Serial Numbers of S&W cuffs?

Hi all - long time, no post... Sorry!

I found a pair of S&W cuffs at the Portland Expo sale this weekend that have the S&W trademark but nothing else. No patent notice, no city of manufacture, no serial number.

They are push-pin double lock vintage, but other than that, when might they have been made?

Was there a time that S&W didn't serial number their products? We do have a pair of the 'Peerless manufactured by Smith and Wesson" cuffs that have no serial number, but my experience is limited.

Are they of the early or latter form?

Hi all - long time, no post... Sorry!

I found a pair of S&W cuffs at the Portland Expo sale this weekend that have the S&W trademark but nothing else. No patent notice, no city of manufacture, no serial number.

They are push-pin double lock vintage, but other than that, when might they have been made?

Was there a time that S&W didn't serial number their products? We do have a pair of the 'Peerless manufactured by Smith and Wesson" cuffs that have no serial number, but my experience is limited.

Great replay Jason.. She states she has "limited" knowledge so how would she know what you mean by earlier or later model? What are you refering to specifically Jason? The model or the & script?

Carla, I would suggest that you follow the link below to Joe's gallery and see if you can identify your model there by going to the (s-t section) click on the photo to enlarge the handcuffs or if you can't find the model there then go to link I've provided for Yossie's handcuff collection of S&W cuffs to see if you can identify the model there. See now that's real information for someone to learn about this hobby! (That's just my opinion)

http://handcuffs.org/gallery/index.html

http://www.blacksteel.com/hcs/index.cgi ... facturer=7

Hi all - long time, no post... Sorry!

I found a pair of S&W cuffs at the Portland Expo sale this weekend that have the S&W trademark but nothing else. No patent notice, no city of manufacture, no serial number.

They are push-pin double lock vintage, but other than that, when might they have been made?

Was there a time that S&W didn't serial number their products? We do have a pair of the 'Peerless manufactured by Smith and Wesson" cuffs that have no serial number, but my experience is limited.

Here's something she can really use -- a side by side comparison:



The photo on the left is of an early form model 91 (please note the location of the detent).
The photo on the right is of a latter form model 90.

ebay observer: I have tried unsuccessfully to use the ampersand in the stamping to determine the date of manufacture. I no longer consider this to be a viable method of determining the age of these cuffs. Also, it sounds to me from what she's describing that her cuffs don't even have the "Smith & Wesson Marcas Registradas," etc. stamping. She stated that they have only the trademark logo.

Jason

Hi all - long time, no post... Sorry!

I found a pair of S&W cuffs at the Portland Expo sale this weekend that have the S&W trademark but nothing else. No patent notice, no city of manufacture, no serial number.

They are push-pin double lock vintage, but other than that, when might they have been made?

Was there a time that S&W didn't serial number their products? We do have a pair of the 'Peerless manufactured by Smith and Wesson" cuffs that have no serial number, but my experience is limited.

Jason,
I too have some old S&W's and the detent you speak of is in a different location and the swivel is machined differently. I have seen other marks in the serial# string too.

Hi all - long time, no post... Sorry!

I found a pair of S&W cuffs at the Portland Expo sale this weekend that have the S&W trademark but nothing else. No patent notice, no city of manufacture, no serial number.

They are push-pin double lock vintage, but other than that, when might they have been made?

Was there a time that S&W didn't serial number their products? We do have a pair of the 'Peerless manufactured by Smith and Wesson" cuffs that have no serial number, but my experience is limited.

Yes, Dorson, the early variant also had different swivels and slightly lower profile lock cases that kept the wearer's wrists closer together. This would make it harder to pass the cuffs under the legs for a partial escape, but could potentially cause a shoulder dislocation in people with very wide backs. Sometimes 2 sets of cuffs are connected to cuff a really large person behind the back for this reason.

As far as I know, the serial numbers were ordered randomly, and I know of more than one set of M-90s, made years apart, that share the exact same serial number.
Aside from that, I believe that the sets with only 5 digits are older, though I don't know exactly when they changed over to 6.

Regards,
Jason

Hi all - long time, no post... Sorry!

I found a pair of S&W cuffs at the Portland Expo sale this weekend that have the S&W trademark but nothing else. No patent notice, no city of manufacture, no serial number.

They are push-pin double lock vintage, but other than that, when might they have been made?

Was there a time that S&W didn't serial number their products? We do have a pair of the 'Peerless manufactured by Smith and Wesson" cuffs that have no serial number, but my experience is limited.

Now that's some great educating and sharing of information on this hobby Jason. Way to step up!

It would be nice of Carla could e-mail someone a photograph of her handcuffs so that we can all see what she is describing?

Keep up the great work gals & guys..

Hi all - long time, no post... Sorry!

I found a pair of S&W cuffs at the Portland Expo sale this weekend that have the S&W trademark but nothing else. No patent notice, no city of manufacture, no serial number.

They are push-pin double lock vintage, but other than that, when might they have been made?

Was there a time that S&W didn't serial number their products? We do have a pair of the 'Peerless manufactured by Smith and Wesson" cuffs that have no serial number, but my experience is limited.

"I found a pair of S&W cuffs at the Portland Expo sale this weekend that have the S&W trademark but nothing else. No patent notice, no city of manufacture, no serial number"
______________________________________________________________________________

My reply:

I have a later-model #90:

Left-cuff: NO markings anywhere.
Right-cuff: Has only the circular logo & circular text around it.
No serial numbers.

_____________________________________________________________________________

I have a later-model #100: NO markings at all on the face of the right-cuff.
______________________________________________________________________________

This issue was raised previously, and I'll quote from a 2002 posting from "Tim1":

"The cuffs that are not serial numbered nor marked with the Smith registration - are cuffs that did not pass the inspection process through quality control....they were sold as "factory seconds", at reduced prices...most of the flaws being in finish or plating".




---Joe Fox

Hi all - long time, no post... Sorry!

I found a pair of S&W cuffs at the Portland Expo sale this weekend that have the S&W trademark but nothing else. No patent notice, no city of manufacture, no serial number.

They are push-pin double lock vintage, but other than that, when might they have been made?

Was there a time that S&W didn't serial number their products? We do have a pair of the 'Peerless manufactured by Smith and Wesson" cuffs that have no serial number, but my experience is limited.

Thanks for a definitive answer!

Carla

Am trying to find a year of manufacture for a pair of S&W handcuffs with serial number 64373.  Thanks.  Email:  Halasi_MC@co.brown.wi.us

Smith and Wesson cuffs are hard to put an actual date of manufacture on. If you could post up a picture, we may be able to help identify what you have and give you a general time frame, when that cuff was made. Lets see what kind of cuff you have.
-Richard Knip-

Thanks Richard, they're a standard S&W handcuff.  They have "1943" etched into them and I wanted to determine via the serial number how close that date was.

Adam-12,
If they are indeed Smith & Wesson handcuffs, S&W did not begin manufacturing their own brand until 1952.
Prior to 1952, they manufactured handcuffs for the Peerless Handcuff Co. from 1914 - 1940.
November 15, 1940 they discontinued that relationship and did not manufacture handcuffs until they started their own line in 1952.
Dave

"1943" could be etched into them to identify the cuffs. A lot of the times, its the officer's I.D. number or badge number. Is yours the model 90 or the M-100? That is the model number of Smith's standard cuffs. Model 90 cuffs, dont say "Model 90" on them. If it is a Model 90, where is the detent, on the face of the cuff's body, located? Towards the center of the cuff body, part way between the center and the key hole or above the key hole? That would give us a general ballpark as to when your cuffs would have been made. The detent is the little rectangular shaped, indent into the cuffs body. It corresponds with the channel that is milled into the cuff's swing arm. Its located towards the top of the cuff's body. Unfortunately, Smith and Wesson isnt like peerless, with company records. You can email Peerless and give them the serial number of a cuff and they can tell you the date of manufacture and most times, who it was shipped to. Smith and Wesson, doesnt offer that service.
-Richard Knip-

Thanks.  I believe they are a model 90, and will need to look at them closer for the info you pointed out above.  "1943" is engraved or etched into the cuffs.  I have also obtained a late 1930's set of Peerless cuffs marked "LAPD" with and officer's serial number that I have researched that matches the same era.   

Contact Chris Gill, via the Peerless Handcuffs website. Give him the serial number and a pic of the cuffs and he will tell you the date they were manufactured and usually, who bought them from the warehouse. Most times, its a store's name and location.  Kind of a nice little thing he still does for collectors.
-Richard Knip-

Awesome Richard, thanks!!

Trying to figure out how old these Cuffs are? They were my fathers, I am not sure when he purchased them. I know he became an officer in the late 60's. Any assistance with this would be great.
Serial# 596636

448549

NATAS,
Model 100 patent pending version 2 manufactured 1978-79 before S&W handcuff manufacturing moved to Houlton, Maine.
Dave

Smith and Wesson hand cuffs antique there is a number on them B20012 but it's only on one cuff I'm trying to find out how old they are help please