The rest of the data below is not usually required for identifying a gun unless it is an unusual or special order gun. Items 1-5 above are all we usually need to tell you what you have. The barrel begins immediately in front of the cylinder, so Barrel Length is measured like this:įixed Sights are a simple notch for the rear sight:Īdjustable Sights will have screws on the rear sight which allow adjustment: GIVE us the caliber, but 44 Special or 38 S&W or 38 Special or whatever it is will suffice: The one TRUE place you can be sure of reading the serial number is the BUTT of the gun:Ī few S&W models have the Serial Number on the front gripstrap which faces the trigger guard because the grips covered the bottom of the butt:Įvery S&W revolver had the serial number in one of those places! We DON'T need the actual number if it bothers you to post it. That IS part of the serial number! We need any letters that are with the serial number! This is America, and you have the right to be wrong.ĪLL Hand Ejectors without Model Numbers should be posted here: S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961Īfter we know what TYPE you have, we need a serial number!
"The finest machine ever devised by man for slinging a bullet with one hand."įeel free to disagree. My personal description for more than 30 years:
If your cylinder swings out to the left, you are holding a Hand Ejector. So called because the cartridges must be "ejected by hand" instead of happening automatically as in the earlier Top-Breaks. Note that this type ejected the spent shells automatically when opened, which relates to the name of the next type.ĪLL Top-Breaks should be posted here: S&W Antiques If you care, it is NOT called a Break-Top, Breakover, or Breakdown. Tell us whether or not your gun has a VISIBLE Hammer. Obviously because the frame opens, or "breaks" on the top. So called because the barrel "tips up" for loading.ĪLL Tip-Ups should be posted here: S&W Antiques The data after 1-5 are not usually required for a basic ID of your gun.įirst, we need to know what TYPE S&W you have: Items 1 through 5 below are absolutely essential for identifying your gun. One notable exception is a Reg Number found on Registered Magnums. This assembly number of 36000 on this gun is only there to keep the frame and yoke together during manufacture. The assembly number which does NOT match the serial number on the butt is USELESS to us. If there is NO Model number behind the yoke, there is probably NOTHING we need from back there! IF there is a DASH Number, give us the complete model number! Useful data may or may NOT be behind the yoke! The part the cylinder swings on is called the Yoke: Model number, serial number, finish, caliber, and barrel length are usually all you will need to post for information on a Model numbered gun. If your gun does have a Model Number, post your questions in the subforums for the later models located here: Sticky: Video Tutorials on Posting Picturesįirst, if the cylinder swings out to the side, check behind the yoke for a MODEL NUMBER. That only causes a confusing jumble of answers about different guns. If you will take just a few minutes to read below and then post the data we need, you will sometimes see guns fully identified in 10 minutes or less! If you post at 4 am Eastern time, you might have to wait 2 or 3 hours for the morning crew to show up, but there's a good chance a west coast night owl will catch it for you.ĭo Not tack your question onto an existing thread. However, many people do not post the data we need to help you, and we wind up playing 20 Questions for hours. The members here are extremely helpful to people trying to identify guns.