Field Notes
Smith & Wesson Research Guides
Practical notes for collectors researching serial numbers, model families, period terminology, and factory documentation.
Serial-Number Research
Use these notes when a serial prefix, wartime marking, or target-model designation is the starting point for identification.
K-Prefix Serial Numbers
Identify postwar K-prefix ranges and the adjustable-sight K-frame revolvers numbered within them.
Victory Model Serial Numbers
Understand V- and SV-prefix research, wartime context, and the limits of serial-number identification.
K-22 Serial Number Research
Distinguish prewar number-only K-22s from postwar K-prefix production.
Identification & Documentation
These notes help put a likely model name into historical context and explain when factory documentation adds useful detail.
Military & Police, Target & Masterpiece Names
Learn why M&P, Target, Combat Masterpiece, and later model numbers can describe related—but not identical—revolvers.
Pre-Model Revolvers Explained
Learn how collectors use “pre-model” terminology for revolvers made before Smith & Wesson assigned model numbers.
Factory Letters
See what a factory letter can document, what it cannot establish, and when ordering one is worthwhile.
Sources & Limits
The Records Bureau is a collector research aid built from published serial-range references and documented examples. A serial range can narrow the period of production, but it does not by itself prove every feature, configuration, destination, or exact ship date of an individual firearm.
Smith & Wesson terminology changed across production eras, and collectors may use later model names for earlier pre-model revolvers. Compare the firearm’s markings and features with a standard reference; use a factory letter when factory-record documentation is important.