Does it have the shrouded barrel and the short grip?

No shrouded barrel. Not sure on the grip?

Does the wood of the grips go under the frame or fit flush with the bottom?

Grips go flush & not under butt. wood grips with silver rampant horse checkered wood.

clarab57 - try this link:

http://www.guncollectorsclub.com/detective.htm

about 2/3s of the way down is the DOM to serial # table.

Table does show an alpha prefix starting in 1966.

Hope that helps.

Ok, it sounds like a long grip but they stopped  using the long grip in 1966 at about serial number 890800 when they went to the short grip frame. They also started with a letter prefix after that point in time as well.

 The long grip frame, if you measure from the rear sideplate screw (top rear of frame near hammer) to the rear bottom of the grip is about 3&1/2" while the short grip only measures about 3".

Have you looked at the serial number with an eye loupe or magnifying glass to make sure someone didn't just add a number?

I measure frame & its 3" from screw to bottom of frame so short? right? serial number 990641 now i see what appears to be an F above top number. thanks

Well, it's a short grip frame so it's after 1966. You say it does have the ejector rod that sticks out under the barrel all by itself? It doesn't have the little slot it fits in under the barrel that protects it?

Are you sure the letter isn't a "D"? The D prefix is the only one that goes up into the high 900,000 number range as they carried on with the same number range as all the previous models that ended with 890800. If it has a D prefix and a serial number of 990600 it would have been made in 1968.

The "F" prefix didn't start until 1973 and that's when the barrel shroud started. Plus the F prefix only went up to F60000 by the end of 1974 when the "H" prefix started.

I've got one with a B prefix from 1971 and it's a short frame, exposed ejector rod. I've got two with short frame and enclosed ejector rod (shrouded barrel) one with a C prefix made 1973 and one with a F prefix made in 1974. BUT, all three letter prefix models I have only have 5 digit serial numbers.

The F is twice as large as serial # & only on one side top side above serial #.Inspectors mark? or someone screwed with the number before i got the gun 20 years ago. So i have short frame & screwed up serial #. Guess i cant sell it. Doesnt look like anybody screwed with the #s Thanks for the info. Ken No slot under the barrel.

I do. What do you want for it? Can you post a photo? It does have the exposed ejector rod, correct?