Make: Smith & Wesson

Model: .38 Military & Police Model of 1905, 3rd Change

Serial Number: 147782

Year of Manufacture: 1909-1915

Caliber: .38 Special

Action Type: Single and Double Action Revolver with Swing-Out Cylinder

Barrel Length: 6", Pinned

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a half round blade integral to a base forged to the barrel. The blade has been re-profiled, thinned down with a punch used to create a bead-style profile presented to the shooter. The rear sight is a "U" notch integral to the topstrap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece diamond center checkered walnut stocks. The inside of the right panel has the serial number hand-written in pencil. The bottom of the grip panels have "No" and "2" hand-carved. The grips have even light handling wear with some light nicks and small scratches. Each panel has a slightly more notable ding at the bottom-rear corner. The left panel is notably lighter in color than the right. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips rate in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original, numbered parts are matching.

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp where not interrupted by erosion. There is some light erosion and a few spots of pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 6-7/10.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 65% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is handling wear in the grip areas, wear along the right of the barrel, and some wear on the trigger guard. There is some other scattered more minor wear. Most of the balance is in evenly scattered minor surface oxidation, there is some more notable oxidation on the frame under the grips. There are scattered minor nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear including a turn-line on the cylinder. Overall, this revolver is in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.

Our Assessment: The Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, later known as the Smith & Wesson Model 10, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police or the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, is a revolver of worldwide popularity. It was the successor to the Smith & Wesson .32 Hand Ejector Model of 1896 and was the first Smith & Wesson revolver to feature a cylinder release latch on the left side of the frame like the Colt M1889. Over its long production run it has been available with barrel lengths of 2"-6", barrels of 2.5" are also known to have been made for special contracts. Some 6,000,000 of the type have been produced over the years, making it the most popular centerfire revolver of the 20th century. The 1905 M&P ended production in 1942 as S&W began making the .38/200 British Service Revolver and the .38 M&P Victory Model during WWII. The M&P model went on to become the Model 10 when the numbering scheme was introduced in 1957. The Military and Police Models were the first of the K-frame revolvers that were popular with military and police professionals for decades, as well as target shooters and enthusiasts.

This is a Smith and Wesson Military & Police Model of 1905 3rd Change with a square-butt frame, 6" barrel, and matching numbers on its metal parts. Its serial number is fairly early in the 3rd Change, which likely explains the earlier-style markings on the barrel, with the caliber designation including "U.S. Service Cartridge". The revolver shows wear consistent with its age and use, but retains a decent bore and great mechanics. This will be a nice addition to your C&R or S&W collection. Please see our photos and good luck!