Field Note
Military & Police, Target & Masterpiece Names
Smith & Wesson collectors often use several names for related .38 revolvers. Those names are useful clues, but they do not all mean the same thing—or share one serial-number history.
Military & Police / M&P
“Military & Police,” commonly shortened to “M&P,” is the broad collector name for Smith & Wesson’s .38 Special service-revolver family. It spans early Hand Ejector production and later postwar production. A serial number by itself often cannot distinguish every configuration within that family.
In the Records Bureau, choose .38 Military & Police (M&P), 1899–1967 when the firearm is generally described as an M&P. The results preserve the more specific prewar or postwar record label and its associated serial range.
What “Target” Means
“Target” usually describes a configuration or catalog designation—such as sights, barrel, finish, or intended use—rather than a separate universal serial-number family. An M&P Target entry can therefore be related to the broader M&P family while still requiring the firearm’s physical features to identify it responsibly.
Treat “Target” as a reason to compare sights, barrel length, stocks, markings, and catalog features. Do not assume that every .38 M&P is a Target model, or that every target-configured .38 shares a unique serial sequence.
Combat Masterpiece and Later Model Numbers
The Combat Masterpiece is a distinct postwar K-frame target revolver, not simply another name for every Military & Police revolver. Smith & Wesson did not apply modern numeric model designations until the late 1950s, so collectors often use later names when discussing an earlier “pre-model” equivalent.
When a model number, pre-model name, or “Masterpiece” description is present, use it to narrow a search. When it is absent, begin with the broad family and verify the identification against the gun’s features and a standard reference.
A Practical Search Order
- Enter the full serial number.
- Choose the broad M&P family if the revolver is generally an M&P.
- Use specific terms such as Target or Combat Masterpiece only when markings or features support them.
- Use a factory letter when original configuration, destination, or a documented ship date matters.