revolver, smith-wesson, history, datingHow can I tell the date of manufacture of a Smith & Wesson M&P revolver? If it’s not possible to pin it down to a specific year, what would tell me whether it was pre or post WWII?
In a lot of cases, the serial number can get you pretty close.
Answer from OldFluff on TheHighRoad.org
Smith and Wesson ended their original serial number series at 999,999 on or about April 24, 1942, and started over at “1” with a “V” prefix. In late 1944 they incorporated a new safety and changed the prefix to “SV.” At the war’s end they were up to SV 811000.
You can also contact Smith and Wesson directly. It looks like there’s a fee involved.
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