Did Smith ever make an L-Frame in a caliber larger than 38/357?

Yes, in .40 S&W. I forget the number. Had a titanium cylinder, I think. Only saw one and couldn't get the clerk to show it to me. If he didn't care about the sale, neither did I.

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and what his trumpet saith

I don't think, but I coudl be wrong.



Wouldn't it be sweet if they could squeeze six 10mm's in a 3" L-frame package.

Check out a 696 in .44 Special or a 296, same caliber.

The L frame in .40S&W is called the Model 646. I have one. It was dropped due to slow sales.

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Science plus Art

646 in 40 caliber with a titanium cylinder and a 696 44 special with a 5 shot cylinder. Both great guns, but werent real big sellers during their time.

Custom 'smiths can make a standard six shot L frame .357 into a .41 Special.

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Stu

610 & 310 in 10mm.

N frames, not L frames

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Science plus Art

A 696 would be perfect. I assume they are pretty rare?

While they r not extremely rare, they are very desired and people tend to not let them go. Look up the 396. It's a lightweight variant of the 696

How about a .44 special on a L frame? The 296ti, mentioned earlier is on a alloy L frame. I like mine. Came with Uncle Mike's on it, but I changed those to some Ahrends. Even alloy frames need wood!

Smith made a couple versions in .44 Special and .40 S&W. None were big sellers despite all the calls for them, similar to those who want a .41 cal. There is just no market for them.

Rare? I'm not sure I would call it rare, just not real common. The 696 is on my list of "always on the look out". I actually think I have a line on one, but it require me to be a real @#^% to get it.

...that rare; it's just that they don't make them anymore. However, I got mine, and that's all that counts -

My gun smith and I were trading e-mails about the L-frames, discussing a possible customizing job I may give him. As part of one of his replies he made the statement that if Smith had made a "691"...i.e. a M&P style, 5 shot 44 Special on the L-frame with the same 3" barrel and round butt but with fixed sights...they would have sold a lot more of them.

I'm inclined to agree with him and wonder what the folks here think of the idea?

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Agreed. I love my 696, and wouldn't think of parting with it. That said, I love the Model 65; completely utilitarian. I just bought one, and it's an ideal revolver.

Just look at the Night Guard Series. All fixed sights, round butts, lightweight frames; just what you need for carry. However, I noticed that S&W doesn't catalogue the Model 296 any longer. So, marketing data may well show that the large-caliber, fixed-sight revolvers in .44 Special may not be that popular.

Let's face it. As a defensive handgun, it's highly unlikely that you would use the piece outside of ten yards. So why adjustable sights?

I would trade my 696 for a fixed sight model in a heart beat. Dehorn the hammer .... sweet.


Charlie

One of the posters here on the site used a fixed sight Model 681 and a barrel and cylinder from a Model 696 to put together a fixed sight .44 Special L frame. It turned out very nicely judging from the photos he posted.

In some of their promotial materials for the Night Guard series S&W points out that the fixed sights they use interchange with adjustable sights. You'd just have to buy a Night Guard sight for your 696.

Since the fixed sighted 296 "Centennial" and 296 Night Guards both wouldn't sell, I doubt that a fixed sighted 696 would either. I've seen S&W's .44 special sales numbers compared to .38s and .357s for the first half of the twentieth century and the whole century. In the larger picture, .44 specials never were more than a smidgen of S&W's sales. That is in large part what makes them fun for collectors to talk about. Don't take this as a condemnation of .44 specials. I won't be selling mine. I do however think .44 specials mostly appeal to collectors and reloaders, and even though some of us CCW our .44 specials, .44 specials don't make up a significant portion CCW handgun sales.

There is also a model 396!!