# S&W Revolver identification



## Sampson75 (Nov 20, 2018)

Hi all, I hope you can help me. I inherited my great grandfathers S&W revolver. Can anyone tell me the model number? It is a .38 spl. 6 shot, and I believe a K-frame. the serial number is 725xxx. no model number is present.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Open its cylinder and look in the space where the crane nestles into the frame.

(It might be old enough to predate model numbers.)

Worst case: Contact S&W.


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

Hello, Sampson75.

It looks like that particular revolver pre-dated S&W's use of model numbers, so technically, there is no model number for it. It's a fairly old firearm; assuming you are correct and it is a .38 Special K-frame-sized pistol (generically called the ".38 Hand Ejector Military and Police" before model numbers were used), starting in 1946, all K-frame serial numbers began starting with the letter "K", and yours has no "K" prefix, so it must be older than 1946. The .38 M&P revolvers hit serial number 1,000,000 in 1942, so it would have to be older than that, as well. Earlier models were broken down into various sub-groups by manufacturing changes, with the last group being known as the "Model of 1905, Fourth Change"; your serial number seems to fall within this group, and I believe your revolver is one of those, and was probably made in the 1930s (exact manufacturing years on this model can be hard to find, as the only public info says it is in a large block of serial numbers made between 1915 and 1940).

Another thing that might be contributing to the problem with identifying your handgun, is the fact that it looks like it may have been modified by shortening the barrel. As near as I can tell, there was only one factory-made 2-inch-barreled K-frame revolver made pre-1942, and yours does NOT look like an unmodified one of those. The front sight does not match the sights of that (and earlier) era S&Ws (it should be rounded, but it just could have been filed flat on the rear edge), and it should have a lug on the barrel for the tip of the extractor rod to lock into, but it doesn't, signifying that the barrel has probably been cut-down to a shorter length. Based on this, if you plan to shoot it, I'd have it safety-checked by a good gunsmith prior to firing it.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

DJ Niner said:


> ...it looks like it may have been modified by shortening the barrel...it should have a lug on the barrel for the tip of the extractor rod to lock into, but it doesn't, signifying that the barrel has probably been cut-down to a shorter length...


Good Catch!
Nicely done. I missed that.


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## Sampson75 (Nov 20, 2018)

Thanks for all the help. I will have it checked out, though it has been shot and maintained over the years.


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## Sampson75 (Nov 20, 2018)

he is a picture of the crane.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Hmmm...
Pinned barrel.
Old pistol!

Nowadays, the barrels are merely screwed in.
Putting the pin in just cost too much.


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