Smith And Wesson Serial Number

First off, Smith & Wesson did not start numbering their revolvers until 1957. From then on the Military & Police revolver became the Model 10, the Highway Patrolman the Model 28, the.357 Magnum. Smith Wesson Dates Of Manufacture From Serial Numbers DOWNLOAD.

Smith & wesson model 29-2 44 magnum with s serial number description: up for your consideration is a smith & wesson model 29-2 44 magnum revolver with an s serial number. This timeless model is in good condition and has diamond grips. Take a look at all the photos and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. Any dash number? If it is an undashed 686 check under the yoke for the letter 'M'. The first run of 686's had a problem with the hammer nose bushing. The ones modified by Smith (upgraded) were stamped with the M.

The Smith & Wesson Model 686 is a six- or seven-shot double-actionrevolver manufactured by Smith & Wesson and chambered for the .357 Magnumcartridge; it will also chamber and fire .38 Special cartridges. Smith & Wesson introduced the Model 686 in 1981. It is the stainless steel version of the Model 586, which featured a blued steel finish. They are available ported and unported with a choice of 6- or 7-round cylinders.^[1]

The Model 686 is based on S&W's L (medium) revolver frame. During the 1980s, Smith & Wesson developed its L-Frame line of .357 Magnums: the Model 581, Model 586, Model 681 and Model 686. The Models 581 and 681 have fixed sights, whereas the 586 and 686 use adjustable sights.^[2]

Variants of the 686[edit]

The 686 has been available with 64, 76, 102, 127, 152, and 211 mm (2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8.325 in) barrel lengths as standard models and other barrel lengths either by special order from S&W's Performance Center custom shop, or acquired from or built by after-market gunsmiths. The Performance Center made a limited number of Model 686s chambered for .38 Super cartridges for competitive shooters.^[1]

The 686 features a 6-round cylinder. The 686P variant, marketed as the Model 686 Plus, has a 7-round cylinder. The 686PP variant, with PP designating PowerPort, has an integral compensator (also known as a muzzle brake).

The 686 has been made with pistol grips having a squared or rounded end (colloquially, 'square butt' or 'round butt'). The grips on the pistol can be changed, and multiple after-market options are available.

The Model 686 has an adjustable rear sight, and until 1992, the 152 and 211 mm (6 and 8.325 in) versions had the option of an adjustable front sight. They had Goncalo alveshardwood grips until 1994, when the grip was replaced by a rubber Hogue grip.^[1]

Through the years, there have been several variations on the Model 686. The Model 686 Classic Hunter was introduced in 1988 and has a 150 mm (6 in) barrel and a non-fluted cylinder; the Model 686 Black Stainless was introduced in 1989 and has either a 100 or 150 mm (4 or 6 in) barrel with a black finish, with production limited to 5000; the Model 686 National Security Special was introduced in 1992 and has a 76 or 102 mm (3 or 4 in) barrel; the Model 686 Target Champion was introduced in 1992 and has a 150 mm (6 in) match-grade barrel, adjustable trigger stop, and walnut grips; the Model 686 Power Port was introduced in 1994 and has a ported 150 mm (6 in) barrel; the Model 686 Plus was introduced in 1996 and has a 64, 76, 102, or 152 mm (2.5, 3, 4, or 6 in) barrel, adjustable sights, 7-shot cylinder, and Hogue rubber grips. As with all current Smith & Wesson revolvers, the 686 Plus now has a key lock integral to the frame of the gun.^[1]

Engineering and production changes[edit]

• 686 (no dash), 1981 Introduction model
• 686-1, 1986 radius stud package, floating hand
• 686-2, 1987 changed hammer nose, bushing and associated parts
• 686-3, 1988 new yoke retention system
• 686-4, 1993 change rear sight leaf, drill and tap frame, change extractor, Hogue grips
• 686-5, 1997 change frame design to eliminate cylinder stop stud, eliminate serrated tangs, MIM hammer and trigger, change internal lock.
• 686-6, 2001 internal lock
• 686-7, 2003 Performance Center .38 Super, 6-Shot unfluted cylinder, 4' barrel, Stainless Steel, 250 Made

Gallery[edit]

Users[edit]

• France – Used by GIGN during amphibious operations.^[3]
• Norway – The 3'-barreled version with Goncalo alveshardwood-grip was used as a sidearm in the alien immigrant-branches of the Norwegian Police Service by individual plainclothes officers during the early 1990s.^{[citation needed]}
• United States – Used by U.S. Border Patrol.^{[citation needed]} Used by legacy U.S. Customs Service.^{[citation needed]} Used by the legacy U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service^{[citation needed]} Used by U.S. Navy SEALs during waterborne missions.^[4] Used by some smaller police departments and by individual officers in larger departments, especially in marine environments.^[5]
• Luxembourg – Used by the Luxembourg Grand Ducal Police as duty weapon from the 1980s through 2017 when it was replaced by the HK VP9.^[6]
• United States - Used by the Oso Grande 4x4 Posse as an approved weapon for posse members preferring a revolver. Some twenty revolvers were acquired in the early 2000's as issue/approved weapons.

Recall[edit]

In 1987, seven years after the release of the Model 686, there were reports of cylinder binding with some types of standard .357 Magnum ammunition for L-frame revolvers manufactured before August 1987. S&W put out a product warning and authorized a no-charge upgrade to make modifications to the revolver. All recalled and reworked guns were stamped with an M marking, signifying that they had been recalled and fixed; thus it is known as the M modification for all 686, 686-1, 586-1, and 586-2 revolvers.^[7]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdSupica, Jim; Richard Nahas (2007). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (3 ed.). F+W Media, Inc. pp. 331–363. ISBN978-0-89689-293-4.
2. ^Boorman, Dean K. (2002). The History of Smith & Wesson Firearms. Globe Pequot. p. 119. ISBN978-1-58574-721-4.
3. ^Jim Supica (2011). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 3rd. Iola, wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 343. ISBN978-1-4402-2700-4.
4. ^Chalker, Denny; Dockery, Kevin (2009). One Perfect Op. New York: Harper Collins. p. 104. ISBN978-0-06-175129-5.
5. ^Sweeney, Patrick (2011). The Gun Digest Book of Smith & Wesson. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 104. ISBN978-1-4402-2714-1.
6. ^'So sieht die neue Pistole der Police Grand-Ducale aus'. L'Essentiel. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
7. ^Product Warning, Popular Mechanics, January 1988, p. 11.

External links[edit]

Today, Smith & Wesson is mostly known for revolvers and their growing line of M&P pistols. Despite the rapidly growing popularity of these polymer-framed striker fired semi-auto pistols, there's also a lot of buzz around the former metal-framed S&W pistols that were discontinued a few years ago.

Prices on the used market for the so-called 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation S&W pistols are still affordable, but have been rapidly rising over the past couple of years. These pistols are usually tough, reliable, and excellent shooters. If you happen to run across one for a good price, now would be a great time to snatch it up.

The trouble with that plan is the absurdly confusing system that S&W used to assign the model numbers for these pistols. Today, their M&P pistols follow a pretty logical formula. I carry a M&P9c — a compact 9mm. Makes sense, right? Well, the 3rd Gen equivalent of that pistol is the 6904. But if it was made before the late 80's, it would be the 2nd Gen version — the 469. And the single stack version would be the 3914, which is virtually identical to the 908. Confused yet?

Unless you've committed these models to memory, looking at the numbers stamped on the slide of an old S&W pistol in the case at a gun shop or an online ad doesn't really tell you much. Even if you ask Google for some help, you might have to wade through a multi-page forum thread to get a straight answer.

Acronis universal restore tutorial. Well, believe it or not, there is some logic to the old S&W numbering system, it's just not particularly intuitive. So we whipped together this S&W semi-auto model number quick reference chart to make it a little easier for you the next time you misplace your S&W decoder ring.

Our chart covers most of the regular production models for the discontinued Smiths chambered in major service calibers. There are a few less common ones out there, but these are the pistols you're most likely to run across today. Even with the chart, there might be a few confusing details about the numbering system, so keep reading for a little background info on each 'generation' of S&W autos.

1st Gen Pistols

The first S&W semi-automatic chambered in a service caliber was the Model 39, which first saw the light of day in 1954. The aluminum alloy-framed 9mm pistol had an 8-shot single-stack magazine, a 4-inch barrel and a traditional double action/single action trigger with a slide-mounted safety/decocker, similar to what many people are familiar with from the Beretta 92 series. The Model 39 was developed as a potential replacement for the U.S. Army's M1911A1. The Army declined to adopt the Model 39, but the pistol was a commercial success, and was even used by a few police departments as one of the very first semi-autos carried by American law enforcement.

In the early 1970s, S&W released a version of the 39 that used a double-stack 14-round magazine dubbed the Model 59. Together, the 39 and 59 are considered the 'first generation' of S&W semi-autos. All of the following S&W 2nd and 3rd generation 9mm pistols are essentially derivatives of these two and in many cases, their model number provides some clue to that origin.

2nd Gen Pistols

In the late 1970s the S&W models 439 and 459 were released, which are considered the first of the second generation pistols. These were basically the 39 and 59 with a few small changes and the number '4' added to the begining of the model number. Steel framed versions of these pistols followed, available with either a stainless, blued, or nickel finish. Blued and nickel model numbers start with '5' (539, 559) and the stainless steel models start with '6' (639, 659).

In the mid 1980s, S&W released two alloy-framed compact versions of the 59 series; the 469 (blued or nickel finish) and 669 (stainless finish). Establishing the form factor that the third gen compacts would follow, these pistols had a 3.5-inch barrel and 12-round magazine.

S&w Dates Of Manufacture By Serial Number

Around this same time, S&W also began producing their first .45 ACP pistol — the model 645. This was a large frame, single stack pistol with an 8-round magazine, 5-inch barrel, and DA/SA with slide-mounted safety/decocker just like the 9mm pistols. There is one variant of the second gen .45 pistol — the single action only model 745, which was a special limited run intended for IPSC competition shooters.

I hope you caught all that because here's where it gets complicated…

3rd Gen Pistols

The third generation of S&W pistols started hitting the market in the late 80s. They can be easily spotted by their four-digit model numbers. Cool edit pro 2.1 torrent. S&W continued the numbering trend they had started on the 9mm pistols — the 3900 series are full size and compact single stack pistols, the 5900 series are double stacks, and the 6900 series are compact double stacks.

Third gen pistols in other calibers are much easier to remember. The 4500 series is for .45 ACP, 4000 series for .40 S&W, and 1000 series for 10mm.

So, looking at the first two digits of a four-digit model number from a 3rd gen pistol, we can know the caliber, and if it's a 9mm, we might also know the frame size. The rest of the info we'd need is in the second half of the model number.

The third digit indicates one of nine possible combinations of action type and frame size. Most S&W autos are DA/SA, but not all. Some are double action only (DAO), and a few were even made with a slide-mounted decocking lever and no external safety (similar to what you'd find on a Sig P220 series pistol). Each model series has a frame size and barrel length that is 'standard' for that series, which we've listed on the chart. The third digit will tell you if a given model is the standard size, mid-size, or compact.

The final digit in the model number indicates the frame material and finish. Frames are either steel or aluminum alloy and the finish is either blued/black (sometimes with a nickel plating), or stainless/silver.

Exceptions

Smith And Wesson Serial Number Lookup For Revolvers

What makes this complex system frustrating to follow is that there are multiple exceptions to the product 'codes'. Some are pretty easy to figure out like the 'value' series pistols. These were budget versions of the third gen pistols that lack some of the finishing touches of the standard models and have a three-digit model number. The first two digits reflect the caliber (9, 40, or 45).

The Chief's Special pistols are also easy to spot, like the one in the header image of this post. They are single stack, sub-compact variants with a 'CS' pre-fix and they're some of the most sought-after 3rd gen pistols on the used market. There's one model each chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45ACP called the CS9, CS40, and CS45 respectively.

Besides these obvious exceptions, there are a few sneaky model numbers that look normal but don't follow the numbering trends. For instance, the 6906 should really be the 6903 — a '6' for the final digit normally means stainless steel, but the 6906 is an alloy framed pistol with a silver stainless finish.

The compact .40 S&W pistols can also be confusing. Most are double stack, but a few single stack versions were made. The model 4040PD in particular breaks multiple model numbering 'rules' and seems to have been given its name arbitrarily.

Letter suffixes are another detail to watch for. A couple of letters tacked to the end of the model name might mean something minor like a new finish, but they can also indicate major changes like the 'TSW' (Tactical Smith & Wesson) series of pistols which indicate the addition of features like improved sights and accessory rails. Sometimes, the TSW pistols were built with a completely different frame size and barrel length than the standard model.

Some of the oddball model names come from pistols developed by S&W's in-house custom shop, the Performance Center. To keep things simple (relatively speaking, anyway) we didn't include these and other obscure models in our chart. If you want more detailed information on any of these models, I highly recommend picking up the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson which was a huge help in verifying the info for the chart.

Smith And Wesson Serial Number Dates

Hopefully, the next time you're trying to track down a deal on an old Smith, this info will help your search go a little quicker. If we've missed anything important, or if you spot any errors in the chart, let me know and I'll try to correct it ASAP. If you guys like this one, be sure to tell us in the comments and maybe we'll tackle S&W revolvers in the next one!