Hello Everyone,
I'm hoping to find the manufacture or shipping date for my 629-3, serial number BHE 31XX. I purchased the gun new in Alaska around 1990 and I'm just wanting the date for my records. It has the full under lug 6" barrel, non-fluted cylinder, and came with finger groove Pachmayr grips. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

It would of most likely left the factory in Springfield, Mass., in....

mid 1990 to mid 1991.

It's somewhat unusual for that time frame, but that s/n prefix was spread out over both years. May - June of 1991 is most common, but I've seen some marked May of 1990, too.

The features you describe make it sound like a product code 103618. This was one of the Classic Hunter series. Normally I see these with Hogue grips, but would not be surprised if some shipped with Pachs. Both were in common use in that era.

__________________
~ S&W aficionado in training ~

Thank you very much for your reply Kernel. It may have been 1991 when I purchased the gun - I purchased it as a backup gun for brown bear hunting and carried it on all hunting trips in Alaska. I do believe it was labeled the 'classic hunter' when I purchased it. I had a super RedHawk on lay-away at the Elmendorf AFB gun annex and when I went in to pick it up, the 629 caught my eye. The man behind the counter said it had just arrived and I immediately asked if I could switch - the rest of the story is all happiness! I've loved the gun since day one - very accurate - and I'm just trying to get my entries straight in a record book I'm making for my sons. Thank you again for your info, I will locate the original box (stored deep in my garage) and maybe I even kept the original receipt. I'll let you know if I find any specific dates/info.

If you find the original box there's a date code on the label. Post all the numbers and feature codes you see there and I can tell you the ship date. A picture of the label might be easier.

__________________
~ S&W aficionado in training ~