Red 6904
- Thread starter Bunker
- Start date
FYI - I tried to contact seller regarding 2nd listing of a RED 6904 - that listing is now pulled down. It appears the listing was a duplicate - I have seen that happen especially if seller tries to modify listing after initially posting it - photos of 2 listed "pistols" are identical down to wear marks on slide and shadows in background - so probably a SINGLETON RED 6904 with a 6906 slide and aftermarket grips.
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2 options short of an expensive letter:
If you email SW at [email protected] and include model and full S/N you can request Manufacture Date and 6 digit Product Code - you may or may not get 6 digit Product Code along with Manufacture Date in initial response but if you respond to email and ask nice they will generally give you that too.
Based on the D shaped trigger guard, the standard Product code could be 103106 with original fixed sights (1988-mid 1990) or 103108 with Novak fixed sights (mid 1990). The Curved trigger guard with Novak sights (108130) came in some time after May 1990 and before Feb 1993.
If the pistol had any unique factory provenance it would most likely have a unique 6 digit product code. Police procurements after about 1995 typically had unique codes but that probably would not help on a 1990 (+/-) vintage pistol.
The second option - if you have access to the Member Only services below - is to use the "Ask Roy" link again including model, serial, and maybe a photo. Also include the number on right side and you might Police or other unique pedigree.
If you email SW at [email protected] and include model and full S/N you can request Manufacture Date and 6 digit Product Code - you may or may not get 6 digit Product Code along with Manufacture Date in initial response but if you respond to email and ask nice they will generally give you that too.
Based on the D shaped trigger guard, the standard Product code could be 103106 with original fixed sights (1988-mid 1990) or 103108 with Novak fixed sights (mid 1990). The Curved trigger guard with Novak sights (108130) came in some time after May 1990 and before Feb 1993.
If the pistol had any unique factory provenance it would most likely have a unique 6 digit product code. Police procurements after about 1995 typically had unique codes but that probably would not help on a 1990 (+/-) vintage pistol.
The second option - if you have access to the Member Only services below - is to use the "Ask Roy" link again including model, serial, and maybe a photo. Also include the number on right side and you might Police or other unique pedigree.
Thanks all.. Best reply was a 6906 slide on a colored 6904 frame.. The Factory said the S/N TET10XX was a 6904 made in 1989. I am still happy to add this oddity to my collection. I also saw that the 2nd GB listing had been removed, so there goes my plan to buy that one too!. This seems to be the results from a labor of love created by someone who had more money than sense! ..... I got it for the opening bid of $465, if anyone wonders.
Photos of "2nd" pistol were identical to the listing for the one you bought - and as you noted 2nd pistol withdrawn - I suspect it was an inadvertent duplicate listing and there was only 1 RED 6904.
Pardon my ignorance, but I understood that the first number (6) indicated stainless finish, while first number 4 or 5 (eg., 459, 4006, 5906, etc.) indicated a blued finish throughout this series. Of course, there are always exceptions …
Well… kind of. S&W has used some guidelines for how they (drunkenly) named models, but then they have deviated a billion times from the guidelines they made.
You can sometimes figure out the model based on the mouthful of numbers they assigned and to folks who don’t know S&W, you will come off like an evil genius.
History will show that S&W’s system was not really all that bright an idea. Most gunmakers will build a solid model with a great reputation and then allow variations on the model. S&W did that also, but rather than offering variations on a model, they just called it a whole different model.
There was a time when authorized dealers were given a magic decoder wheel to try and spec out a gun. You would line multiple wheels for features and then a magic box would appear with a model number.
Old timers like us that love the S&W 1-2-3rd Gens all have varying opinions, but the rest of the world probably thought it was and remains confusing and obnoxious.
You can sometimes figure out the model based on the mouthful of numbers they assigned and to folks who don’t know S&W, you will come off like an evil genius.
History will show that S&W’s system was not really all that bright an idea. Most gunmakers will build a solid model with a great reputation and then allow variations on the model. S&W did that also, but rather than offering variations on a model, they just called it a whole different model.
There was a time when authorized dealers were given a magic decoder wheel to try and spec out a gun. You would line multiple wheels for features and then a magic box would appear with a model number.
Old timers like us that love the S&W 1-2-3rd Gens all have varying opinions, but the rest of the world probably thought it was and remains confusing and obnoxious.
There is a complex numbering system that doesn't always make sense and has many exceptions. But the LAST number (NOT THE FIRST) is the material and finish, the FIRST 2 digits indicate the caliber and in the case of 9mm the general model designation.
6904: 69 = Compact double stack 9mm (as opposed to 59 Full size double stack 9mm or 39 Single stack 9mm; 10 = 10mm, 40 = 40S&W, 45 = 45ACP)
0 = Configuration: 0 = Traditional Double Action (as opposed to 4 = Double Action Only, 1 = TDA Compact, 5 = DAO Compact, 2 = frame mounted decocker, etc.)
4 = Material & Finish (except when it doesnt): 4 = Blued Aluminum Frame, Blued Carbon Steel Slide (as opposed to 3 = Silver Anodized Aluminum frame with Stainless slide, 5 = Blued Carbon Steel Frame & Slide, 6 = Stainless Steel Frame & Slide) - but here is where it breaks the rule - there is no 6903 or 6905 - instead the 6906 is a compact Aluminum Frame with Stainless slide.
If that is not confusing enough - by normal convention the compact double stack 9mm pistol we know as a 6904 might better be a 5914 and the 6906 could be a 5913 or possibly a 6903.
Here is a useful chart to decode 3rd generation model numbers https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/guide-smith-wesson-semi-automatic-models/
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Value line - cut some corners on design (especially sights) and quality of finish to try and compete costwise with Glocks and others. There were also subtle cost savings on slide geometry and reduced machining cuts. The initial 3 digit pistol variants were the 411 and the 915 in 1992 followed by others starting with the 909 and 910 in 1995 and the 410, 908, and 457 in 1996.
Solid pistols and significantly less model variants - also simpler numeric coding. Blue or Silver plus limited run 457 TwoTone (1997 only Blue over Silver but no unique model designation). All TDA except limited run 457D, No 10mm. Supposedly some Two Tones 411 (1996 only) and 410 (1999 only) though I have never seen one.
4xx = 40S&W, xx = Number of rounds; 411, 410, 410S (all full size double stack)
45x = 45ACP, x = Number of rounds (7); 457, 457S, 457D (all full size single stack)
9xx = 9mm, xx = Number of rounds and configuration; 908, 908S (compact single stack 8rd), 909 (full size single stack 9rd), 915, 910, 910S (full size double stack)
Add D suffix for DAO (rare 457 only?))
Add S suffix for Silver finish (S suffix on late production pistols only - not so marked before 2003?)
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Too Cool!
457 was a compact .45, like the 4516/16. There was also the two tone Zander 457.
There was a CS9 DAO gun as well, but I don't know about the other Chief Special guns.
As pointed out the other day, the 915 wasn't a Value Line, it was S&W's first attempt to reduce production cost to compete with Block, I mean Clock, I mean Glock.
There was a CS9 DAO gun as well, but I don't know about the other Chief Special guns.
As pointed out the other day, the 915 wasn't a Value Line, it was S&W's first attempt to reduce production cost to compete with Block, I mean Clock, I mean Glock.
There was a time when authorized dealers were given a magic decoder wheel to try and spec out a gun. You would line multiple wheels for features and then a magic box would appear with a model number.
The Wiz Wheel! Or Whiz Wheel? Either way a pretty handy tool. Thanks for giving me an excuse to find mine amongst the catalogs, manuals, and whatnot.
Todd
Thanks Gary for the correction
Agree - my error on 457 size - corrected
As to the Zander 457, I believe the 457 Two Tone Product Code 130120 is what sold as the "1997 only" Zander 457, though there appear to be at least some that did not go thru Zander channels. There were at least 6 s/n prefixes of the Two Tones starting with VKN, VUV, VYZ, VZD, VZE, and VZT.
It is not clear to me that all of those were 1997 or that all of those were Zander pistols - or possibly there was a surplus of Zander 457s which were sold thru other channels. All (10) that I have seen box ends and a couple i have gotten feedback from SW show Product Code 130120.
I can account for 1 of the VYZ group which was dated by SW as 1996 and 1 VZE dated by SW as 2011. There is also a single earlier VDK circa 1996 but I can not confirm it was originally Product Code 130120 - possibly a Frankengun?
Agree 411 and 915 were earlier than official Value line, but they represented the beginning of the effort to cut costs with poorer sights and other cost cutting measures compared to their 4 digit equivalents.
As to the CS pistols, CS9, CS9D, CD40, CS40 Two Tone, CS40D, CS45, CS45D
OP, are you certain it's anodized? I'm no expert, but could it be Cerakote instead?
Like I’ve said many times before, don’t drink while anodizing.
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