Inside the (open the cylinder and look at the frame where the cylinder arm meets it).
In the sweltering heat of a summer afternoon, Detective Jameson sat at his desk, pouring over a stack of files and papers related to a string of recent burglaries. Among the stolen items was a prized Smith & Wesson revolver, a family heirloom passed down through generations. The only lead was a partial serial number scrawled on a cryptic note left at the scene. smith and wesson revolver serial numbers database
While not comprehensive, certain prefixes can give you a rough era: Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation The Definitive Guide to the Smith & Wesson
For nearly a century, S&W used strictly sequential numeric serial numbers. Summary of value for collectors, historians, and firearms