[Flyhead73]

Hey guys thanks for having me. I need some help identifying this gun. It has Smith & Wesson on one side of the barrel and 22 long rifle ctg on the other. It has the s/n 6375xx on the cylinder and the bottom of the butt. It also has the s/n B 6375xx on the bottom of the barrel. Then when you open the cylinder there is a 2954 on the frame and the arm. I will add pictures please let me know what you think.

 

[jonesy814]

Welcome to the forum. The serial number preceded by a B under the barrel indicates that the gun was blued originally, and there are other signs that the nickel finish is not original. The gun was made before WW2. I don't have my reference handy but I would say it was made in the 20's

 

[BlackBat242]

The 2954 is a factory assembly number, used only in the factory to keep parts that had been hand-fitted to each other together during the rest of the assembly process.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! The .22 is a K-22 Outdoorsman's revolver from the early 1930's. This is a first model K-22 which began in 1931 at serial # 632132 and which was superseded in 1940 by the first K-22 Masterpiece. It is built on the square butt K frame and can use any stocks made for that frame. The stocks on the gun are non-factory. The original stocks would have been round top, checkered with a diamond, service stocks with a small silver medallion. As mentioned by Jonesy, the gun has been refinished in nickel, including the hammer and trigger which is not a factory practice. As a result, it has lost considerable value and is not collectible. However, it should be a good shooter and enjoyable at the range.

 

[WendyZXZ]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Flyhead73]

Thanks guys ! Is there a reason that I can’t find the SN when I do a search?

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Do you mean an Internet search? If so, the serial numbers are not made available online unless published in a forum post. You can purchase a copy of the Standard Catalog of S&W, 4th Edition, by Supica and Nahas and there are tables of approximate shipping dates in that book. S&W did not record the manufacture dates only the shipping dates. So, some guns may have been made months or sometimes decades before they were shipped. Also, they did not ship in serial number order. If you want the specific shipping date, configuration and to whom it was shipped, you can purchase an historian's letter of authenticity for $100 from the S&W Historical Foundation. There are links provided in the sticky posts.

 

[Flyhead73]

Just got off the phone with smith and Wesson and the said it was a 1932 K22 outdoorsman special ordered in the nickel factory finish . What do y’all think about that ?

 

[Wiregrassguy]

You have to take what customer service at Smith & Wesson tells you with a grain of salt when it comes to early guns shipping dates and configuration. They often get it wrong because they don't have the same information as the historian. The gun that you have did not leave Smith & Wesson plated the way that is currently plated. S&W did not plate the hammer and Trigger or the rear sight assembly. The B under the barrel indicates the gun was blue when it left the factory. Somewhere along the line it was refinished and not at the factory.

Guy

 

[Curt360]

Hi and welcome to the forum!