My Smith and Wesson bible says that a run of unfluted 617's were made at some point. Haven't ever see one. Has anyone out there seen one or own one????

Not me.First I've heard of them.

Same here. I know 5,000 Classic Hunters were made in both the 686 and 629 but I never heard of a similar 617.

Ed

I've heard and seen one online. It was on a for sale forum in Europe, but I couldn't get it over here....dang it!

I have seen them. They were made for a german importer. Once in a while I see one for sale in germany but now I only find one in the Netherlands, my country.



here: Yankee online

The german importer was also resonsible for this one.





Personal I do not like that one. I do see it once in a while with a normal or no cilinder for sale. The cilinders go in a 586.

Why would anyone want an unfluted cylinder?

smith617

Different.
Good looks.

Welcome to the forum. You'll find the folks here have a wide variety of interests and preferences when it comes to their guns, and to me that's one of the strengths of this forum.

I knew it!!! The Smith and Wesson book does not lie! So, does anyone in the states have one of these beauties they want to show off? We'd sure love to see it! I actually sent an email to Talo to try and convince them they would have no trouble selling an unfluted 617 if they decided to market it, along with their 686 series. No response as of yet.....

I'm not sure that an unfluted cylinder alone would be enough to make a special run worthwhile. As I mentioned earlier, S&W did make unfluted runs of 5,000 each of the 686 and 629, calling them the "Classic Hunter." About the only difference from a normal gun aside from the cylinder was the sight package - a pinned black ramp front sight and a black adjustable rear in place of the more common red ramp/white outline package.

I have a 686 Classic Hunter that is possibly unfired. I paid only slightly more than a normal 6" 686 like it would bring and I bought it on GunBroker, an auction site, so I had to bid competitively for it. Not long ago, there was a very, very nice 629 Classic Hunter on there and as I recall, it did around $700 or a little more, so there is not a huge contingent of unfluted cylinder lovers out there who feel that feature makes a gun a lot more valuable.

Ed

Attached Images

686UnflutedC-1.jpg (17.1 KB, 99 views)

So is the unfluted one a six or ten shot?

It's a 6-shot. And the bed-blasted finish witch I regret.

Well sir, some of us just love those unfluted cylinders.

__________________
May God Bless The USA

exact!



Revolver king, that is a nice collection!

114, what brand is that rear sight?

Ed

That is a Millett. Got them on all my revolvers.

I thought so. I bought a collection of S&Ws some time ago and one was a 6" 686 no-dash with one of those sights on it. I already had numerous 6" 686s, including two no-dashes, so I sold that gun. Meanwhile, I've tried to find those sights to no avail. I just checked again - they aren't listed anywhere on Millett's website.

Ed

I like the look of the unfluted cylinder guns, nice lines without much breaking it up.

They are easier to clean too!

I'd take an unfluted over a fluted any day. I have been looking for one if these 22's since seeing it a few years back....a grail gun if you will.

Millett is not making those any more.

This is one of my M640,s. Found the cylinder on GB.

Nice!
That is a S&W cilinder for a J-frame?

We could turn the question arround. Why would someone want the flutes?
Most of the first revolvers were unfluted.

Check around on Optics Planet dot com.

They had a few Millet sights in stock earlier this year, though I'm not sure if they haven't sold all.

Thanks for the tip - I checked there but all they have is the one with a round tang.

Ed

All Smith and Wessson would have to do is cut out the flute operation when milling the cylinders, and you'd be all set. IMHO, if I were Smith, I'd do a run of 500 to start with, and see what happens, like they used to do all the time. I have a Bill Davis 686 in the 5" National match that is unfluted. He personally told me all they had to do was order 500 guns, and Smith would make you whatever configuration you wanted. Wonder if they still do that?????

In Germany they had series of 500.
I do not know all of them but the one 686 I showed (euro match) with blued unfluted cylinder is on of 500. There was also the euro hunter wit a fluted blued cylinder. (I think you would not sell more than 500? I dislike it)
Just like the 617 euro sport and the 629 euro magnum. All they did was order the standard revolver with a unfluted cylinder and sometimes gave it a ugly gold inscription
No I know why it's always 500.





And "The President's"

That German company in question is most surely Albrecht Kind GmbH, which imports S&W handguns along with other firearms and stamps the name "AKAH" on special run Smith revolvers.

I suspect the AKAH revolvers are a lot like the Horton S&W revolvers made here in America . . . they have special run features that are unique from normal run Smith revolvers.

Several AKAH revolvers have been made for them by S&W with the distinctive non-fluted cylinders in years past. I think they are quite cool, and a real conversation starter at times, such as my S&W 29-5 shown here, made in late '89 or '90.

The AKAH markings are stamped very small on this revolver, on the underside of the full lugged barrel. An interesting, and unique tack driver indeed!

BTW, since the Holosight is installed, I've removed and stored the original front sight on this revolver (which is the 4-way adjustable "silhouette" front sight). This allows for a silent draw from the holster in the deer woods. Descending two weeks from a deer stand, this silence paid off when I spied a coyote, drew and dropped him one-handed, at 40 yards. Ah the memories . . .

Hope this helps!

Correct, that is AKAH

Thanks PMret
Sorry it was met to be a joke Brewster and I have been shooting and collecting S & W's for years together.

I, too, love the unfluted guns. Anyone ever seen or made up a list of all the models that have been made with unfluted cylinders?

Not unfluted but this 617PC was exported to GR by Wischo.

Attached Images

617pc.jpg (26.9 KB, 59 views)

I've seen a good number of different 29/629's with unfluted cylinders a couple with recessed chambers even. I think one of the first of the modern unfluted ones was the 29-3 Classic Hunter with its 4 position front sight. It's almost indistinguishable from the 29-5 shown just above.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

I sent customer service an e-mail, asking if I could send in my 617, and have an UNFLUTED cylinder fitted and installed. Got a response back today, telling me they don't have any of those, and would not modify their CNC program to make this cylinder. So I have struck out there. No word yet from Talo industries......

It may look cool,but a 617,with small charge holes,is heavy enough with the fluted cylinder.
With larger calibers,it is less of a factor.

I agree. a 6" 617 is more weight than needed. But looks cool!

I'll take all the weight that the unfluted cylinder gives. The beauty of this gun is it is the same feel as a model 14, or 686. IMHO, Line up the sights, hold it, squeeze it, follow thru..., the extra weight doesn't matter and you use it to your advantage......

I know two for sale in Europe. One abiut $800 and one about $400.
interested can send PM. Reaction will be after the weekend.