MIM parts in 696 no dash?
Thanks,

These were produced in about 1997 for a few years, so before the MIM hammer and trigger.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Not supposed to be.
Hammer and trigger are forged.
Not super sure about any teensy parts inside although I have had the side off.
-1 definitely does with that silly hollow backed trigger.
Look close and you will see the -1 even has a -2 hammer with the cut-out for the lock (which is not present).
-1 shoots better than the ND and I am not the only one with that opinion.
Grips are Altamont K/L-AH round square conversions.

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NEMO
"Everything 44"

I think someone installed "The Plug" on that M396-1 after it left the factory. It even has the arrow on the sideplate.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

That would be me
One of the last of the original plugs offered here.
It's stainless and not quite long enough but does the job.
The alloy frames must be a little thicker than the stainless.
I kept the lock parts and even got a spare cylinder from Numrich as the coating is coming off inside the chambers.
So far that doesn't seem to have affected it's performance.
It is a bit of PITA to clean in there with just a plastic brush.
That gun kicks like a full house 44 magnum as it weighs roughly half what the 696's do.

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NEMO
"Everything 44"

That 'splains it. Acquired a no dash 696 in '14. Found the forcing cone had been cut just a bit oversize, so I sent it off to S&W for a replacement barrel. Got a call from the factory 'smith to break the bad news they had no more 696 barrels in their inventory. Apparently, we hit it off well enough that he agreed to search their trash bin. The barrel he found and installed was of the later EDM variety, with a really smooth interior that shoots cast bullets most outstandingly. In the photo, you can see the caliber designation is now on the left side instead of the right, and the sight ramp is not nearly as tall, as on the original barrel. Went from great to perfect.

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Here's the original barrel installed.

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Well I'll be....
That barrel doesn't look like either one of mine.
Never seen one with the lettering quite that large.
Maybe a -2 barrel?
And just to confuse things, my ND has the smooth rifling and my -1 has the old broached "sharp" rifling.
I know my -1 is a junk box special as it has the -2 hammer.
Wonder how many other minor variations are out there?
For a semi-rare gun one could go nuts trying to figure this all out.
I would love a long definitive article, maybe by Mr. Jinks or the SCOS&W boys, on the history of this gun.

I have always attributed the accuracy of the -1 to it's chamber dimensions.
My ND runs .431 and the -1 is close to .429.
I have to work at shooting a bad group with the latter.
Glad yours ended up like that too!

I recently chronographed these along with a 4" 624 in a first test of the new LabRadar.
I'll post a new thread when I get it all tabulated.
An example is in the current LabRadar thread.

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NEMO
"Everything 44"

Talk about win - win, not only did my 696 get an impressive upgrade, but with lot of grinding and a bit of lathe work, the old barrel will replace the yucky factory barrel on my Charter Arms .44 Bulldog. I love it when a plan comes together.

That old 3" 696 barrel found a new home, though it's now only 2-3/8".

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CA is a great state to be FROM