Smith and Wesson

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Due to a high number of requests, the current turnaround time for a history letter is 8 - 12 weeks.

Prior to requesting the history of your handgun, first determine that you have an authentic Smith & Wesson handgun. If the barrel is not stamped Smith & Wesson, Springfield, Massachusetts or Smith & Wesson, Houlton, ME your handgun is not a Smith & Wesson. Many handguns are stamped with the caliber, i.e., .38 S&W. This indicates the caliber and does not necessarily mean that it is a Smith & Wesson manufactured handgun.

Letter of Authenticity (See sample)

If you desire an in-depth response we can provide a formal letter of authenticity. There is a fee of $30.00 to cover our research, administrative and postage costs.

To order the history of your Smith & Wesson, print this form (requires Adobe Acrobat), fill it out and return it along with a photograph or sketch of your handgun and your check or money order.

If you decide to obtain a history letter, please provide a complete description of the firearm that includes all markings, barrel length, finish, single or double action, exposed or concealed hammer and a photograph or outline sketch. If you do not know the exact caliber of the revolver please measure the length of the cylinder and include that with the description. This will aid in the identification of the handgun. If your revolver is marked with the Model Number it is not necessary to include an outline sketch or photograph.

1. Request an owner's manual from Smith and Wesson.

2. The owners manual no longer contains disassembly instructions, probably because of liability reasons. Nor is a parts list and exploded diagram packed with the weapon as it used to be.

It is interesting that in the past, before 1990, a small screwdriver that fit both the side plate screws and grip screw was packed with most revolvers from Smith and Wesson. These were not just for adjusting sights as they were packed with fixed sight revolvers.

A Smith and Wesson model 66-4 is a .357 magnum 6 shot K frame revolver of stainless steel construction. The -4 means fourth change.

The Smith and Wesson J, K, L and N frame revolvers share the same basic procedure for disassembly and reassembly.

To disassemble the revolver, first remove the grip screw from the left side of the revolver as the revolver barrel faces to the left.

When the grips are removed the side plate will be fully visible.

Remove the screws from the side plate.

To remove the side plate, hold the revolver to the horizontal position with the side plate facing down. Do not pry off the side plate as that will damage the side plate fit.

Sharply rap the now exposed grip frame with a wood or plastic hammer until the side plate loosens. Continue to rap, and the side plate will fall off along with the hammer block, so be sure it falls on a padded surface.

At this point most internal parts will be visible and accessible.

The cylinder can be removed by sliding the cylinder crane to the left and out of the frame, while holding the cylinder in place.

The cylinder will now be free.

Removal of the extractor rod and extractor will not be described here, but the extractor rod is threaded in reverse to prevent loosening while operating. Caution: The extractor rod assembly is very often damaged in attempts to unscrew it. Also, it is necessary to support the extractor while unscrewing the extractor rod.

To reassemble the revolver, do the above in reverse, making sure the hammer block has been replaced and the side plate seats correctly.

You can tap on the side plate with a wood or plastic tool to seat it properly.

Replace the cylinder crane and cylinder. Be sure the correct screw is used to hold the cylinder crane to the frame.

Replace the remaining side plate screws in the correct place along with the grips and grip screw.

Holding back the hammer slightly, or with the hammer cocked, look in the gap between the hammer and frame to be sure the hammer block has been replaced. If not the side plate must be removed again and the hammer block must be added.

A word of caution here: before making alterations or repairs know exactly what you are doing. Revolvers are delicate and expensive machinery.

None that will give you all the information available. Antique and Collectible Firearms and Militaria Headquarters has year of manufacture data for some. In many cases, even this information is not available as many manufacturers records no longer exist, and many firearms never had serial numbers as they were not required by law in the US until 1968.

The Remington Society of America is a dedicated team of enthusiasts that research all sorts of info on Remington firearms.

Proofhouse.com has Browning, Colt and Winchester models/sn's

There are a fairly large number of on-line firearm forums. Most of these have sub-forums that will allow the asking of questions about specifics of your firearm, that will be answered by quite a few knowledgable people. See links below for a few of these sites.

If the gun is actually a S&W made gun, it is possible to get an accurate, free estimate by providing a picture of it, checking in at the smith-wessonforum.com.

There are about 100 models of S&W revolvers and many of them are available in .44 Special. There are also a lot of cheap knock-offs and expensive Colts marked "S&W .44 Special" because they are chambered for that cartridge. About the only thing I can say for sure about your handgun is that it was manufactured after 1907 when the .44 Special cartridge was introduced.

you can call S&W and give serial number and they will tell U date of mfg, but not value.

1-800-331-0852