Hey Mr Pea Eye
The information in your letter, which is almost the same as the information in a letter I have, eludes to a "Date of Manufacture"! The dates we are comparing this to is "ship dates"! S&W did not ship the guns in ANY numerical order. Guns were stored in a first in , last out type stock system. Next you are neglecting the "transistion" guns which were made to use up all parts left. I have 4" #N874866 shipped on Oct 1981 and this gun has a recessed cylinder but not a pinned barrel. Also I have information that #N8963xx is a 629-1 shipped in April 1982. Looking at the fact that ALL N frame guns were numbered in this "Nxxxxxx" numbering system how many of them were 629 no dashs between #N841939 and #N896xxx? Maybe we collectors try to read too much into a serial number?
jcelect SWCA#LM723