Smith & Wesson makes.38 Special revolvers. The.38 Special CTG revolver is a six-shooter with a 6-inch barrel. Identifying the weapon is a matter of locating the identifying etchings with the serial number along the gun metal on the barrel. In addition, the Smith & Wesson logo gives away the maker of the firearm. 'I just received my factory letter and it confirms that Victory revolver number V158896 was shipped on November 20, 1942 to the US Navy, Oakland, CA. This is a standard 4 inch barrel Victory revolver in 38 Special with 'U.S. Navy' marked on the top strap. This is the only military marking (no flaming bomb mark or a 'P' on the frame, etc).

1. Smith Wesson Serial Number Lookup
2. 38 Special Handgun
3. 38 Smith And Wesson Serial Number Lookup

The caliber is marked on the right side of the test gun'sbarrel, reading '38 S&W Special Ctg.' While 'Smith &Wesson' is stamped on the left side. The serial number is stamped on thebottom of the grip frame. Our test gun's serial number indicates that it wasprobably made in 1977, before the 10-7 engineering change took place (later in 1977). Write the number down. For example, a serial number may read 281303. Use a magnifying glass if needed. Find the Smith & Wesson logo on the wood handles. The Smith & Wesson logo is a stylized 'S' overlayed on top of a stylized 'W'. Count the number of chambers on the revolver. The.38 Special CTG is a six-shooter.

The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a revolver produced by Smith & Wesson that was introduced in 1957 on its K-frame. The Model 19 is chambered for .357 Magnum. The K-frame is somewhat smaller and lighter than the original N-frame .357, usually known as the Smith & Wesson Model 27. A stainless steel variant of the Model 19, the Smith & Wesson Model 66, was introduced in 1971.

History[edit]

The .357 Magnum is the oldest 'magnum' handgun cartridge. Smith & Wesson played a major part in the development and success of the cartridge and revolver that went with it. Firearms writer and experimenter Philip Sharpe is credited for its development during the 1930s when police agencies were asking for a more powerful round. S&W's Douglas B. Wesson agreed to produce a new revolver that would handle 'high-intensity' .38 Special loads,^[1] but only if Winchester would develop a new cartridge. Elmer Keith, a well known author and wildcatter at the time, was experimenting with hand loading .38 Special ammunition beyond their original specifications, taking advantage of the newer and better designed firearm frames and metallurgy, and also played a major role in the development of the .357 Magnum. Winchester introduced the .357 Magnum, which was dimensionally identical to the .38 Special except for a .125 inch longer case, and the first revolvers (referred to as '.357 Magnum Models') were completed by S&W on April 8, 1935.^[2]

Retired Assistant Chief Patrol Inspector of the U.S. Border Patrol, famous gunfighter, and noted firearms and shooting skills writer Bill Jordan consulted with Smith & Wesson on the design and characteristics of the Model 19. Jordan's idea for a 'peace officer's dream'^[3] sidearm was a heavy-barreled four-inch K-Frame .357 Magnum with a shrouded barrel like the big N-frame .357 and adjustable sights. After a year of experimentation with improved-strength steels and special heat-treating processes, the result was the .357 Combat Magnum (later designated Model 19), with the first serial-number gun (K260,000) presented to Jordan on November 15, 1955.^[2][4]

The .357 Magnum, four-inch barreled model was standard issue to uniformed officers of the former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service as well as Patrol Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol until both agencies adopted .40 caliber semi-automatic pistols.

A rare S&W M19-3 was built for the French GIGN. In 1972 they ordered 500 of these revolvers that have serial numbers in the M&P range from D639300 to 639800. With only 500 guns produced, this is the rarest M19 version.

This specific model 19-3 has a fixed sight and is pinned & recessed. It has a three inch barrel.

Styles[edit]

The Model 19 was produced in blued carbon steel or nickel-plated steel with wood or rubber combat grips, an adjustable rear sight, full-target or semi-target hammer, serrated wide target trigger or combat-type trigger, and was available in 2.5' (3': Model 66—rare), 4', or 6-inch barrel lengths. The weights are 30.5 ounces, 36 ounces, and 39 ounces, respectively. The 2.5- and 3-inch barrel versions had round butts, while the others had square butts.^[2]

The Model 19 was produced from 1957 (first model number stampings) to November 1999. The Model 66 was produced from 1970 until 2005. The Model 66 differed by its use of stainless steel and its smooth target-type trigger. The Model 68 was a limited-production version of the Model 66 made for the California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Police Department chambered in .38 Special with a 6' barrel. The Model 19 and the Model 66 had the same trigger options.^[2] One of the last variations of the Model 19 ordered for police use was the 2.5' Model 19-5, special ordered under SKU #100701 as the standard issue sidearm for Special Agents of the US Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. This model featured a .400' wide, smooth 'combat' trigger, Pachmayr Professional Compac rubber grips, and most notably a matte black finish instead of the common high-polished blue.^[2]

Engineering changes were designated with a 'dash-' number after the model number. The engineering changes are as follows:^[2]

Model 19 Variants[edit]

Model 66[edit]

Smith Wesson Serial Number Lookup

Model 68[edit]

Criminal use[edit]

Two Model 19s, along with two Browning Hi-Power pistols, were used in the 1996 Dunblane massacre.^[5] This led to the enactment of Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 and Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997, effectively banning handguns in the UK.^[6]

38 Special Handgun

References[edit]

1. ^Wood, Keith (May 13, 2015). '10 Things You Didn't Know About Smith & Wesson'. americanhunter.org. Retrieved September 20, 2019. Daniel Wesson’s grandson, Colonel Douglas B. Wesson
2. ^ ^abcdefSupica, Jim; Nahas, Richard (3 January 2007). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media, Inc. pp. 136, 186–188. ISBN0-89689-293-X.
3. ^Taffin, John (2006). 'The combat magnum: good gun gone'. Guns Magazine. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
4. ^Sweeney, Patrick (2004). The Gun Digest Book of Smith & Wesson. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 40–41. ISBN0-87349-792-9.
5. ^Cullen, Douglas W (30 September 1996). 'The Public Inquiry into the Shootings at Dunblane Primary School on 13 March 1996'(PDF). ISBN0 10 133862 7. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
6. ^'Britain's changing firearms laws'. BBC News. 12 November 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2018.

External links[edit]

38 Smith And Wesson Serial Number Lookup

The Smith & Wesson Model 1+1⁄2 was Smith & Wesson's second .32 caliber revolver, intended to combine the small size and convenience of the .22 caliberModel 1 with the larger caliber of the 6-shot 'belt sized' Model 2, which was introduced in 1861. Chambered in .32 Rimfire, its cylinder held 5 shots. It was produced in three varieties from 1865 through 1892, with total production exceeding 223,000.

Issues[edit]

The Model 1+1⁄2 had three issues. The first two (known as the first and second issues) were 'tip-up' revolvers with the barrel release catch located on the side of the frame in front of the trigger, while the third (known as the 'Model 1+1⁄2 Single Action Revolver') was a 'top-break', with the barrel release catch located on the top of the frame, just in front of the hammer.^[1]

1st Issue[edit]

The first issue of the Model 1+1⁄2 can be identified by its smooth cylinder (lacking fluting), and the square shape of the grip butt. Models were available in blued or nickel-plated finishes, and the majority were produced with 3+1⁄2-inch barrels. A less common 4-inch barrel variety was also sold.^[1]

Serial numbers range from 1 through to approximately 26,300.^[1]

2nd Issue[edit]

The second issue of the Model 1+1⁄2 can be identified by its fluted barrel and the rounded shape of the grip butt. Like the 1st Issue, it was also produced in blued steel and nickel-plated varieties, with most models having a 3+1⁄2-inch barrel. It is estimated that less than a thousand models were produced with a 2+1⁄2-inch barrel; these can be positively identified by the barrel markings located on the side of the barrel, as opposed to the markings on the top strap that were applied to 3+1⁄2-inch barrels.^[1]

2nd Issue guns were serial numbered consecutively after the 1st Issue, with numbers ranging from approximately 26,300 through 127,000.^[1]

There is also a transitional model 2nd issue that uses the unfluted 1st issue barrels. The serial numbers for these transitional models span approximately 27,200 through 28,800.^[1]

Single Action Revolver[edit]

The third issue of the Model 1+1⁄2 is known as the 'Model 1+1⁄2 Single Action Revolver'. It differs substantially from the first two issues by breaking at the top (just in front of the hammer), consistent with the design of the Safety Hammerless or S&W .38 Single Action. It can be readily distinguished from the first two issues by its lack of ejector rod under the barrel, the large hinge in front of, and just below the barrel, and the extractor that ejects spent cartridges when the barrel is hinged downward. The grip is rounded at the butt, and is similar in appearance to that on the 2nd Issue. This revolver marked the debut of the .32 S&W centerfire cartridge.^[2]

Serial numbers ranged from 1 to approximately 97,500.^[1]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefgSupica, Jim; Nahas, Richard (3 January 2007). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media, Inc. pp. 73–77. ISBN0-89689-293-X.
2. ^Chicoine, David (28 September 2005). Antique Firearms Assembly/Disassembly: The Comprehensive Guide to Pistols, Rifles & Shotguns. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. pp. 177–181. ISBN0-87349-767-8.