About a month ago I stumbled across a past grail gun of mine and stuck it on layaway at an LGS. This is the only 696 no dash I’ve ever seen and only the second 696 period. Last one was at a West Virginia gun show about 2 years ago and it was priced at $1200. I gave up hope of owning one after the prices have gone way up. This one was very reasonable though, well under a grand. About a year ago I bought a Rossi 720 but it’s just not the same.

Yesterday my wife tells me I can go pay off the gun for my birthday present. She is not too enthralled with my addiction so I was quite surprised. I showed it to her when I got home and she said “it looks like all the rest”

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-Matt

Very nice, I want one!

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Pine_Worker
Ex-LEO, NRA Life

Happy birthday! Definitely a gift you won't return!

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Judge control not gun control!

Happy birthday nice revolver, glad that you found your grail gun. PS. They never are happy about buying a handgun.

Sent from my SM-T720 using Tapatalk

Very nice!

I'd love to get a 696. Probably the only L-frame that really interests me. I passed on a no-lock model about 15-ish years ago at a gun show. Only reason I didn't get it was because the seller wouldn't let me inspect it. He had it zip-tied to his display. I can't remember the asking price, but I do remember I had about $600 on me and I knew that would've been enough to buy it. His loss was another seller's gain, though, as I bought a 3" 65 from another seller for $375.

At the time, I don't think the 696 was as much of a hot commodity as they are now.

Sweet 696....Happy Birthday! And congratulations on having a wife that is atleast tolerant of the addiction, that’s worth a million by itself.

Happy Birthday! And many more...

Dieseltech56 , Happy Birthday to you . very nice gift . that is one that's on my short list also . congrats great looker . looking forward to the range report . Happy-Happy , kenny

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Too good

Happy Birthday!!! Looks nice. Enjoy it in good health

My wife never really took to my collection. However she did amaze me once. She was losing her job as part of an anti trust lawsuit against her employer. She said, when I get my severance check, I will buy you a gun. Well a couple weeks went by and she said OK. Well, I went to a dealer in Connecticut that had a pipeline to the Colt factory one town over and got the Officer's acp in stainless steel the fist week it was available. About 1985 I think. Well, i walked the gun through the front door of the Colt custom shop, and had it all tuned up. A year ago, I put some Grashorn scales on it. Well, time moves on, we went our separate ways down the road, but the gun is still in the safe

Great birthday present to yourself. Enjoy.

Well, it's nice and......

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Thanks everyone!

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-Matt

I just LOVE buying myself birthday presents!! That way you always get what you want. Looks like you found a nice one, I think you'll enjoy shooting it. I sure enjoy mine. The 696 would be just about the perfect carry gun if they weren't so collectible. Enjoy & happy birthday.
Here's a shot of my 696-1.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

Well done!! Beautiful gun and not many of those around anymore.

Happy Birthday and great present.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Great Gift you found. Thanks for the Story
and the Pictures. Please gave a Range Review when you shoot it.

S&W Model 696 44S&W Specials forever!

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SD social distanc'n since 1889

Happy birthday! That's a nice present! Congratulations!

Happy birthday!

I can't argue with your wife; if you're not a gun addict then, sure, one is the same as all of the rest.

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Come and take it!!

Very nice. Congrats.

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Veteran/NRA Member/S&W 327

I love the 3" L frames and the 3" guns in general. I found a 696 no dash several years ago at a LGS and knew the guy who put it in there as well. I traded my friend the owner for my 357 MTN Gun, ouch! I love the .44 special so I am happy with the trade. Also have a 3" 66-2 and a 3" 686 CS-1. They are some of my favorites.

Happy Birthday! It is always great to get exactly what you want.

You are gonna love it!

Only change I made was to lower the trigger rebound (return) spring strength slightly (13 lb. Wilson Combat spring).
One of the best double action triggers I have used.

If you don't mind, what is the serial number and does it have smooth (ECM) or sharp (broached) rifling in the barrel?

I am trying to pin down when the sharp rifled barrels were changed over to the smoother ECM ones
as I have both but they appear to be in reverse order.
In other words I have a 696-1 with what appears to have an early 696 barrel but don't really know where it came from.
That gun also has a 696-2 hammer so a spare parts special I suspect.

My 696 is serial CBS2474 and has the smooth rifled barrel.
I am looking to confirm (or deny) that possibly earlier 696's came with the older fashioned rifling.
That could help explain where the one I have came from.
I don't think a "letter" would have that kind of manufacturing detail.

If you are uncomfortable publishing the serial, PM me.
I would welcome this information from other 696 owners as well.

If we can pin down a definite change-over period this should end up in The Standard Catalog.

Thanks All!

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NEMO
"Everything 44"

Mine is a CBU serial number. Special order code dates it to early 1997. I’ll have to check on the rifling

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-Matt

Okay, it's probably no secret that I have dozens of S&W revolvers and my favorite time period is the 90s. I have never looked much into the switchover to ECM rifling though I gathered it took place around 1993. I'd be willing to bet that more conventional barrels used in years past were in stock in great numbers and the switchover happened much later.

I examined a number of my 90s guns and I think I can tell what rifling is what now. The few lock guns I have are obviously ECM. Some of the 686s dating from 89 to 96 I have are not obvious and it is hard to tell. I believe all the 629-4s and 29-6s I have are conventional rifled even though these go all the way up into 97.

My new 696 no dash is ECM rifled. I am sure of it. The late built CBC prefix 629-4 I have looks to be conventional.

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-Matt

Looks like a great birthday present.

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KM
S&WCA 3110 S&WHF 625