Hello,

One quick question...

I just purchased a S&W 629 Hunter. I was told that it was a 629-3 and the original box confirms this... (See attachment). Product Code 170008. Serial number on box, matches Gun.

I have always thought that the S&W 629-3 Lew Horton Hunters were limited to 300 and manufactured in 1992? followed by a larger run of 600 with non-Fluted Cylinders (Classic Hunter II/product code 170046). I have two of the 629-3's. Both came with Goncalo Alves Combat Grips and Hogue Rubber Grips. Both were stamped on the frame 629-3, etc. Standard Slabside with Mag-na-Porting... etc.

I was shocked when I opened the Cylinder and saw a frame stamp of 629-4?

The Gun is 100% correct configuration for a 629-3???

The 629-4 "The Hunter" are not ported and the product code is 170072 Mfg in 1996 one could say that I have a 629-4 that was ported after purchase, except the Product Code is for a 629-3...

Sorry to go on and on... This is just seems odd to me.

I am not implying that this Gun is "Special" by any means. Actually, just the opposite...My concern here is that it will probably not hold its value because it is not correct! Also the Serial Number is not correct for a 629-3 (Usually PCLxxxx) and of course, I could not find it (LHH00xx) in the SCS&W 3rd edition.

Any expert insight and help is greatly appreciated!

Attached Images

629-4 or -3.jpg (69.6 KB, 213 views)

I will call Lew Horton Distributing Tomorrow...

I will take a guess here. There must have been multiple orders placed for this product code between 1992 and 1995, due to its popularity. The first 300 had a serial number prefix of PCLxxxx and LHD probably placed additional orders through 1995 using different serial number prefixes... The case that I received is correct for what was delivered in 1995 - 1997.

I probably just answered my own question,,,lol

When it comes to PC guns, in my experience the Performance Center didn't really totally adhere to what the regular production lines did. One of the F-Comp's that I owned was stamped as a M66-3 (pic below), but it had all the M66-4 features (new rear sight with holes drilled and tapped for a scope being the most obvious. As well, one of my M14-6 Roper guns is actually a M14-5 config (old rear sight, not drilled and tapped), but is stamped as a M14-6 (Might be a hard to see, it's the gun in the lower left on the bottom pic below)
They did what they did, I'd not think anything about it.

__________________
.............SmithNut

So, just for grins, I pulled my M629 Hunter out of the safe and looked it over.
Mine is an early 170008, with LHH prefix and s/n less then xx30, and it's marked as a M629-4, and configured properly.
Mine has a date code of 1996, and in looking at the descriptions in the SCSW one's head can spin. It looks like there were some earlier guns called "Classic Hunter I, and could very well have been PCL prefixed and probably M627-3 in the 1992 timeframe (as mentioned on Pg 256, SCSW V3), but I've never seen one.
Below is the original Lew Horton/S&W flyer on the Hunter (not a Classic Hunter), and if I recall correctly I got this along with other Lew Horton flyers in the early 90's, likely around 1993ish when the newer style rear sight assembly was in production (M629-4).
I do not really follow the Hunter much, and have not inspected many (frankly I've not seen many in my neck of the woods) so I can't really comment on the version that Rick has shown in the book, my "first" sighting ever of a Hunter was with the 629-4 Hunter version.





Regards,

__________________
.............SmithNut

One more follow..... My M629-4 Hunter, with pc 170008, is indeed ported, came that way from the factory. I'd say that the info in the SCSW may be inaccurate with respect to the description about the Hunter.

__________________
.............SmithNut