Pictures will help tremendously. Look forward to some "free" advice whenever you are able to post some pictures. You can probably find the age of the pistol by going to S&W website with the serial # and determine when it was manufactured.

That German handgun is probably a "ROHM", and the model # is "RG38". I have one that sounds like exactly the same. Check the various gun boards for more information. Rohm guns run from very cheap 22 rimfires to some better quality centefires. I don't have their model number listing with me right now, . My RG38 is a fairly decent shooter. Alot of people will look down their noses at a Rohm, and rightfully so with their cheap guns, but they also made some decent guns. Now, I think, they only manufacture 'flare guns', or 'starter pistols'. Some times their guns went under the 'Reck' name. You can still find alot of parts for these on the gun auction boards.