I recently purchased a Model 624 with a 3" barrel. I subsequently found out there was a product recall. I e-mailed S&W and was told my revolver was involved in the recall. If the box label was stamped with a red "C", I was OK. I asked about the "F" stamp on the rear of the cylinder, that I had read on this forum, indicated that the revolver had been through the recall. I was told that it was only the "C". My box doesn't have the label.

I then called Customer Service and talked to "Mel" and was told the stamped "F" indicated that my revolver had been through the recall. I asked if he was absolutely sure, and he said "yes".

My revolver is stamped with an "F". I guess I'm OK.

Has anyone seen any official S&W documentation on this issue?

Sorry if this is redundant.

Not really what you're asking, but...

If that's the same Mel I dealt with about 5 years ago, I'd take his word. He's good people. I was trying to find an out-of-production part (a rear sight that was the old length, but with the new rounded front for a 625-5 Classic) and was told they were out of stock, sorry, no dice. About a week later Mel called me up and had one for me that he had scrounged from one of the repair guys' stuff boxes. That's customer service right there.

I copied this from the FAQ section of the 1981-present forum. You can go there to read the entire post.

If a handgun in the recalled range has already been returned to the factory for testing, a red letter “C” that is circled will be stamped on the box label, indicating that the gun passed re-inspection. No marks are made on the cylinder of checked guns, only the red “C” in the circle stamped on the box label.

Whatever you think or hear on this forum, don't send your gun back to S&W. They no longer have any replacement cylinders and they won't send your gun back to you because it might be unsafe. Either keep it and shoot with mild .44 Special loads or sell it as is. That's way better than S&W scrapping it.

Your problem with calling S&W and getting various answers is a well-known situation. S&W almost went under during the Clinton years and most of the bright, motivated, experienced workers left. They are booming now and hiring whomever they can get. Some of the people on the phone will flat tell you wrong either because they don't know the answer or don't give a damn.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

This is right on the money!!!!
I forgot to put the "do not return" warning in my post. I usually don't, but did this time and am glad S&WIowegan did.

I bought a 624 earlier this year and had similar facts; I did not have the box, so did not know whether the gun was previously checked, and the cylinder had a "F" stamp. I was told that the gun still had to be checked. The F stamp is not a valid check marking. Also S & W has not kept records of the guns actually checked, so they can not match up your serial number to confirm it may previously have been sent for testing.

Fortunately, mine passed and I'm more comfortable knowing that than just shooting lighter loads.

Steve

After talking to Mel at Customer Service, I got another e-mail from S&W:

"dan- send the gun in for exam the f stamp does not denote the cylinder was checked
2100 roosevelt ave
springfield ma 01104"

I then asked about getting a return label and got:

"dan- the labels are for warranty guns not used"

So recalled guns are not under warranty???

If the "F" stamp doesn't have anything to do with the recall, what does it mean????

Whatever you do, don't send it in unless you are willing to give it up and take a different gun in exchange, if yours fails the test. One with a lock and mim parts at that.

You should be able to get an idea if yours was affected by the serial number range posted in the FAQ's at the top of the 1981-present forum.

My 624 is in the recall range. I bought it at a show in the late '80s, no box or papers. No F on the cylinder. It is NOT going back to S&W. I have shot it for years with mild to medium loads and will continue to do so. Were I you I would not send the pistol back--just accept that it may have limits and press on.

How about sending just the cylinder?

Unbelievable! Surely they would keep records of the ones they had already checked? Seems like they open themselves up to further liabilty this way. I would think they would want to know and have statistics on how many were sent in and how many were still floating around. I was lucky - mine was post recall (ALW).

It's hard to believe that someone on their help desk says that the "F" definitely means it was checked and another person reading e-mails says the red "C" on the box is the only thing that matters. What does the "F" mean if it isn't related to the recall? They stamp "N" on the rear of Nickel revolvers or they used to. It seems that someone should know.

Maybe I should just go to the range wrapped in Kevlar...

The stamped letter F on the rear of the cylinder has nothing to do with the recall, this is what I've been told on the phone and in emails, I had a number of 624s and am pretty sure all had the F stamp, the three I presently own have the stamp for sure, two have boxes with the red circle and the one without box was not part of the recall. My guess is that the F stamp is part of the assembly process, my 66s have the letter V in the same place. It could also have been done to keep someone from trying to polish and blue stainless parts. I got no response on the phone when I mentioned I thought it was poor practice to mark a box and not the cylinder, the letters "OK" came to mind as a really simple solution. Based on what I would get in trade if the cylinder failed I would not send one back, not sure just what I would do with it but maybe a modified cylinder from a 629 would work.

Keith

I checked my records, boxes and safes and I have 6 of the 624s of which 3 came in their original box. All three boxes have the circled C. All six of the 624s have the stamped F on the breech end of the cylinder. I think Keith Brown is correct when he suggests the F is an assembly number. I did not bother to search for the thread that gives the serial number range for guns in the recall. I think thedane should do that for his gun.

I do know I fired my first two 624s before I even knew of the recall and the guns and my hands are still intact. IIRC, the stainless steel used in some of the cylinders didn't meet specs. It's not clear that automatically means the guns will blow up. I expect if you shoot standard .44 Specials and no "magnumized' loads a la Keith you'll be fine. If that's not an acceptable risk sell the gun. If you send the gun or just the cylinder to S&W you will NOT get them back!!!

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

I really appreciate all of your input! I already checked the serial number with S&W and according to them it is one of the serial numbers to be recalled and tested. It appears that they don't make the 624s anymore and don't have any cylinders. If the cylinder doesn't pass the test, I guess the gun is gone.

I wonder if there are some independent engineers that could test the cylinder for me?

I could get a blue or nickel cylinder...

If I send it back, I would want a commitment from S&W indicating what they will do to compensate me if it fails.

I don't really like the idea of wondering whether my light loads might eventually blow up the cylinder. I also like shooting some heavier loads.

I guess I'll think about it some more...

I had this saved, it was posted originally by another forum member. I carry a copy of this with me to shows and have a list on the back of guns known to be good with either a red circle box stamp or known to have been checked.


Keith

For what it's worth, my 624, 3" is a no dash, ALB prefix and has a F stamp on the cylinder. S&W has said that the SN is not involved in the recall.

I appreciate your concern about safety. There is no easy answer here.....you can't have your cake and eat it too. I doubt an independent engineer would know what specifications to test for nor would he/she want the liability. Just sell this gun and buy a 24-3 of the same vintage. they are all fine and prettier too!

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

If the original cylinder failed, I don't see why they couldn't fit a cylinder from a current production Model 24 or Model 21 to your 624. It would give you a two-toned gun, but at least it would be shootable. If they put the same finish on the blued cylinder that they put on the early production non-stainless hammers and triggers for the Model 66, it would even match to a certain extent. What am I missing here? Why wouldn't this be an option?

Butch, that can't be correct. I have a no dash, ALB36xx. I bought it with the matching serial numbered box & it DOES have the Red circled "C" on it. Double-check your prefix and be advised accordingly.

Respectfully,
H-F Hank
NRA Bene
USAF Vet

Contact Kate Fredette at S&W she knows more about this 624 recall issue than anyone. Try a search here on the forum using her name and all shall be made clear.

Kate and the other S&W folks have no problem providing a call tag for the recall. You should get one. Kate will send you one for sure.

Good luck,

DD

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1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

S&W's current .44 Special cylinders are longer than the M-24-3 and M-624 (and earlier models) cylinders. They won't fit without major reworking, being shortened on the front face at least. A gunsmith with a lathe and the correct knowledge could trim a new one down, or modify some other cylinder to fit, or remove the rear portion of the barrel to match up with the new cylinder, but it would be a good bit of labor and be fairly pricey, time being money.

Does anyone know of any Model 624 that had the cylinder fail? I don't believe I have ever heard of one.

You may be ahead of the game to sell it to someone "as is" willing to run the risk, and either finding one in the box with the "C" or buying an early M-629 .44 Magnum Mountain Gun.

Mine is s/n ALWxxx range so is beyond the recall. However, it does have the "F" on the cylinder.

With all the resources we have on this forum, it would be interesting to see if there is any correlation to the F cylinder mark and the stamped box, especially for those in the recall range. A lot of these are out there without the box.

Also, has anyone on here returned one, found out that it failed, and not gotten it back? Did it have the F stamp?

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" I said, good DAY! "

Just got an e-mail from S&W. They don't have any cylinders...

The article posted by Bis45 stated that the cylinders would be checked by the Magnaflux process.

This process is non-destructive (does not destroy the part being examined) and usually is performed using magnetic particles to reveal an inclusion or crack in the object being tested.

It has been about 35 years since my cursory training on this process, so that’s about all I remember about the process.

Another NDT process is the “dye penetrant” method of revealing minute cracks in metal, but this method would not reveal a void or inclusion in the metal.

Check the yellow pages or do a search on “Non-Destructive Testing” to find someone in your area that may be able to do this for you. Aircraft structural repair facilities often use this process, so that would be another area to check.

Or, you could just shoot and enjoy the gun

I found someone at S&W that's going to send me a shipping label.

Should I send it in...


"You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"... (Dirty Harry)

Here's my two cents worth, based on what I've been able to research:

I have a 624 with box, no red "C" on the box. The cylinder has an "F", but I'm told that this has nothing to do with the supposed cylinder issue.

I emailed Roy Jinks about the steel used in the cylinder in February of 2008 and he sent me two replies:

"The cylinder problem was the fact that some cylinders had long charge holes and you could chamber the .44 Magnum round in the cylinder. So it is an easy check. If the gun will chamber the .44 Magnum round then it has one of the cylinders that was affected. if it does not chamber the round then you are okay. You will still be okay as long as you shot only .44 Specials out of the revolver."

I replied to Roy that I had heard that there was a batch of stainless steel which was not to spec. Roy replied:

"Believe what you want to, but it was my project and I certainly do not remember a problem with the stainless steel for the cylinders."

Now think about this: If S&W were to recall revolvers to have their cylinders checked, wouldn't it make more sense to mark the cylinder or revolver rather than stamping a red circled "C" on the box?!? What if the box got lost or was no longer available?!?

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Peter #2091

It is my understanding that only one has ever failed the examination. There are a couple of theads about it on the forum, here.


Original poster: If you want to send it in and feel confident when firing it, then send it in. I sent in my 3" LH 624 and it came back with a clean bill of health. Moreover, if I ever sell it, I will feel good about turning it over to another forum member to fire.

I would send it in, but it's your revolver, so you can do what you want. You have enough information now, so make a decision.

Good luck.

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1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

I have red that stated a few times but nobody I recall has said "It happened to me" or anything close to them, just "I heard there was one."

Any link to something more definitive than that?

Mine was checked by S&W and they should ABSOLUTELY send you a shipping label,, But DO NOT send it to them,
It is a great shooter!
I have a S&W letter along with mine with the serial # on it .

As I remember,, Only 1 or 2 were found defective,,, But I could be wrong.
Shoot it and be happy!
Peter

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Need 1/2 moon Chiefs special

Ah, dogdoc's failed. Thanks for reposting that, Keith.

I received a shipping label from S&W and sent it back today. I decided that, after weighing all the options, I want a certification that it is OK. This is more for the collector value and future owners peace of mind than anything else.

I did a lot of research and made a lot of calls without being able to make any conclusions.

The gun wouldn't chamber a .44 magnum round, so it doesn't seem, per Mr. Jinks, that is the problem.

Before I shipped the gun I noticed an "M" inside a triangle on the bottom side of the grip frame. I'm sure as in the case of the "F" on the back of the cylinder this doesn't mean anything either, like maybe "magnaflux"?

I'll let everyone know the results...

I notice a discrepancy of sorts in the information provided in message #16 of this thread. The quoted Skelton article provides serial number ranges such as ADXXXXX, etc.; the info from Kate at S & W is nearly the same, ADXXXX, but notice the different number of Xs. The serial number on my 624 is AHTXXXX, which seems to put it in the "uh-oh" category if I interpret the Skelton info correctly, but leaves it out of the recall when using Kate's numbers. Who's right?

I think the serial numbers are 7 characters. Mine is AHSXXXX. Kate's info is probably a typo. Nice catch. If you e-mail them they will tell you whether your gun is part of the recall.

I sent my gun in. I called Customer Service and they said it would be a few weeks. There is no way to find out the status of the evaluation. I'll know when I get it back or when they notify me that it failed...

I e-mailed S & W on Monday to ask about my particular revolver, a Lew Horton 624 with a 3" barrel. Based on the serial number Lew Horton said that they had the gun in May of 1985.

Today S & W e-mailed back and suggested I call their customer service number, 800-331-0852, ext. 2905, which I did. The friendly gentleman who answered was aware of the recall but didn't know any particulars about procedures to be taken. He suggested sending it in to see if the cylinder was OK. I asked what would happen if they found that the cylinder was faulty, as I had heard that they would keep the gun if it was. He said he doubted that, that the gun would probably be sent back to me no matter what the results of the test were. At no time did he mention sending me a prepaid label to ship it.

I would think that anyone in S & W customer service would have access to procedures to be followed in this kind of situation. I was more than a little surprised by the wishy-washy non-information that I received. So . . . I'll start the process over again. This time I'll be smarter and ask for Kate as someone here suggested; she has to know more than the gentleman I talked to did!

Greg

They will definately keep your gun!

They cannot return a gun that could potentially be a huge liabilty issue for them. Too bad that a lot of the guys who answer the phone in CS weren't around back then, or were little kids at the time, and have no idea what is what, when it comes to anything made before about 2000.

Kate Fredette at S & W and I have corresponded a couple of times in the last week and it turns out that my 624 was indeed made during the time covered by the recall. She's sending a shipping label to send it in for a check. Her statement: "Most guns have already been sent back, but the gun was never stamped, only the box. There has only been 1 gun sent back so far that had the problem. We had to replace it."

Kate was ambivalent about what would happen if my 624 failed the test, only that we'd "discuss options if necessary". Much as I'd hate to lose it if things turn out bad, I'd rather know that I was pulling the trigger on a safe gun.

Wish me luck; I don't want to be #2!

Greg

As I posted earlier, I sent in my Model 624 to be checked out for a faulty cylinder. It was received by S&W on 11/20 and it was returned on Christmas Eve. I have to admit I was excited that I got it back and that there were no problems. A form was included in the box that stated that it had been examined and adjusted to our standards. Basically, "Inspected/Tested & Passed".

I have to say that the process was not easy. After I sent the gun in, I made many calls to customer service and rarely got the same answer. I would highly recommend that S&W improve their tracking system. This should include an extensive data base of all guns returned for recall or repair/modification. IMHO this would be very cost effective and of value to the customer/collector.

However, I'm glad I sent it in and I can confidently shoot it and, some day, pass it on to the next shooter with no worries about its strength.

Attached Images

	S&W 624-1.jpg (33.0 KB, 275 views)
	S&W 624.jpg (33.6 KB, 305 views)

After maybe half a dozen exchanges with Kate Fredette I received a prepaid FedEx shipping label (including insurance) from S & W to send my 624 back. I sent it off on January 15 and received it back on February 1 with a note saying it had passed.

In all of this there was only one hiccup. When the revolver got to S & W I got an e-mail from someone in service wondering why I'd sent the 624 in. I had included in the box, per their instructions, contact info and a brief note explaining why I was sending it in. I mentioned Kate as a contact who knew what was up. This note apparently failed to make it to the service department with the 624, but they managed to have my e-mail address . . . weird! At any rate, all was resolved quickly and my 624 is back, safe and sound.

I'm happy I sent mine in. I'd rather know it was safe to shoot than settle for shooting mild stuff for the rest of my life. And, If I ever sell it, I'll feel better being able to tell the new owner that it's officially safe to shoot.

Greg

P.S. I must mention how good Kate was to work with. I briefly corresponded with two other people at S & W about my 624 and got either misinformation or ignorance. Kate was splendid and ALWAYS got things done accurately and efficiently. Kudos to her!

So lets say you don't send it in and the gun blows, what will you have then? At least if you send it in and it fails they will make it right and you won't end up with a 624 conversation piece. To those guys who think the answer is to just sell it, please let me know what gun shows you set up at so that I can stay away!

I am curious as to how they can"keep the gun" I dont see any legal way they can. They dont own it, you dont consent to them keeping it. I dont care if they found it turned to glass and will explode on the next round. They can inform you as to its condition and not to use it, in writing. They may even be able to do something to render it inoperative temporarily, say remove the hammer. They cannot render it inoperative permanently, say cut it in two. They arent doing you a favor by taking the gun and sending you a new one. They are taking away a future liability and cutting their loss now. Better to lose the cost of a new gun ($500 ?) rather than hundreds of thousands later.

If manufacturers could do this what stops Toyota from taking your car next time you take for an oil change.

As for the owners liability, if you are not the owner of record, haven't received written notice that this could be a defect. You should not have liability of this. The owner doesn't have an obligation to see if there's a recall. However if you did get notice, or can be linked to having prior knowledge of a safety defect, and knowingly sell it with out full disclosure, you might have liability should something occur.

What happens if you sell an old lightweight gun with an aluminum cylinder and the next owner shoots it and blows it up?

I am NOT a lawyer and may NOT be correct!!!

What say our legal eagles?

I don't know the term for it, but the offering of a replacement allows them to do this.

Gun rules are not typical or aligned with normal retail rules. I suppose it's the mindset of guns being bad somehow, so special exceptions are made.

One thing I recently saw online was a 624 with a recall stamp on the label circle C in red. It was interesting in the description the owner noted that on the right side of the grip frame under the grips, along with some other stamps was a circle C also. I would say that hearing that, would indicate to me for revolvers that don't have boxes, look for a circle C on the grip frame under the grips. S&W has always had some sort of a stamp to indicate a gun has been checked or had work done by their shop. In this case it would be logical for them to stamp the circle C on the grip after the inspection done and the gun was to go out. That's certainly worth looking into, I would think.

An official S&W serial number has three letters followed by four numerals. It has been that way since they went to the so-called 3 alpha, 4 numeric system in or near 1980, or thereabouts.

My 624LH has a serial number thus: ALWXXXX.
The former owner must have sent it in (I've had it for a long time) because it has the Circle C on the box.
The circled "C" on the grip frame is on a number of S&W revolvers I have seen. It would seem not to be a record of the recall.
Mine also has the "F" stamped on the rear face of the cylinder. I have no idea what it might signify.
S&W 624 Lew Horton Special Right.jpg

I have two 624's and both have been through and passed the recall. Both also have an "M" stamped under the crane adjacent to the serial and model number. This is how they have designated a "passed" recall in the past - really don't know if it is relevant now. I can't imagine that S&W would designate a passed recall gun with only a rubber stamp on the box - makes no sense as the box is too easily separated from the gun.

Nor does there seem to be any consensus as to why the guns were recalled to begin with. I have heard two versions. The first says that there were several batches of SS that weren't up to spec and may cause weakened cylinders. The second, which is attributed to Roy Jinks, is that some cylinders were mistakenly bored long and could chamber a .44 Mag cartridge. I don't think either by itself makes sense. However - if both of the above stories are true, then a recall makes sense.

A cylinder made of out of spec steel could probably withstand the relatively low pressures generated by the .44 Spl round (going by SAAMI specs). However, if one had a defective cylinder and it was bored to accept magnum cartridges, that is an accident waiting to happen.

That is pure speculation and really does not jive with what I understand the recall procedure is/was - which is simply magnafluxing the cylinder which would show up any cracks or voids, but really is no indication of the cylinders strength or composition.

Glad this necro-thread was resurrected, maybe more info will come out now that we are a couple years down the road.

What say you?

Adios,

Pizza Bob

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NRA Benefactor Member

I just acquired one and it's a recall number gun.

I wonder what they trade them out for if they have no parts? Anyone had them trade out for something else?

I have three 624s, 3", 4" and 6-1/2".
Two of the three were in the recall serial range.
Coincidentally, both of them needed sideplates replaced and went back to S&W. Both passed scrutiny and were repaired and returned.
Before sending them in, I read every scrap of discussion that I could find.
My conclusion was:
Both of these guns had been shot - a lot - before coming to me.
They had not failed structurally any any way whatsoever.
I have never seen, or even heard of, any 624 failure of any sort.
I don't hot rod my .44 Specials. Have plenty of 66 Magnums for that job.
Conclusion:
I would shoot any S&W 44 Special revolver with SAAMI-spec ammo and not worry in the slightest.
As for sending it in, wouldn't do it unless other work was needed.

That's my decision. Its your gun, you will have to make yours.

Last I heard, the (very few) replacement guns were current production 629s.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

Ok, I just read this entire thread found by searching for the "F" marking on a cylinder on my 3" 66. So I'm pretty sure the F isn't specific to 624. Anyone have any idea what that means? Also I. The A serial prefix range.

Update: I also just found reference of the F on a model 58, so that's three very different models with the mark.