|
jomommy: You have a S&W .38 Military & Police model of 1905 4th Change.
4th change refers to an engineering change, these days engineering changes are shown with -xx after the model number under the crane, where xx is the change number. The numbers stamped under the crane on your gun are assembly numbers used to track fitted parts in the factory. Your gun predates model numbers, which were introduced in 1957.
The 4th change was manufactured between 1915 and 1942, serial numbers in the 748000 to 760000 range shipped in 1941, so your gun made in 1941 or 1942. When the serial range hit 1000,000 it started again at V1 as the Victory Model.
Starting in 1899 on the medium K frame as the Military & Police 1st model and continuing in production today as the Model 10, the Military and Police revolver with various engineering changes has been in mass production for over a century and was the platform that the .38 special was introduced on.
Subsequent evolutions included the six inch barreled Target Masterpiece with adjustable sights, the four inch barreled Combat Masterpiece with adjustable sights, the model 19 (blued) & 66 (stainless steel) Combat Magnums, the model 67 stainless Combat Masterpiece, the model 13 fixed sight .357 magnum, the model 64 military & Police stainless & the model 65 stainless steel .357 magnum.
Your 686 is also an evolution of the Military & Police. The model 66 & model 19 were prone to cracking of the forcing cone and erosion of the top strap with some magnum ammunition, so the slightly larger, more robust model 686 was developed as a replacement.
|