I just bought an old S&W 22/32 and I wanted to get the manufacture date. Is there a website or s/n lookup to get this info?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: xmod,

Not really. You have to get somebody with the book to look it up for you.

There is a brand-specific forum with helpful members who either have the Supica book or who have memorized it. I recommend asking there if this forum cannot help.

Example thread
https://smith-wessonforum.com/...erial-number.660247/

^^Thank you!

quote:

Originally posted by xmod:
I just bought an old S&W 22/32 and I wanted to get the manufacture date. Is there a website or s/n lookup to get this info?

What is the number?

I am one of the guys that memorizes stuff

I have The Standard Catalog of S&W and it'll get you in the ballpark of a ship date. If you send away for a History Letter, it'll give you the exact date and where it was shipped.
I can look it up for you if you'd like. If you don't want to post the serial number on the open forum my email is in my profile.

Thank you both for offering to check it. The s/n is 25315.

quote:

Originally posted by xmod:
Thank you both for offering to check it. The s/n is 25315.

If a 22/32 is this the number on the front strap of the grip? If it is from inside the yoke cut it is NOT the serial number

It’s on the grip butt of the frame. It’s the only number on the gun. The original box is marked 1955.

SCSW doesn't pin it down exactly, that is in a big block of numbers from 1955-1959.
Pictures would be helpful.

xmod, I don't know if this will help or not. I have an article from another forum and it's titled "Dating S&W Revolvers" According to it, S&W revolvers serial numbers starting with 25000 were manufactured in 1926. 28500 started in '27. Do you think it's that old? I can run the info on the S&W forum for you to see if I'm correct if you want me to.

^^ yes, thank you. Please run the number. When I bought it I was thinking it could be almost 100 years old. I’ll post pics soon.

quote:

Originally posted by fiasconva:
xmod, I don't know if this will help or not. I have an article from another forum and it's titled "Dating S&W Revolvers" According to it, S&W revolvers serial numbers starting with 25000 were manufactured in 1926. 28500 started in '27. Do you think it's that old? I can run the info on the S&W forum for you to see if I'm correct if you want me to.

Prior to the Gun Control Act of 1968 many Smith and Wesson groups of models started with serial number one and continued upward thus creating many Smith and Wesson revolvers all wearing the exact same serial number

It was not until GCA-68 that Federal Law required that serial numbers needed to be unique, even across different models

quote:

Originally posted by xmod:
Thank you both for offering to check it. The s/n is 25315.

Based on that serial number and the description of the pistol is a 22/32 Would put a best guess as 1952 or 1953 being the year of manufacture.

There was a slight change to the frame made it about that time. The serial number is not recorded but pictures might help in telling them apart.

A historical letter will supply you with the actual date of shipping and the destination to where it shipped, that is only available in a historical letter

Prior to the factory computerizing in the 1980s only the date of Shipping was recorded. After all, back then everything was written down by hand and stored in file cabinets so unfortunately the factory did not keep records as complete as many of us Collectors would have liked.

Computerizing in the 1980s really has increased the amount of information available to us

That serial number would definitely be in the 1950’s when smith started using a newer style frame on the 22/32 series. There would be no small frame 22’s in that serial range pre WWII

Some details will help

Barrel length?
Pictures are the best way.
When you said 22/32 I automatically thought about very old pre WWII guns but the 22/32 name ( associated with the name “kit gun” or “target” ) lasted into the late 1950’s until model numbers became prominent. The names were still there, but most people after they started model numbers dropped the long names for identification purposes

Easiest way to get the info is to call S&W Customer Service and ask. You need model and serial number. They may have one or both - manufacture and ship date. I have done this several times. The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson will get you in the ballpark.

xmod, I got no help from the S&W forum. I'll defer to the info the more knowledgeable members here giving the date of the 50's.

22/32 with serial number 229xx was shipped in October of 1956.

Looking at serial numbers with confirmed ship dates, I found this:
#24363 shipped October 1956
#23252 shipped November 1956
#28200 shipped May 1957

The only way of knowing the exact date would be to send for a letter.

quote:

Originally posted by xmod:
^^ yes, thank you. Please run the number. When I bought it I was thinking it could be almost 100 years old. I’ll post pics soon.

Where are the pictures?