Hello,
I own a nice Model 29-2. I bought it last summer from my gunsmith but he couldn't tell me when the gun was made. All I could find out is that it must have been made between 1960 and 1969 because it's a 29-2 with a 6.5" barrel and I read that the barrel was shortened to 6" in 1969.
The serial number of my gun is N443107
Can anyone help to find out when exactly the gun was made?
S&W didn't keep records of production dates - only shipping dates. Your gun would have been shipped from the factory in the 1977-1978 time frame. If you want more definitive information, a "factory letter" from S&W Historian Roy Jinks will tell you the exact shipping date and to whom it was shipped. Cost for that letter is $50 and can take a few months.
The 6-1/2 inch barrel was dropped in 1979 in favor of the 6 inch barrel.