These do not have letter prefixes. Serial numbers started at 1 and climbed up through various models (like the First, Second, and Third Model Hand Ejectors).
Let’s walk through a real-world scenario. You have a revolver with the serial number "D 45678" inside the yoke cut. Here is how to treat that number as data.
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: Numbers stamped inside the yoke (visible when the cylinder is open) are often assembly numbers used during manufacturing. These do not correspond to the legal serial number. Understanding the Three Eras of Serialization
The inside of the right-side grip panel (often written in pencil or stamped into the wood) The Three Main Serial Number Eras These do not have letter prefixes
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Smith & Wesson generally numbered each model or frame type in its own sequential series starting at 1. For example, a .38 Single Action and a .44 Hand Ejector could share the exact same serial number, but they were entirely different guns. The Letter Prefix Era (1940s–1980)
If it says "MOD 10-5" – you have a Model 10, engineering revision 5. If it says no model number, you have a pre-1957 revolver. You have a revolver with the serial number
It is easy to mistake an assembly number for a serial number. To find the official record: