model 10 Serial Numbers

The Victory ModelSmith and Wesson.38 Caliber RevolverThe revolvers of the U.S. Armed forceshave always been under appreciated by collectors, the good news is thatmakes them relatively inexpensive to acquire, but this is changing. At arecent trip to the 2003 Louisville gun show I noticed prices on Victoryrevolvers had increased noticeably. That being said you might want toconsider adding a few Victory models to your USGI collection.While the information Iprovide below can be helpful please see the list on the bottom of thispage for reference material you should have if you are going to collectthese historical pieces. The Victory model revolvers participated invarious roles from guard duty to riding in a shoulder holster with fighterand bomber pilots. I have talked to many ex-military personnel thatcarried them as late as the 1980s, as you can see these pistols played asignificant part of our history.

To this day the Victory model is a veryenjoyable shooting collectible, mainly due to its inexpensive cost, lightrecoil, and good accuracy.Enjoy and happy collecting, TyThe Victory model wasso named for the 'V' prefix which was placed before the serial number andrepresented 'Victory' against the Axis powers in World War II.Serial numbers for the.38 special Victorymodel began at about V1 in early 1942 and ran untilVS811119 with a date of late August of 1945 (end of production). V1 toapproximately V39,999 were predominately.38 S&W Caliber (I haveobservedrevolvers in the 1-40000 range in.38 special caliber). Serial numbers are located on Inside rightgrip, frame butt, Cylinder, extractor star, and bottom of barrel.

Crane and crane recessare also serial numbered to each other, but this is a different number thenthe revolvers serial number as is correct for Victory model revolvers.The Victory Revolver was producedduring World War II, it is a variation of the Military & Police Model of1905, fourth change and had the following characteristics between 1942 and1945:Barrel:2, 4, 5, or 6 inch. (4 inch common in.38 special, 5 inch common in 38/200or.38 S&W)Sights: FixedFinish: Early sandblast blue, sandblast mid-night black (appearsgrayish black). And finally a parkerized finish. Hammer and Trigger arecase hardened.Grips: Checkered walnut with medallion until early 1942, postFebruary of 1942 they are smooth American Walnut with out medallions.Ordnanceacceptance marks:The acceptance mark varies with the particulars of the order placed. Navy orders you will find no acceptance marks on the original twocontracts they placed.

On later Navy revolvers, ordered through the Armythey will be found with the more typical Army G.H.D. Acceptance mark.Below you will find some of the common stamps with links to examples.W.B.The acceptance mark of Ordnance officer Waldemar Bromberg is located onthe butt (to about serial number V145000). Just to the right of theacceptance mark (W.B.) is usually found an ordnance bomb and proof mark.The 'P' proof mark indicates this revolver has passed military prooftesting. EXAMPLE –G.H.D – From approximately 1942 to about May1943 the acceptance mark of Ordnance officer Guy H.

Drewry is found on thebutt. From approximately V300000 to end of production G.H.D is found onthe left top strap; EXAMPLE –Propertymarks:The most common property marks found on the Victory model are the UNITEDSTATES PROPERTY, US PROPERTY, and the US NAVY markings.UNITED STATES PROPERTY– Found on lefttop strap to approximately V300000 and on the M&Ps pre Victory. Applied at the S&W factory.Example -U.S.

PROPERTY – The property mark wasshortened to 'U.S. PROPERTY' at about serial number V300000. At this timethe G.H.D acceptance mark was moved from the butt to the left top strapwith the property mark. Applied at the S&W factory. EXAMPLE –U.S. NAVY – Found on the revolversleft top strap as per the two Navy contracts. The Navy also applied aProperty mark on the left side plate on some revolvers; thesewere filled in with red paint.

This is not an S&W applied marking.EXAMPLE –and.Victory models have also been producedwith out property marks, these revolvers were probably delivered bythe U.S. Defense Supply Corporation (DSC) to defense contractors andpublic agencies that required them for guarding war sensitive materials.Other commonmarkings:S - Revolvers that have the'S' marking on the right side plate as well as before the serial number onthe butt have the improved hammer block installed. If the 'S' in theserial number on the butt appears to be machine applied this wouldindicate it was produced with improved hammer block, and that it was notadded later or it would have been hand stamped. The improved hammer block was put intoproduction after an accidental discharge killed a sailor during World WarII. This improved hammer block is still utilized in today's commercialSmith and Wesson revolvers. EXAMPLE –P –Proof marking. This can very depending on the contract.

Navy markedpistols usually have none. Pates books indicate that somedelivered under an Army contract could be found with a P mark. Post theV400,000 serial number range they are located on the underside of thebarrel, back of the cylinder and left side plate. The later appear to beArmy Supply Program contract revolvers. EXAMPLE –SerialNumbers:Serial numbers are located onthe inside right grip, frame butt, Cylinder, extractor star, and bottom ofgrip. Serial numbers should be matching on all revolvers.

Crane and Cranerecess are also serial numbered to each other, but this is a differentnumber then the revolvers serial number and is correct for Victory modelrevolvers.Grip/Stock EXAMPLE –Barrel EXAMPLE –Cylinder EXAMPLE –Extractor Start EXAMPLE –Butt EXAMPLE –Production:38/200 British Service Revolver (S&W Caliber)- There were over 571,629 of these models produced between October 1941and May 1945 for the British Common wealth countries. These countriesinclude the Union of South Africa (21,347), Canada (45,328), and Australia (8,000).The remaining 384,100 shipped between 1941 and the end of World War IIwere supplied by the U.S. Army Ordnance through the lend lease program toBritain for distribution.Victory model 38 Special– 352,000 shipped to the Army andNavy. Some of these were shipped to a commission responsible for supplyingthe civilian industries.

They will usually have no property marks. Usesincluded guarding factories, ports, and federal/local government agencies.Note:You can find all kinds of variations, with additional war and post warmarkings.

These include rebuild markings, country ownershipmarkings, unit markings, and much more. For a complete listing see thebooks referenced below.Recommended reading:US Handguns of WW II - The Secondary Pistols and Revolvers by Charles W.PateAmericas Right Arm - The S&W Military and Police Revolver by John HenwoodSmith and Wesson 1857 - 1945 by Robert J. Neal and Roy G.

Today, Smith & Wesson is mostly known for revolvers and their growing line of M&P pistols. Despite the rapidly growing popularity of these polymer-framed striker fired semi-auto pistols, there’s also a lot of buzz around the former metal-framed S&W pistols that were discontinued a few years ago.Prices on the used market for the so-called 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation S&W pistols are still affordable, but have been rapidly rising over the past couple of years. These pistols are usually tough, reliable, and excellent shooters.

If you happen to run across one for a good price, now would be a great time to snatch it up.The trouble with that plan is the absurdly confusing system that S&W used to assign the model numbers for these pistols. Today, their M&P pistols follow a pretty logical formula.

Smith And Wesson Model 10 Serial Numbers

I carry a M&P9c — a. Makes sense, right? Well, the 3rd Gen equivalent of that pistol is the 6904. But if it was made before the late 80’s, it would be the 2nd Gen version — the 469. And the single stack version would be the 3914, which is virtually identical to the 908. Confused yet?Unless you’ve committed these models to memory, looking at the numbers stamped on the slide of an old S&W pistol in the case at a gun shop or an online ad doesn’t really tell you much. Even if you ask Google for some help, you might have to wade through a multi-page forum thread to get a straight answer.Well, believe it or not, there is some logic to the old S&W numbering system, it’s just not particularly intuitive.

So we whipped together this S&W semi-auto model number quick reference chart to make it a little easier for you the next time you misplace your S&W decoder ring.Our chart covers most of the regular production models for the discontinued Smiths chambered in major service calibers. There are a few less common ones out there, but these are the pistols you’re most likely to run across today. Even with the chart, there might be a few confusing details about the numbering system, so keep reading for a little background info on each “generation” of S&W autos. 1st Gen PistolsThe first S&W semi-automatic chambered in a service caliber was the Model 39, which first saw the light of day in 1954. The aluminum alloy-framed 9mm pistol had an 8-shot single-stack magazine, a 4-inch barrel and a traditional double action/single action trigger with a slide-mounted safety/decocker, similar to what many people are familiar with from the Beretta 92 series.

The Model 39 was developed as a potential replacement for the U.S. Army’s M1911A1.

The Army declined to adopt the Model 39, but the pistol was a commercial success, and was even used by a few police departments as one of the very first semi-autos carried by American law enforcement.In the early 1970s, S&W released a version of the 39 that used a double-stack 14-round magazine dubbed the Model 59. Together, the 39 and 59 are considered the “first generation” of S&W semi-autos. All of the following S&W 2nd and 3rd generation 9mm pistols are essentially derivatives of these two and in many cases, their model number provides some clue to that origin. The S&W Model 39 and the 439 that followed are among the only S&W semi-autos to come standard with a blued finish and wood grips. 2nd Gen PistolsIn the late 1970s the S&W models 439 and 459 were released, which are considered the first of the second generation pistols. These were basically the 39 and 59 with a few small changes and the number “4” added to the begining of the model number. Steel framed versions of these pistols followed, available with either a stainless, blued, or nickel finish.

Blued and nickel model numbers start with “5” (539, 559) and the stainless steel models start with “6” (639, 659).In the mid 1980s, S&W released two alloy-framed compact versions of the 59 series; the 469 (blued or nickel finish) and 669 (stainless finish). Establishing the form factor that the third gen compacts would follow, these pistols had a 3.5-inch barrel and 12-round magazine.Around this same time, S&W also began producing their first.45 ACP pistol — the model 645. This was a large frame, single stack pistol with an 8-round magazine, 5-inch barrel, and DA/SA with slide-mounted safety/decocker just like the 9mm pistols. There is one variant of the second gen.45 pistol — the single action only model 745, which was a special limited run intended for IPSC competition shooters.I hope you caught all that because here’s where it gets complicated 3rd Gen PistolsThe third generation of S&W pistols started hitting the market in the late 80s.

They can be easily spotted by their four-digit model numbers. Sd gundam g generation seed iso ps2 patch. S&W continued the numbering trend they had started on the 9mm pistols — the 3900 series are full size and compact single stack pistols, the 5900 series are double stacks, and the 6900 series are compact double stacks.Third gen pistols in other calibers are much easier to remember. The 4500 series is for.45 ACP, 4000 series for.40 S&W, and 1000 series for 10mm.So, looking at the first two digits of a four-digit model number from a 3rd gen pistol, we can know the caliber, and if it’s a 9mm, we might also know the frame size. The rest of the info we’d need is in the second half of the model number. The S&W Model 4506 is large, even by.45 ACP standards, but the slim single stack grip makes it usable even for people with small hands.The third digit indicates one of nine possible combinations of action type and frame size. Most S&W autos are DA/SA, but not all. Some are double action only (DAO), and a few were even made with a slide-mounted decocking lever and no external safety (similar to what you’d find on a Sig P220 series pistol).

Each model series has a frame size and barrel length that is “standard” for that series, which we’ve listed on the chart. The third digit will tell you if a given model is the standard size, mid-size, or compact.The final digit in the model number indicates the frame material and finish. Frames are either steel or aluminum alloy and the finish is either blued/black (sometimes with a nickel plating), or stainless/silver. ExceptionsWhat makes this complex system frustrating to follow is that there are multiple exceptions to the product “codes”. Some are pretty easy to figure out like the “value” series pistols. These were budget versions of the third gen pistols that lack some of the finishing touches of the standard models and have a three-digit model number. The first two digits reflect the caliber (9, 40, or 45).The Chief’s Special pistols are also easy to spot, like the one in the header image of this post.

They are single stack, sub-compact variants with a “CS” pre-fix and they’re some of the most sought-after 3rd gen pistols on the used market. There’s one model each chambered in 9mm,.40 S&W, and.45ACP called the CS9, CS40, and CS45 respectively.Besides these obvious exceptions, there are a few sneaky model numbers that look normal but don’t follow the numbering trends. For instance, the 6906 should really be the 6903 — a “6” for the final digit normally means stainless steel, but the 6906 is an alloy framed pistol with a silver stainless finish.The compact.40 S&W pistols can also be confusing. Most are double stack, but a few single stack versions were made. The model 4040PD in particular breaks multiple model numbering “rules” and seems to have been given its name arbitrarily.Letter suffixes are another detail to watch for. A couple of letters tacked to the end of the model name might mean something minor like a new finish, but they can also indicate major changes like the “TSW” (Tactical Smith & Wesson) series of pistols which indicate the addition of features like improved sights and accessory rails. Sometimes, the TSW pistols were built with a completely different frame size and barrel length than the standard model.Some of the oddball model names come from pistols developed by S&W’s in-house custom shop, the Performance Center.

To keep things simple (relatively speaking, anyway) we didn’t include these and other obscure models in our chart. If you want more detailed information on any of these models, I highly recommend picking up the which was a huge help in verifying the info for the chart.Hopefully, the next time you’re trying to track down a deal on an old Smith, this info will help your search go a little quicker. If we’ve missed anything important, or if you spot any errors in the chart, let me know and I’ll try to correct it ASAP. If you guys like this one, be sure to tell us in the comments and maybe we’ll tackle S&W revolvers in the next one!