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Smith and Wesson model 520
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fredcoyote
Member
520 Custom
Here's my interesting 520. I got it from a forum member a few years back. He said the work was done by an Arizona gunsmith which is cool because I'm in Arizona! It's got a 27 barrel fitted, converted to a round butt and action is buttery smooth . It's probably one of my top three favorite pistols to shoot. Not bad looking either!
Happy shootin'
Fred
Here's my interesting 520. I got it from a forum member a few years back. He said the work was done by an Arizona gunsmith which is cool because I'm in Arizona! It's got a 27 barrel fitted, converted to a round butt and action is buttery smooth . It's probably one of my top three favorite pistols to shoot. Not bad looking either!
Happy shootin'
Fred
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Here is one more addition to the party. I have shot it a few times, and it is a dandy! SN; N559421, No box, docs, or tools.
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Hair Trigger
US Veteran
My guess is, these overstamped examples are more rare than the NYSP guns. Those are a known quantity, from the Factory and HF Letters and SCSW. Until this thread I'd never heard about more of them being made from extra parts after the NYSP order was completed. Whether or not they are more valuable as collectibles, IDK. It will be interesting to see how many more pop out of the woodwork.
Actually, there is a discrepancy in the Letters as to how many were actually made. My letter says the NYSP order was for "over 3100 units". Further into the letter, it says S&W decided to complete the order after NYSP cancelled it, and later announced they would release 3000 units to the general market. Near the end of the letter, it says the SN range was from N557750 to N560860. That is a total of 3110. So, was the 3000 a general estimate, or what happened to the other 110 units? Did S&W stop production at 3000 and the remaining SN's go to another model? In any case, they don't include these guns which fall far from the NYSP serial range and have overstamped M58 frames.
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Super interesting.
CAJUNLAWYER
Member
I've owned a couple over the years-nice guns indeed but I gotta tell ya, aside from collector interest, the 681 makes more sense. Although I would be on a nice 520 like a fly on **** if the opportunity did present itself, just cause I like fixed sight revolvers 
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I sold an ANIB (as many are) 520 a few years ago. The buyer wanted it a lot more than I did. This may sound silly but that skinny barrel with the low front sight looked disproportionately small next to the large frame and cylinder. Crazy, I know, and it is the only gun I ever sold because I didn't like the way it looked.
This may be rambling and thread drift but back in 2009 as I was moving from California to Texas I distinctly remember a 520 on GB that was advertised as factory engraved. I remember because my plan was to buy a 520 on GB soon as I got settled in TX with ID. I was regularly monitoring GB. It was posted for many months and I regret not getting it. Perhaps S&W kept a few back for later dispersal, like the OPs and in this case had one engraved. Does anyone here on the forum own it?
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Another 520
Here's a couple of pics of my 520. As with many others, it's in great shape. The model number is clearly a 520. No overstamp. An interesting tidbit is the serial number N560827. I assume that would place it in the last day or so of production. I just checked the grips. They do not match the gun! They are 559952, still probable a 520, but not mine. Anyone have mine??
Here's a couple of pics of my 520. As with many others, it's in great shape. The model number is clearly a 520. No overstamp. An interesting tidbit is the serial number N560827. I assume that would place it in the last day or so of production. I just checked the grips. They do not match the gun! They are 559952, still probable a 520, but not mine. Anyone have mine??
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Which brings up a question. Just how long was the production run on these? A month, six months?
The year was 1980 (give or take a few months), S&W was working to fulfill the order of M520's for the NYSP, but they made an interesting mistake, they showed the NYSP the new L frames (assume M581 - fixed sights).
The NYSP changed their minds and went with the new L frame (saved a lot of carry weight over the M520).
With that predicament, S&W started putting grips to guns without regards to S/N in order to get them into distribution and turn these into $$...
Grips were just put on the nearest gun, w/o regard to s/n.
I've owned three of the M520's over the years, none had the right s/n grips. Others have reported that as well, I'm not sure anyone has indicated that they had the matching grips to their gun....
That's the story as I've been told...
P.S. the only N frames that had the Plain Clothes Magnas were the M58 and the M520 IIRC
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Hair Trigger
US Veteran
When I bought mine, it had square-edged magnas on it. The guy I got it from had about a dozen S&W's in storage, and had removed all the stocks. When he decided to sell them, he just matched K frame stocks to K frame guns and N frame stocks to N frame guns. So, someone else got my set of numbered stocks, but I don't know if they matched the SN of my gun. I got a period correct set of PC's from a member here and that's what it is wearing now.
S&W designed the gun in 1979 and started production. NYSP did not want to wait the 6 months it would take to finish the order, and the order was finished in February of 1980. So, production started sometime around August or September of 1979. The guns weren't released for sale until June of 1980.
According to the Factory Letter I received with my M520, dated December 23, 1980 and signed by Roy Jinks, who at the time was Services Operation Manager and Historian, NYSP decided on the M28-2 as the substitute for the M520. The M28-2's you see stamped NYSP are that order. The M581 started initial production in 1980, so probably weren't available at the time NYSP was changing over. I don't know what they got after the M28's, maybe that's when they got the 581.
The year was 1980 (give or take a few months), S&W was working to fulfill the order of M520's for the NYSP, but they made an interesting mistake, they showed the NYSP the new L frames (assume M581 - fixed sights).
The NYSP changed their minds and went with the new L frame (saved a lot of carry weight over the M520).
With that predicament, S&W started putting grips to guns without regards to S/N in order to get them into distribution and turn these into $$...
Grips were just put on the nearest gun, w/o regard to s/n.
I've owned three of the M520's over the years, none had the right s/n grips. Others have reported that as well, I'm not sure anyone has indicated that they had the matching grips to their gun....
That's the story as I've been told...
P.S. the only N frames that had the Plain Clothes Magnas were the M58 and the M520 IIRC
The M520 and the M581 weigh about the same-40 ounces.
I really like the overstamp on the frame. My guess is, since the 58 wasn't a hot seller, they grabbed those to fill the NYSP order. It's apparent (and pretty cool) the model stamps they used were from different times...
I have really gotten back into revolvers in a big way- my last wheengun when I was with APD was a Model 25 4" .45 LC- still the best police gun ever. I got an NIB and it was a safe queen until my wife asked "why"? It is a wonderful shooter- I am large- 6'5" with large hands so it fits me great- I did change the grips to S&W Target stocks. Just something about fixed sightys N frames that I love- I have several Model 27's but my favorite is still the 3.5" Mod 27
03clyde
Member
Back when the 520 was not adopted as the issue revolver for uniformed troopers, the agency selected the 28-2, 4". It had a short service life with the NYSP (circa '79-'81) and was then replaced by the 681, 4" stainless - that model soldiered on until 1990 and the Glock 17.
