This Model 29 is a mystery

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What I know so far about this Model 29-5, I do not have the box so I do not know the product code, In the Book of Standards I have not found anything product code that I thought it fit.
The serial number BEZ Prefix in the book of Standards shows 1989 however we do not have a shipping date on it.
Also according to the information from a couple Smith and Wesson gurus on this forum,
It is not one of the 9 that was produced for S&WCA in 1994, It does not match up in the serial number group and it has a standard half lug 6 inch barrel instead of the light contour barrel.
Also with having a standard half lug barrel it does not match up with a normal Classic Hunter series gun.
So if you have information please help unravel this mystery!
Tom

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Smith_586 said:
Looks to me like someone either re barreled a classic hunter or the latter and they added an unfluted cylinder. I had a -6 8 inch at one point that was half lug but it had a fluted cylinder.
Click to expand...

For right now I'm not saying that is not a possibility, I'm just not leaning that way, it shows no sign of being re-barreled generally there is some hint that it has been unless the gun had been completely re-blued, That can be an easy explanation for one, but that could leave what could be a one of a kind or a special order lost forever.
I have found there are a lot more parts bin and special orders guns out there than most people realize.
Tom
 
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Is the frame rusted in front of the cylinder?

I think it might have been reblued. The front of the cylinder looks unfired. If I rebarreled that, I would have gone for 5” full or half lug
 
Hmmm
I’ve never heard of a 29-5 with a round butt, unfluted cylinder and 1/2 lug barrel. Smith anomaly or frankengun?
 
Narragansett said:
Is the frame rusted in front of the cylinder?

I think it might have been reblued. The front of the cylinder looks unfired. If I rebarreled that, I would have gone for 5” full or half lug
Click to expand...

No that's just some rosin nothing looks out of ordinary and it has definitely been shot and somebody was a little rough cleaning the cylinder.
Tom
 
Good luck on an informative letter. I have a similar revolver close to your serial number as new in box and attached is the letter. The product code on the label is 101205 and the spec. ord. 5939.This gun has a fluted cylinder and round butt. On the label it say SB so it is a round butt gun but shipped with square butt Hogue stocks. I have scanned through the new 5th edition catalog and saw the product code but very little info. I believe this gun and yours were shipped from the factory as they are.
 

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Yes, you definitely have a mystery gun with that Model 29-5. The SCSW 4th Ed. says it was manufactured in 1990 (BEZ prefix), so as you stated it doesn't match up with those 9 revolvers (101205) manufactured in 1994. It's got me thinking that the original fluted cylinder was swapped out for an unfluted cylinder (like what was used on the Classic Magnum II also from 1990, or the Classic Hunter Reintroduction from 1991).
 
I have had a couple different sources now that that have revealed that in 1991 there were 109 of these were produced under product code 101205 but probably nothing short of a letter on this gun is going to provide enough information to verify it, but one source says they already had a letter done they are actual product of Smith and Wesson. Well anyway a letter request will be done and we will see in time, either way it's a very unique looking model 29
Tom
 
Hawg Rider said:
Yes, you definitely have a mystery gun with that Model 29-5. The SCSW 4th Ed. says it was manufactured in 1990 (BEZ prefix), so as you stated it doesn't match up with those 9 revolvers (101205) manufactured in 1994. It's got me thinking that the original fluted cylinder was swapped out for an unfluted cylinder (like what was used on the Classic Magnum II also from 1990, or the Classic Hunter Reintroduction from 1991).
Click to expand...

Hawg, here is a reason that you cannot go off of serial numbers on Smith and Wesson's for their date of manufacturing, this gun "left the factory" 8 years after it should have had been an IL and should have only been a -6 not -5 and Roy's letter backs that up.
Tom

686 Golden Bear limited edition
 
Sometimes success is right in front of your face, I have a lot of research papers from some of the great Smith and Wesson collectors and Magazine writers and the answer to this one that a lot of people said that it simply had a barrel change or a cylinder change was in Wayne Hazelrigg's Model 629 research pamphlets but I first found it in his personal notes and correspondence between him and others before my dumb*** figured out that the Model 29-5 was the same stage in time as a 629-3 that is categorized in his pamphlet. In some of Wayne's personal notes the product code that he had came up with is 103604, which I can't find in either the 4th or 5th edition of the book of standards
Here is the insert with the answer.

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It is number 26 in the upper right hand corner
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In the late 1980's there was a virtual "gun of the month" by Smith and Wesson. Lots of limited runs, say 5000 or less, of revolvers that had variations of barrels, cylinders, grip, and caliber. It was a good time period, if you had the money, and got that pistol which had all the features you wanted.
 
At one time I thought S&W offered pairs of consecutivley numbered mdl 29's But I thought they were all 3"&8 3/8".with non fluted cyls. Not sure of time frame.
 
SlamFire said:
In the late 1980's there was a virtual "gun of the month" by Smith and Wesson. Lots of limited runs, say 5000 or less, of revolvers that had variations of barrels, cylinders, grip, and caliber. It was a good time period, if you had the money, and got that pistol which had all the features you wanted.
Click to expand...

I don't know if you've noticed but that's actually still going on today however the 80s and the 90s were the Best of modern era, after that they started using the performance center as a manufacturing plant and along with the Internal lock, in my opinion lost their alure and their prestige of the performance center and its products.
I happen to think Smith and Wesson did an excellent job working with their distributors and allowing the distributors to pass along and have product produced that their customers were excited about during the 80s and 90s.
Tom
 
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