S&W 38s&w

[magnum]

I just came into posession of a S&W nickle plated revolver from a friend who recently passed away. It was given to him by his father in the 70's.
It's a double action top break type with nickle plating. The barrel measures 3.25". The grips are black plastic with the s&w emblems on them. Despite the nickle wearing off, the blue parts are in very good condition with almost all the original bluing left. The barrel is not in the best of condition- dark and rough. The lockup is still very tight despite being over 100 years old and the timing appears to still be good.
There are patent dates stamped on top of the barrel with several month/days from the year 1880.
I've read that this gun was made in several calibers and I have a round of 38s&w that fits perfectly. There are no markings on either side of the barrel, only the dates on top.
I was hoping that any s&w collectors or historians could shed some light on what model this is and an app. manufacture year.
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[PinkhamR]

It appears to be a 1st Model with the serial number you stated to me over the phone. They were made from 1881-1884. There were 25,000 produced in that model.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

NOTE: It is a blackpowder gun and should not be fired with modern ammo unless it's low pressure ammo specifically manufactured to be fired in such an antique. The barrel is likely nasty because it was fired with blackpowder and not cleaned and stored properly