Quote:
Originally Posted by xuout1
I have recently acquired a 629-5 mountain backpacker in almost new condition from the original owner. Interesting part is if you take it outside and hold it just right in the sun you can seen where it was once lightly laser engraved with a bear coming through the mountains and trees. Original owner said the gun was exactly in the same condition from when he got it new with no side plate engraving. My theory is that the original laser engraving was so light on most of these that S&W polished them off and only left a few that had a good burn on them for shipment. So if anyone out there has one of these could you take a look and see if you can make out the bear if your doesn't have one. Look at my picture to see what to look for.
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I do like that gun. Wish I had one myself.
That said, I don't believe the original owner's story. That's too sorry a polish job on the sideplate to have come from the factory on a brand new gun. Note how the polishing marks end abruptly just above the top edge of the side plate. And those swirl marks are horrible. Looks to have been no attempt made to blend in the polished area with the rest of the gun. I believe someone started a polish job, saw that he was making a total mess of it, and just stopped. Or maybe they thought they'd done a good job, who knows? Either way, doesn't look factory to me.
That's a shame, too, because that's a nice gun.