Have a Highway Patrolman 6"blued with a 5 digit number where the Mdl. 28 would normally be. any experts know the age or DOB
The serial number on the bottom of the grip frame can be cross referenced with the known ship dates in the Standard Catalogue of S&W book to get you close. A factory letter is the only way to be positive as they didn’t always ship in order.
That five digit number isn’t the serial number.
another letter/number combo is S1103xx
“April, 1954, Highway Patrolman introduced, Ser.# S103500
,8,427 produced in 1954,
Sometime,late 1956 to 1957 the upper sideplate screw deleted at approx. Ser.# S171584 (earlier 4 screw N frames have been noted,but this is generally conceded to be the dividing line.)”
Looks like a first year or 1954 .
S Serial Prefix: N Frames Postwar
1954-1955 S103000 - S139999
thanks to all who responded..
My S prefix clearly shows more workmanship than the N prefix I have. They are both high quality N frames.mb