One of my friends showed me a Smith & Wesson Model 627-? that he has. On the right side of the barrel beneath the caliber designation is stamped "MODEL OF 1989". I've never seen this before. What does it mean?

Look anything like this?

627 = 6 (stainless) 27 (N frame .357 caliber)



Limited production revolver.

This one is mine and wears smooth Hogue GA grips these days.

I have a 5" Model 625-6 (.45 ACP) and it also reads "Model of 1989". There are also "Model of 1988's" out there:



Dale53

The original Model 627 was a limited edition run made in 1989 with a production of 5,276 produced. The first 276 are marked 627 and the other 5,000 are stamped with the model number of 627-0. They all came with a non-fulted cylinder, full lug 5.5 inch barrel, round butt and Goncalvo Alves combat grips. It looks like Snapping Twig had some work done to his at some point, with the ported barrel.

I have one and it is one of the best shooter I own. They are great guns. This is the original 627, before the Performance Center started making the ones that are available today.

Good eye!

Had the trigger smoothed, hard chrome for hammer and trigger, action job, muzzle crown, green sight insert, 11 degree forcing cone and porting.

Ken Kelley at Mag-Na-Port did the work.

Without a doubt it's a laser, and full power 170g cast feel like wadcutters.

Thanks. I noticed the green sight insert as well, since they came with a red one, but didn't know if yours came that way or not.

The whole set up looks very nice. What is an 11 degree forcing cone? I am not familiar with that.

I have one of the 627-0s (wish it didn't have the zero, but oh well) which I bought new in '89. I recall reading an article in one of the gun mags at the time which praised it highly. My first ever handgun was a 1958 or '59 vintage 27 6 1/2" that my dad gave me for Christmas in 1966 when I was a senior in high-school, and that gun subsequently accounted for several deer, numerous gophers and prairie-dogs, and untold rocks, tin cans, and other sundry plinking targets over the next decade. I still have the original 27, but it is in honored retirement and when I bought the 627 I thought to replace it with a working gun.

According to the article the 627-0 was a S&W tribute to the 27, and even had the nice cut checkering on the top-strap like the originals did. It's a neat gun, not rare (yet) but you don't see many of them around. They originally came with the coveted "Combat" stocks.

nutsforsmiths has it mostly correct.

Product code 101024 was introduced in 1989 at the original 627 engineering revision. Factory Goncalo Alves combat stocks were the grip that shipped with the firearm.

After a short time in production it was discovered that the large mass of the unfluted cylinder was peening the blot stop notches. The bolt and notches were enlarged to spread the force over a greater area. This is why only 276 were produced. Therefore the engineering revision needed to be incremented. S&W went with a -0 for the first time ever.

The firearm continued on in production all the way through the -2 engineering revision. The -0 is by far the most common, but for me the -1 is the more desirable variant since it has the frame already drilled and tapped for scope use.





For whatever reason, the marketing department had decided to put "Model of 19??" on the firearms during this era. There are many models that have this saying on the barrel (or slide for the auto loaders). It designates the year of design/introduction not the year of production/manufacture. The markings continued being placed on these models for at least 5 or 6 more years. Perhaps longer.

This is exactly what he has. He is thinking of replacing the grips with Pachmyer grips. I am more than willing to buy the Pachmyers for him in exchange for the original grips.

Several years ago I bought a 627-0 from a forum member here. Thought they were somewhat rare, but it seems they are all over the place. There were 3 newly listed 627-0s this morning on Gunbroker.

"He is thinking of replacing the grips with Pachmyer grips. I am more than willing to buy the Pachmyers for him in exchange for the original grips."

No doubt. You could buy him 5 or 10 sets of Pachmyers for the price of those grips!

Typically, S&W cuts their forcing cones 18 degrees as this is optimum for jacketed bullets.

I shoot home cast lead exclusively, so for that, the more gentle 11 degree forcing cone aids in accuracy and reduces leading at the cone.

Here's a picture of her new shoes. If you can believe it (I can't), these grips are from the Hogue auction site, sold as factory seconds.



Took this shot minutes ago.

Funny you should say that. When I received my 627-0, I did not like the factory finger groove combat grips that were on the gun. So, not having any idea what they were worth, I traded them for a smaller set of Magna Classic grips to Chuck Lubbe. Just recently at a gun show, a dealer told me those grips I traded off go for up to $350.00! Sure wish I had not parted with them. My 627-0 is now wearing a set of Herrett Jordon Troopers that I had made back when Steve Herrett was still living. Some lessons in life are costly.

Had a friend several years ago who had a FFL but decided not to renew it. I picked this up along with several other real deals. Paid $395.00 Also got a Ruger #3 in 45-70 for $250, appeared to be unfired and pristine.

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When I bought my 627-0 about 15 years ago, it had been shot a lot, but in very good shape. The grips were well worn, so I bought a second NIB pair of the same grips and a pair of NIB K frame combat grips for $105 total. When i shoot the 627 I put on the original grips, but when I want to display the gun, I put on the unused pair.

I know, but if he likes black rubber on his guns, then who am I to try to change his mind. He has no use for wood and prefers rubber. Personally, black rubber is good for my tires, but I prefer natural materials (walnut, ebony, ivory, etc.) on my guns. I don't own a round butt N frame that is in need of those grips, but if I get them, then I'm just gonna have get a gun for them. Am I the only one with this disease?

Why doesn't your friend keep the wood ones for when he eventually sells the gun? That's what I always do and the resale will be better with the original grips.

No, you're not. I'm with ya......for the most part. I love wood grips. Ivory ones, unless antique, are generally plastic anymore. Stag grips are sweet. OTOH, I did keep the Sorbothane padded rubbers on my 500!!! There is a time and a place for everything. Oh, and weren't a lot of really old Colt Single Actions stocked with hard rubber back in-the-day?

I have the -0 model. It is one of the finest handguns ever built IMHO. For shooting heavy loads it has no peer, at least for me. I had ElPaso make me a field hoslter for it and if a little heavy it makes up for it in accuracy and rapid fire ability.