I've been looking for a 4 in. partner for my model 63 in 32 Magnum.

No chance right? Not for less than a zillion dollars.

But, nice and quiet like, under the radar, found this one.
5 day auction, I bid what it is worth to me and won it for a bit less.

I would rather spend $600. but just under $900. shipped is reasonable today.

Smith and Wesson 631 like new : Revolvers at GunBroker.com


It reminds me of a J frame 32 Magnum Mountain Gun.


Regards

Allen Frame

__________________
NRA cert.instructor&R.S.O.

The stocks are not original, but so what? That is one of the neatest revolvers S&W ever made. You'll love it. Congrats!

Congrats.
You don't see those everyday.

Nice catch! I do like my 63. I imagine the 631 will be that much sweeter!!

__________________
Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Allen;
Congratulations! I have had my 631 since hey first hit the market. It has taken a number of grouse, cottontails, and snowshoe rabbits. It's a truly excellent field pistol for edible small game.

When I first got mine, Federal was the only supplier of loaded rounds (NO ONE supplied components). Federal originally supplied brass but just before I bought my revolver, they quite supplying brass, only. So, I bought several boxes of loaded rounds. Every time I fired a box, several cases split lengthwise. After they were reloaded, the same thing happened. The brass was JUNK!

I had a good friend who was a commercial loader. He had barrels (literally) of .32 S&W Long once fired brass. I bought a couple of thousand (he let me sort them so I had all same brand cases) for about $25.00 a thousand. I loaded those cases with a nice wadcutter or semi-wadcutter at S&W L velocities and pressure and they shot really well from my little gem. Since I was hunting edible small game and, of course, range use. I got along just fine.

Sometime later, I heard Starline was about to produce brass in .32 H&R Mag. I got in on the first batch and ordered a couple of thousand cases (split them with my shooting buddy). Those cases had extremely long life. In fact, I am still using some of that original batch of Starline. Here's mine:

:

Dale53

Yeah Dale, and if you would just put a nice set of wood stocks on it like a self-respecting S&W deserves, it would be a right nice revolver. When are you going to find one for me?

Your old buddy,
the Frog

PS Did my e-mails today??

I asked Federal about the brass splitting problem and someone there told me they had an annealing problem and that they had it sorted out and the problem was fixed. The fellow asked me about how many pieces of brass I had lost and I told him I think I had purchased four boxes and lost most of them. He told me he would replace them and sent me six.

I also purchased some Starline .32 Magnum brass a bit later and had good luck with it. I always tried to use .32 Magnum brass to keep the chambers clean but I did fire .32 SWL loads off and on when chronographing. About the only thing I would have preferred in the 631 is if it had been made on a square-butt frame - and with black sights. Back then I could see black sights better than white/red sights by a small margin. But other than that, what a great little gun!

There were 2 runs of the 631 4". The last run was less than 100 guns I believe, or maybe less than 200. But those are really pricy. I got one from a guy who did not know what he had(I didn't either).
I love my 631s-bought another one for a shooter-and would not part with either for lots more than you paid. I say good deal for one of Smiths' best guns, now if only they would make one in .327...........

Very nice. Not a bad price in today's market. I've seen a bunch with this same s/n prefix and they all shipped in April - August of 1990 (mostly in April). Of the 4-inch guns about half had Combat Stocks and half had Uncle Mikes. In either case they had the same pc of 103662.

__________________
~ S&W aficionado in training ~

Still have mine. Bought it from a pawn shop in 2010. It's my daughter's favorite revolver to shoot.

Attached Images

631l.jpg (195.8 KB, 20 views)

Allen-Frame,

Don't let anyone tell you those stocks are not original, they probably are. Mine is SN BEZ241x,** just a few away from yours, and it had the standard wood RB Magnas just like yours, with Stainless washers.

** Not hiding anything, mine currently has Farrar's on it and I can't see the last character. I believe it is 8, so it is only a few numbers away.

__________________
Gunsmithing since 1961

That's interesting. My gun is BEZ26xx, quite a few numbers away, and came with the "combat" stocks. All of them I've ever seen had combats.

I couldn't agree more with AKAOV1MAN when he says the same gun should be re-introduced in .327 on the J-Magnum frame. I'd order one in the wink of an eye - maybe two!

Allen,

Congratulations on your purchase! I think you also got it at a good price too as most I've seen have been in the $1,000 to $1,300 range.
I bought my 631 new in April 1991 and the 63 a few years later at an estate auction. I liked the combat grips so much, I got a pair for the 63 before the prices for them went crazy.

I'll have to warn you though, the 32's can be awfully addictive. I'm up to five now (3 S&W's, 1 Ruger, & a Marlin 1894)and wish S&W would make a model 616. Maybe Green Frog will sell me the one he had custom made.

Attached Images

image.jpg (51.9 KB, 13 views)

I think you did great on the price. I paid $1100 for one just like yours; after looking for several months I ran out of patience. I put round butt Herrett Shooting Star grips on it and replaced the red sight insert (which I have a hard time picking up due to aging eyes).

It has quickly become a favorite and look forward to harvesting some grouse with it; the season opened here a week ago.

Great, another gun that I didn't know existed that I have to add to my wanted list. That would look right at home next to my 63 & 651. Nice find.

Nice find Allen-frame! And a fair price. The 631 is one of my favorites. Mine came w/ combat grips but I prefer the target grips. JF

Attached Images

63-651-631.jpg (50.2 KB, 14 views)