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S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present All NON-PINNED Barrels, the L-Frames, and the New Era Revolvers


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Old 09-19-2019, 05:25 AM
flaman flaman is offline
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Default 629 question

I just picked up a non-fluted 5" 629-2 . It's in great shape and fired very little. I searched the web and don't see very any 629's configured like this. How common is a 629 in this configuration?
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File Type: jpg IMG_2326.jpg (83.8 KB, 103 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_2325.jpg (97.5 KB, 96 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_2324.jpg (112.1 KB, 97 views)
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Last edited by flaman; 09-20-2019 at 05:39 PM.
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Old 09-19-2019, 06:09 AM
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That configuration is known as the 629 Classic. What is odd is the unfluted cylinder. Others will have more info.
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Old 09-19-2019, 08:09 AM
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According the SCSW, the standard production 629 Classic's came out in 1990 at the -3 level.

There was a special run of 5000 Classic Hunters in 1988 at the -1, -2 level. They had unfluted cylinders, a square butt grip frame and 6" barrels. Identical to the OP's gun, except for 1" of barrel.

S&W was doing a lot of special runs at the time and I suspect this is another one of them. I'd phone S&W with the serial number and see what they say.
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Old 09-19-2019, 08:13 AM
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Do you have the original box? I'm guessing no, but if so, post a pic of the end label which will have the product codes and such.

My guess is that this is a standard 5" 629 Classic, and someone swapped the original cylinder out with an unfluted one to make it look different.

I have a few classic hunters, which are similar(from the factory with full lug and unfluted cylinder) , but I've only seen those in 6 inch and maybe 8 inch versions. I thought the 5" 629 classics were introduced around 1992 and I thought the classic hunters were offerred several years before that. I'll have to check but I thought all of mine were square butt guns (so earlier) and the 5 inch 629 was a later round butt gun.

So also check whether a round or square butt. That will provide some clues.

It could also be a classic hunter and someone changed the barrel to a 5 inch...

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Last edited by Inspector-Callahan; 09-19-2019 at 08:19 AM.
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Old 09-19-2019, 09:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Inspector-Callahan View Post
Do you have the original box? I'm guessing no, but if so, post a pic of the end label which will have the product codes and such.

So also check whether a round or square butt. That will provide some clues.

It could also be a classic hunter and someone changed the barrel to a 5 inch...
Thank you! I don't have the original box. It is a round butt
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Old 09-19-2019, 10:05 PM
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If it's a RB gun, then I'd suspect someone changed cylinders along the way. I have a 5 inch classic pictured below that is probably what your gun originally looked like.

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Old 09-19-2019, 10:28 PM
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I got this one.
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Old 09-19-2019, 10:55 PM
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Interesting gun. Has the shorter cylinder stop notches like a 629-2 should have but the round butt and those medallion hogue grips are characteristic of a 629-3 classic. I have seen 629-2 classic hunters with unfluted cylinders but they were 6" square butts.
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Old 09-20-2019, 12:37 AM
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The finish on the cylinder looks a little different than the rest of the gun . I think the cylinder was changed.
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Old 09-20-2019, 06:45 AM
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Thank you all for your responses!
The finish of my non-fluted cylinder matches that of the rest of my revolver. I bought it from a friend who states he was the original buyer, and that he never had any work done to it. I'm going to take s&wchad's advice and call S&W with the serial number. I'm hoping they can shed some light on this.
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Old 09-20-2019, 07:59 AM
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Sounds good. Please let us know if you discover anything and if it is 100% original, get a product code that identifies this variation. This code would have been on the box label if you had the original box.

Thanks and good luck.

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Old 09-20-2019, 10:41 AM
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also possible that you are not measuring the barrel from the front of the cylinder. It should be a 6 inch.{measurement might read 5 7/8, but still a 6 inch} and a square butt. {since it's a non snubby dash 2} so look at the place the back-strap meets the grip material. The picture doesn't show this. I don't think that they made the configuration you suggest as a dash 2.
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Old 09-20-2019, 02:00 PM
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also. those medallion grips came on late dash 3's . Maybe the gun was stamped wrong. altho the cylinder is earlier than a dash 3. If it's drilled for scope...then there will be a real mystery.

The round butt, 5 inch gun that medallion grips were stock on were drilled for scope. But they were late Dash 3 guns and had the endurance package.
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Old 09-20-2019, 02:15 PM
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I have one of the 5 inch 629-3 classics, round butt with medallion Hogues. The barrel is laser etched not stamped like you would see on a 629-2. The OP’s gun has stamped markings
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Old 09-20-2019, 04:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RoyM52 View Post
also possible that you are not measuring the barrel from the front of the cylinder. It should be a 6 inch.{measurement might read 5 7/8, but still a 6 inch} and a square butt. {since it's a non snubby dash 2} so look at the place the back-strap meets the grip material. The picture doesn't show this. I don't think that they made the configuration you suggest as a dash 2.
Hi Roy, Thanks for your thoughts. I did measure it the way you described and it is indeed a 5" round butt.
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Old 09-20-2019, 05:00 PM
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Quote:
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I have one of the 5 inch 629-3 classics, round butt with medallion Hogues. The barrel is laser etched not stamped like you would see on a 629-2. The OP’s gun has stamped markings
Hi Diesel, So... I think we're getting somewhere; it sounds like the 5" inch barrel is the original barrel for a -2 since it's stamped. Now... I just have to figure out if S&W made the 629-2 in a 5" AND with a non-fluted cylinder
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Old 09-20-2019, 05:36 PM
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I really appreciate everyone's input! I added a few more photos to my original post, so please check them out. Definitely a round butt. A few more clues... I don't know if they'll mean anything, but the serial number is BBW4XXX. There is an "A" stamped on the back of the non-fluted cylinder, and an "S" stamped on the ejector shroud- right under the ejector. Let me know what you think please.
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Old 09-20-2019, 07:26 PM
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That has all the features of a -2 except the round butt which is unusual.

I wonder if someone rebarreled and possibly recylindered a 629-2 3". That would be about the only way to get a round butt.
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Old 09-20-2019, 09:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dieseltech56 View Post
That has all the features of a -2 except the round butt which is unusual.

I wonder if someone rebarreled and possibly recylindered a 629-2 3". That would be about the only way to get a round butt.
But... I think its already been determined that the barrel is correct for
a 629-2 because the barrel is stamped, not laser etched. The only "X" factor is the fluted cylinder; trying to determine if this was offered in a -2. I'm starting to think this may have been manufactured during a transition from the 629-2, to the enhanced, or a -3.

Last edited by flaman; 09-20-2019 at 09:05 PM.
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Old 09-20-2019, 11:56 PM
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the barrel being stamped doesn't mean that it's correct for a dash 2. The dash 3 was also stamped for some of the dash 3 offering. it could be a transition barrel. form early dash 3 {with the stamping and 6 inch} to later dash 3 {and 5 inch}which is seen with etching. It could have been done during the transition day....or week. So the barrel might not be for a dash 2. {which should have shipped without the medallion grips or a round butt}
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Old 09-21-2019, 08:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flaman View Post
... Definitely a round butt. A few more clues... I don't know if they'll mean anything, but the serial number is BBW4XXX. There is an "A" stamped on the back of the non-fluted cylinder, and an "S" stamped on the ejector shroud- right under the ejector. Let me know what you think please.
S&W stamped a “V” on the back of stainless cylinders to identify the material. Probably not an “A”. The “S” in the shroud cut signifies stainless.

Yours is definitely a round butt -2, which is late in production. S&W was known for not throwing parts away. Have you bothered to phone them yet? My money is still on a special run.
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Old 09-21-2019, 10:44 PM
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[QUOTE=s&wchad; Have you bothered to phone them yet? My money is still on a special run.[/QUOTE]

Hey Chad, I tend to think you are right. I didn't phone them, but I did email S&W CS with my question and I included my serial number. I'll circle back with you all to let you know what they tell me
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Old 09-22-2019, 06:48 AM
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Quote:
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Have you bothered to phone them yet? My money is still on a special run.

Chad,
I'm sure it's easy to call and find out, but would anyone usually be able to provide that kind of detailed info over the phone? Wouldn't that require a factory letter?

OK, since you're putting your money on special run, then I'm going with somebody swapped parts somewhere along the line, ha ha.

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Old 02-11-2020, 12:47 AM
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Have you heard anything yet? I am interesting on knowing what you found out!
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Old 02-11-2020, 02:07 AM
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Default Here is another one

I bought my 5" with a fluted cylinder 20+ years ago. Several years ago, I ordered an unfluted cylinder from S&W Parts. Swapped ejectors between the two cylinders and it was a drop in fit with excellent function. CNC parts are great.

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