Previously, when I have seen Mod. 915s "with box and papers," the boxes ALL have been cardboard.

I got a 915 in an auction a couple of days ago, it's arriving Monday.

As you can see in the photos below, this 915 is coming in a labeled plastic hinged box. The serial number on the pistol matches the serial number on the box label.

If you look closely at the label, you can see where it says, "Special Order: 5277."

Might the "Special Order" designation be the reason it came in a plastic box?

And does anything look special about this 915? It sure looks like a plain ol' 915 to me.

No matter what, I snagged it for $305, shipping included. I think I'm gonna be real happy with it.

Thanks

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S&W started using the plastic boxes in the mid 90s. The SPEC ORD number is a Julian date when the pistol was boxed and is usually considered to be the date of manufacture (5277=277th day of 1995).

The "Spec. Ord." number is the Julian or Ordinal date the gun was "Put up" or assembled in S&W jargon. Since the SN letter combinations containing VY* are around 1995, this indicated the 277th day of 1995 or October 4, 1995. My recollection is that style box was in use around 1995.

Js and AIK,

Thanks for the most informative replies.

So I guess the box is okay.

The Standard Catalog of S&W says the 915s were manufactured from 92 - 94.

So it appears S&W must have had some 915s laying around after 1994 since the 277th day (Oct. 4) of 1995 makes the "manufacture date" 10/4/95.

My uneducated guess is the true date of manufacture, the REAL day the gun was assembled was sometime in '94, but the actual date can never really be known.

I think S&W printed that label on 10/4/95, stuck it on that newly adopted plastic box/case and wasn't really concerned about the actual manufacture date.

Just another S&W mystery, I guess. And I hate guessing. I'd much rather know things with factual certainty.

Thanks again, guys.

According to your original post, that gun is stolen.

$305?

Really?

Jeppo,

Here's what happened.

There were some very early bids on it and maybe those early bidders just forgot about it or something. The last bid on it was $300, and that was days before the auction's end date.

Right before the auction ended, I put in a bid of $315. I was shocked to see I took it for $305.

I was happily reviewing the photos of it and noticed that the rear sight had been marred, something I didn't see before. And this was not mentioned in the description!

I called the shop. They told me it looked like someone had used pliers to try to remove the rear sight and they apologized for not mentioning it in the description.

After some further discussion, they agreed to drop the shipping fee of $36 and after some prodding, they waived the 3% credit card fee too.

I'm going to examine it very closely when I pick it up Monday. It does seem "too good to be true."

A fellow member here is sending me an original 915 rear sight that he removed in favor of Trijicon replacements. I am in his debt.

The smith I use told me he would change the sight out for $25. I'll be paying $25 for the transfer, NICS included.

Total cost to me will be $355 when it's all over.

So maybe it wasn't exactly stolen. But if it's as nice as I think it is, I guess I did okay.

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I agree with you assessment of that box. That's probably one of the latest 915's they ever slapped a sticker on. I can say that while I haven't seen a ton of them-- every 915 box I have ever seen (until now) has been the one-piece flip top cardboard blue box.

915's are the opposite of rare or scarce, they made a zillion. But that box, wearing that label is definitely scarce.

Sevens,

You know I gotta ask.

Once I get that replacement rear sight on, I figure it will be back pretty darn close to mint condition.

What do you figure it will be worth?

Please don't tell me, "Whatever someone's willing to pay for it."

My father was a"gun guy" and that was always his stock answer. And it drove me nuts! Boy, do I miss that guy.

Thanks.

It's forever going to be a large scale production -and- economy model, it's a fantastic pistol and a great value for the money.

It's basically the exact opposite of all the things that tend to generate collector interest and higher prices.

I could see someone really thrilled with it, willing to spend up to $450-$475. But it would really have to be in fine shape and they would have to really want it.

Good pistols, I have two of 'em.

Sevens,

We're in the same ballpark on that value.

Thanks.

I stumbled onto one during a first visit to a not very local shop I'd heard about. No box, one magazine and it is clearly USED. Haven't found time to shoot it yet so it hibernates in the safe.

Some Model 915 pistols were manufactured in 1995 and sold with "pre-ban" magazines manufactured before the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. Yours is apparently one of those very late production examples. The early style blue plastic box is correct for those guns.

The Bible (4th Edition) appears to have attempted to address this late Model 915 production, but botched the info for some reason... incorrectly referring to the Brady Bill instead of the Federal AWB and referring to 1999 instead of 1995.