Tell me more! Smith & Wesson model 2 type IV production date help

[Salterr]

Hello everyone,

I would like some help in determining a production date for the above mentioned gun I have been gifted. In searching this out myself I've found conflicting information of dates and serial number ranges and don't know which is correct.

To start the serial number is 35711, I have read on one site that a serial number past 35733 is post war with a shipping date of May 1 1865 but another site says May 1 1864. It said the serial numbers don't tell you production date but shipping date is this true? Wouldn't that mean it's possible that guns past that serial number were technically war date guns just not shipped in time? With this being 22 away from that "post war" number is it possible that mine was physically made during the war but probably used post war? Does anyone know the time frame between the production of different batches of serial numbers?

Lots of questions, I know but hopefully lots of answers??? Thanks everyone

 

[Salterr]

Probably might help to add some photos. I'm thinking it must be late 1864 early 1865 perhaps

 

[bobinwmass]

I believe the websites saying May 1864 as the cutoff date for Civil War guns is an error that some have copied. College Hill arsenal and other sites say say May 1865. That would make sense as the gun was so popular that by 1862 the company stopped taking orders for it as they already had more orders than they could make in the next 3 years. Guns would not be sitting in inventory for a year, they would be going out immediately. I think this makes yours made just at the end of the war. But even if if it had been post war, I would have no problem displaying it in a Civil War collection as it is the type used. I display my postwar Model 1 right next to my wartime Model 2.

 

[Salterr]

Thanks @bobinwmass that's what I was thinking too. I saw many sites with the 1865 date but couldn't believe I could find such little information on serial number shipments since it seemed so popular. The S&W website couldn't even find my serial number.