I recently acquired a 625, Model of 1989, with a 4" barrel. I owned a 4" 625 years ago but sold it before our last move (from one city to another). I've thought for some time I wouldn't mind having another one and when this opportunity on an internet auction site came along I bought it.

When I picked it up from my FFL it was just as described and as pictured so I was well pleased with the purchase. I haven't gotten to the range yet but am planning to this week so I was looking though the safe deciding what to take for this outing.

I want to test fire this new acquisition so I was looking to see if I needed to clean it before heading out and when I looked inside at the crane I found a surprise. It's marked "625-" and the "-" is barely visible, more of a "." than a real dash. I assume this should be a 625-2 but this one doesn't say that.

I know guns are miss-marked all the time but this is my first experience with it. I was curious if any of the members here have seen this on any other 625s?

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

What's the s/n? That would give us the approximate ship date, and hence the dash number.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

I believe that if it actually says Model of 1989 on the side, it is after the -2 variant. My memory of that is subject to challenge by people who know of what they speak.

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NHI, 10-8.

I don't believe any 625-2s were made in 4". The designation "Model of 1989" was used for many years after 1989, in fact it may still appear on newly built 625s.

The serial number off the butt will enable us to get close to the year of production.

FYI: I own a 5" 625-2 which is a Model of 1989.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

My Model of 1989 is clearly marked as 625-4..........5" barrel and certainly an outstanding revolver! I absolutely love to shoot it
Karl

Let me confuse things a little more. My 625-2 is marked on the barrel "Model of 1988". This is one of 5708 guns introduced that year which was the introduction of the 625s. I have a "New Product Introduction" sheet that promotes the introduction of a 3" & 4" barrel lengths in 1989 on the 625-2 frames. This run is for 3198 3" guns and 2980 4" guns. these guns were dropped from standard production in 1992. I have a 3" and a 5" gun stamped 625-3. I seem to remember sometime in the past that S&W dropped the 5" barrel length and made the 4" barrel length standard production because of a IDPA rule change! ? ! There have been many changes and special run guns on the 625 since its introduction of a limited run of "Bowling Pin " guns in 1988 to date!
jcelect

Yes Joe; I have a NIB 625-2 5"bbl. with the Baughman ramp front sight. The first 625s had the ramp but my later 625-2 has a Patridge front sight. Some 625-2s had the infamous floating hand and a cylinder that had very sticky extraction of fired cases. Mine was so bad I sent it back to S&W and got a new cylinder. I used this repaired dash 2 as my USPSA revolver for many years. The gun writer JD Jones got one of the bad cylinder dash 2s and was so annoyed he trashed 625s in his regular article.

To provide more puzzling facts, no one has reported owning a 625 no dash or a 625-1. Were there any made??

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

Sorry for not getting back sooner, since I started this (lol). I tried reading the serial number from the crane opening in the frame, where the mystery "625-" stamp is and who ever did the stamping that day must have had a killer hangover. The serial # is partially illegible too. Had to take stocks off to see the # on the butt which is: BEN55XX

And, to keep the information flowing, this particular 4" has the Baughman ramp front sight.

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Since I didn't get back to this thread soon enough with the serial number it kind of fell off the radar. I'm hoping if I bump it to the top someone might still be able to tell me what dash number this should/would be.

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Hey Dave
Using the serial number(one letter/six numbers) to date a gun is not a good reference point! Now that we have 3 letters and 4 numbers that task is impossible and without a date we can't even guess what engineering change was being used at that time! You could get close by studying the gun in relationship to which engineering changes it has. This will get you close!
jcelect

I fear I may be beating this thread to death but I'm really pleased with this gun and curious about it's Model number. So, while taking some other pictures I snuck the 625-? in front of the camera.



The flat side combat stocks were laying on my "stock/grip" shelf and I thought they would look better on this RB than the rubber that came with it. I was right!

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Your -? bears a remarkable similarity to my -3s.
But in much better condition. Mine get run hard.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

The SCSW4 lists the BENxxxx serial numbers in 1989,1990 and 1991.

The 625-2 Model of 1988 and other 625-2 are said to be all having 5" barrels from the factory.
The 625-2 Model of 1988 shipped with Pachmayr rubber grips while the 625-2 Model of 1989 had Hogue Rubber.
Many 625-2 5" barrels were cut down or replaced with 4" and 3" barrels by SDM.Those cut down or had barrel replaced may have a gold bead front sight marked SDM.
The 625-3 and newer dashes shipped with 3",4" and 5" barrels

My 625-2 is a Model of 1988 with a 5" barrel,serial #BDC571x,product code 100921 and Spec Ord #9103

I have no extraction issues.

My box label has a red stamp on it next to the word features...a circle with upper case A centered in the circle.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Based on the s/n the ship date was most very likely in.......

November or December of 1989.

It is most definitely a -3. BEN is undoubtedly the most common s/n prefix seen on these guns.

I have studied revolver s/n's for many years, and in my database have no few than (24) s/n's and precise ship dates of M625-3 with BEN s/n prefixes. So I can say this with some confidence.

All information collected off box labels.

In my personal experiences I have found this to be untrue. Knowing the triple-alpha four-numeric s/n usually makes it possible to narrow down the ship date to within a single month or a few months.

If you have the original factory box it is possible to determine the ship date to the precise day, month, and year.

It comes down to a question of likelihood. For example, take the BEN s/n prefix in this thread. I have collected s/n's and ship dates for (26) revolvers with a BEN s/n. Of those, (23) shipped in November or December of 1989, (1) shipped in January of 1990, (1) in February, and (1) shipped in May of 1990.

Based on this, I feel confident to say the OP's gun "most very likely" shipped in November or December. However, there is a possibility it slipped a little an went out a few months later. Most of us know, with everything Smith & Wesson there are always exceptions to the norm.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

Kerenel Crittenden, If it is any help, and an enhancement to your data base. I have a model 625-2, 5", roll marked: 45 CAL MODEL OF 1988, SER # BDC16XX

OP, you have a great pistol for sure. I have some nice vintage Smiths and one Colt... But my 625-8 is my favorite of the bunch. To be honest... I think it's my favorite of all my pistols including my beloved semi-auto 1911's and CZ's if that tells you anything. You have something you are going to absolutely love shooting at the range. Just run a bore snake down the pipe and cylinder chambers once or twice and give it a light lube before you shoot it... that's it. And invest in 15-20 Moon Clips and a quality De-Mooning tool in the near future if it's chambered in .45acp... Amazon has a decent selection in my experience. If it's .45LC, disregard the last sentence!

Thank you. I'm always on the look out for new s/n's and Spec. Ord. numbers (to be useful I gotta have the Spec. Ord. number). Is you Spec. Ord. number 9067? If so, I might already have your gun in my database. I have a BDC167X already.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

No more loading/unloading moon clips
These days I only load 45 Auto Rim cases for shooting in my 625-2
200gr LSWC Summers Enterprises($30/500)
Starline 45AR case($20/100)
4.0gr Bullseye9(24/lb)
S&B LPP($20/1000)
1.230" OAL

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

First, I would like to defer to the Kernel in regards to the serial numbering system! Second, I would like to add to his deductions as to the OPs gun being a -3. Thanks for the pics, they are worth more words than I care to type! Your gun appears to the have the longer stop notches which is THE -3 engineering change!
jcelect

First my thanks to the Kernel for the info. I am convinced my gun is a "-3". I still find it interesting that the stamping under the crane is so poorly done. As mentioned in an earlier post, not only is the number after the dash (which is more of a dot) missing, the serial number is so poorly stamped as to be un-readable. Some one was having a bad day at the S&W factory in Nov or Dec of '89. (smile)

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)