I bought this locally from a lady that said she had owned it from the late 1990's.
My question is what years did the 3913LS 9MM's come in this soft bag?
I emailed S&W and they said it was from December of 1996 and the owners manual is dated October of 1996.
Does anyone know if it also came in the blue box?
And if anyone knows what years S&W put them in the soft case I would appreciate it.
She was firm on $600 cash and she also delivered it to my work because she lived about 45 miles away from my city and was coming in to the city to see a doctor.
It is like new and she said she might have shot it once. It was given to her by her husband but she had a (In her words) a James Bond pistol that she liked better.

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Found this on an old auction listing.

I honestly don't know because I only have the bag with mine but this photo looks to show all the paperwork, lock, etc....

Not 100% sure if blue plastic box was correct or not but this leads me to believe maybe?

Someone with more knowledge than I should be along soon.

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I don't think the soft bag 3913LS pistols came in the blue box. It looks like there was a cardboard box that was colored maroon. I still would like to know what years they came with the soft bag because some do not come in it and only come in the blue box.

I can’t contribute anything other than to say you got a bargain!!!!!

Not sure if this helps or only complicates. Mine came with bag and box. Serial number dates to 1998 putting it at the end of production. The LS M65 I have only came with the soft case and red cardboard box but dates several years earlier.

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Can you please give me the product code off of your box. Thanks for helping figure out this. I wish more of the auto lovers from this group would give their 2 cents. Thanks again.

. . . Or something like that.

DustyDogDan, it sure looks to me like you do a pretty decent job of hunting stuff, given the image you found.

I've got, oh, six-or-so of the 3913LS and they date from 1990 to 2006. I once thought about acquiring one for each year of production but let that idea Slip-Slide(ing)-Away when realized was the number "17" - as in the number one would need to acquire to realize an intended coverage of guns.

Insofar as references are concerned, the Blue Book of Gun Values and the Bible of S&W Collecting, the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, No. 4, place the manufacturing dates as 1990 through 2006 (see above).

The "Oct. 1996" date on or in your printed material, DustyDogDan, relates to the date when the maroon S&W "Lady Smith" bags became part of the gun-buying deal even if the factory said "December 1996" because the printed material became a part of the offered product before that product actually made it to store shelves.

Um, get that? Heck, I don't even know if I did.

Anyway, that whole printed material/date thing is kinda-sorta like the inside-top of the Model 39, whereupon referenced is April of 1955.

Now, it didn't matter that a Model 39 was manufactured, placed in its blue box and made ready for shipment 10-Years After, many if not most of the brilliant sellers making their Model 39 wares available through the various auction houses - on-line, 0ff-line or not even - would exclaim, "This 1955 gun . . ." or, "Made in 1955, this fine gun . . ."

Nope. Sorry. Ain't no way "made," "born" or "first shot in . . ." didn't and still doesn't jibe with da facts.

It's possible that your newly acquired 3913LS could've been made and/or purchased in December, 1996, and be accompanied at that same time with a darn nice maroon exterior with gray interior bag, but it's also possible that the 3913LS was purchased in 1990 and the maroon exterior with gray interior bag purchased on eBay in 2021 - generally speaking, around Christmas.

Should you provide your 3913LS' serial number, in whole or part (but make sure it's at least the first three CAP letters) then a much better idea as to that fine S&W's build date will likely be subsequently provided by any of those who have already contributed to this thread.

But Wait! There's More!

Not really a lot more, but more just the same.

Aw, heck. I forgot what I was a-wanting to write.

It'll come to me at some point. Or maybe not.

Oh! If you don't care for that bag there are plenty of folks who will take it off your hands. Especially during the aforementioned season of frivolity as demonstrated by lamp-shade wearers everywhere!

That bag will bring some good money. While I haven't seen an advertisement for Lady Smith bags since two, three years back, I haven't been looking, either. Those that are looking are probably seeing prices in the $150 to $200 realm, depending on the treatment received by the available bags.

Well, the price of poker, er, a Lady Smith bag just went up because a just-conducted three searches on a well known "One Man's Junk . . ." site turned up NO BAG! Amazing!

A reminder: Serial Number!

Later.

OK now I’m kinda interested. Do the maroon colored cardboard LS boxes have a matching label on them?

I’m just happy now that just I have a 13NL. Matching blue plastic box with everything. No pouch no question. Not the same but my 61 didn’t come with a pouch but with all of the original literature/stuff. I got a pouch off EBay. Not original but it’s closer to complete as I can ever achieve. The original cardboard box is way gone.

My thoughts go to those cheap aluminum PC cases. No end label on the case just on the outer cardboard shipping box.

Really doesn’t matter I suppose unless it does to they/them. (See, I’m trying.)

Jim

The serial number is VJA98xx and S&W was emailed and the person responding said it was from December of 1996 with a product code or SKU # 108290 .
The S&W employee didn't have any info if the Lady Smith had came with the soft bag or if it was originally in the hard blue plastic box or the maroon box I found later.

This was purchased from a 70+ year old Lady that lived on a farm 45 to 60 miles outside of Boise. I shouldn't say that she didn't seem like the type of person who would have bought the bag on ebay but maybe she did.
I didn't think to asked her those questions because I was just grateful she had brought it into town because there is no way I could have found time to drive out to her community.

I want to thank everyone who has helped me with the research on this great firearm.

I think the blue plastic boxes showed up in 94-95 ish..... seeing that the op's pistol has mim parts it probably had a blue plastic box at one time (maybe)....i have a late 90s model of the 3913 that came with blue plastic box and bag matching serial but no foam in blue box to accommodate bag I believe....I think at that time you could get a 3913 ls with or without the bag both with blue plastic boxes. I have seen many early 90s 3913 ls with bag and cardbox as described above with serial numbers that match the gun.

Not sure if this helps:
3914 serial number TEB9XXX with cardboard box.

wyo-man

__________________
Live free or die

The product code is 108290. I hadn't looked up the production years lately and if 2006 was the last year then mine was not near the end of production.

Dusty, I've got a 3913LS and the cereal number comes in at VJA9252. Then, I looked at another and, Bingo!, it bears serial number VJA8247 with a product code of 180290.

The former (VGA9252) is in its original box, within it being found not only the pisol but that beautiful carry bag, padding and all. They didn't put the LG bags into the plastic or blue cardboard boxes because the gun plus Bag would't fit. So, S&W came up with a new box, Maroon and white.

According to the bible, 3913LS retailed for "$858" beginning in 1996.

There's at least one thing still undone. I'll keep looking and when I find it . . . .

Later.

I think when the blue plastic boxes hit the scenes they dropped the cardboard maroon boxes. I have seen examples with the lady Smith bag inside the blue plastic box with no foam. The transition from maroon cardboard box to blue plastic box happened sometime in the mid 90s.