I am trying to find the history of my 3-5-7 to see if it was issued as a Talo Edition?
I know that after a few years Smith and Wesson and Talo ended their relationship!
I believe the Talo 3-5-7 Series started in 2010.
Mine was manufactured in July 2012, serial #CTE3384
model #150853 3" barrel.
I believe the only things special about the Talo Series is the unfluted cylinder, the black/silver 3-5-7 grips
and the 3", 5" or7" barrel length.
The Talo Series proved to be popular and Smith and Wesson continues to produce this gun today dropping the Talo relationship!
I'm trying to find out if my particular gun is early enough to qualify as a
Talo Edition!
Thanks for your help! 👌

The Smith & Wesson/Talo partnership ended at the end of 2016.

You have a TALO. Mine is a S&W. Same gun. Love mine, but changed the grips to a Pac Compac Pro.

Are the Smith and Wesson/Talo
blue boxes marked as Talo??
Or are they the standard box?

I'm curious too. If someone has a pre-2016 686+ Talo with the box, post up a pic of the label.

The seven inch model must be rare never ran across one.

I've seen all 3 versions at the gun shows here in Ohio.
The 5" is popular because of the balance of the 5". They typically go at a slight premium in price, +50-100 over list.
The 3" commands the highest premium, +200-300, because of the 3".
The 7" because very few people desire them sell at near list price.

I had a Talo 5", great shooter.

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I can't seem to post a picture!
But, the box says nothing about Talo and this box is from 2012!

The current SKUs' are 3" 150853, 5" 150854, 7" 150855. What's the SKU on your box ?

Mine was in a plain S&W blue plastic box with SKU 150853. Shoots great with 3.75 lb trigger pull in single action and smooth as silk DA. OP, you're gonna love it.

150853 for 3" in 2012!
I don't think the SKUs' ever changed, I just posted a thumbnail of my box label!

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They didn't change the SKU number, why change a good thing. 3" & 5" & 7" 686+ 7 shot with unfluted cylinders were unusual runs for S&W. They would make them for Talo and I guess they were selling well. 686+ 7 shot were typically 4" and 6" so they had a customer base that wanted 686+ 7 shot in 3", 5", & 7". S&W built the guns for Talo, sold to Talo at distributor pricing,so S&W made some money(profit) and Talo made some money(profit). Reasons unknown why the Talo relationship ended.

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	150853.jpg (66.6 KB, 40 views)
	150854.jpg (63.5 KB, 32 views)
	150855.jpg (63.4 KB, 31 views)

Thanks! Good to know!
But, I would still like to know if my gun made in July of 2012 is a Talo Edition of this gun?
I think so?

It is, there were no other 686+ 7 shot unfluted cylinder made other than for Talo.
The 'Talo' version does not command much of an additional premium price compared to 'after Talo' versions, only to someone that wants a Talo. Other than serial numbers, they're identical. What S&W made for Talo they now make for S&W. I can't speak of QC of the 'after Talo' versions compared to Talo versions.

So you are saying the 'after Talo' version came to be at the end of 2016?
My 2012 Talo has a superb fit and finish but the trigger wasn't so good. My Gunsmith took care of that, it's smooth and crisp now!

From Talo's website with a copyright of 2014.
"Any of these S&W models produced in the last 3 years are not official Talo models."

__________________
The best I can with what I got

here's from another site.
Smith & Wesson Re-Labels TALO Edition Firearms as Their Own -The Firearm Blog

I'm still confused by lihpster's post! 🤔
That makes it sound like 2011 was the cutoff for the Talo 3-5-7?

Yes, me, too, but I think my 3" 686+ is just that and not a Talo. Same for my 2.5" and 4".

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Come and take it!!

Yeah. I'm not sure whether that copyright date is for that statement or the website as a whole. Just putting it out there as information. Whether it's helpful information, I don't know. If it is for that statement, then it would appear they were only "official" for one year and that doesn't sound right. But I'm just a heavily armed redneck, what do I know?
I just ordered a 150853. Pick it up on the 9TH. I don't care one whit that it's not a Talo. I'm just happy as a clam to own one.

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The best I can with what I got

I guarantee you'll love it!

Although I realize this adds nothing to the conversation, i have 3 TALO guns (2 1911’s and a GP100) that do not have anything special about them that should separate them from a normal factory piece except for different grips. In fact anything that Talo had the factory put on, I ultimately upgraded anyhow.
To me, they were just distributed thru Talo much like getting something thru Bud’s gun shop. No real name association to them like some of the other distributors. Who knows. In 10-15years I could be wrong.

That 2014 copyright appears at the bottom of every page on Talo's site, even on their 'new for 2020 page'.

The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 4th Edition on page 326 shows those 3 SKUs' as Talo editions starting in 2010.

So if they started in 2010 as Talo Edition what year did that cease?
I'm still confused! 🤔
It sounds like the Talo association with Smith and Wesson lasted through 2016 and totally ended in 2017.
That being said can I presume the Talo Edition 3-5-7 ran from 2010 through 2016?

At the end of 2016. If you got one during 2016 or earlier, it's a Talo. Even one gotten in 2017-2020 could be a Talo depending upon when the store received it. Date codes are on the label but I know nothing about decyphering them. There are some members on the forum that know the date code meaning.

THANK YOU oldman10mm!

The CTE indicates about a 2012 manufacture.

My 5" Talo was CRX, a 2012.

Joe, judging by the price tag on that box, the price has gone up some in the last 9 years.

$30.

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The best I can with what I got

My 2012 Talo 3-5-7 with Pachmayr Diamond Pro grip!
Love it!

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Eventually I hope to acquire the set, of Talo time period. Not that I feel the Talo editions are better just that they might have better QC than the newer stuff. Although the 686-4 pre-lock 686+ is interesting too.

I'm more of a hotrodder than a collector, so I don't know or care if my 5" was made during the Talo distribution contract or not (nor do I think it makes an material difference). Great balance and great shooter out of the box.


I've tinkered with it some (LPA sights, Hogue G10 grips, Wilson Combat spring kit, and I did some internal polishing to fix a slow trigger reset) and now I like it even more.


Next up I'm going to ream the throats and polish the chambers (which can be a little tight on extraction with hot loads).


Nothing wrong with leaving a gun original if you are into that, but imo it's also a great platform to customize to your liking.

Just wanted to add this info for those who may not know… before the TALO 3-5-7’s were out, S&W only offered the 686+ in 2.5”, 4”, and 6” barrel lengths. TALO was offering the lengths that were not standard production at the time (3”, 5”, 7”). I have the 686+ TALO Deluxe with 3”. Some say these deluxe models came after the 3-5-7 but mine was made in 2010.

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Ephesians 6 (Armor of God)

Not correct.

Yes, the factory made them but they made them with the features & specs the distributor requested.

They had to purchase a large enough quantity to make it worthwhile for S&W but they were models S&W wasn't making because they didn't think the demand was there for them.

Many models became so popular that S&W ultimately started making & distributing themselves.

Distributors like Lew Horton made a name for themself for finding such niche models & creating the buzz & demand for unique models when S&W didn't.

It's a shame we lost them.

.

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Waiting for the break of day

He has the box & the label says "2198", it's birthday, 16-Jul-2012.

My 5" TALO 686+, made 140 days earlier, has a CSP72xx serial number.

.

They weren't. They had the same problems that standard production revolvers had/have.

Mine had a canted barrel, rough cut forcing cone, & the typical poorly defined muzzle crown.

I chamfered the forcing cone & crown, tweaked the trigger, & adjusted the rear sight to compensate for the cant & now it groups as good or better than even my Performance Center 357s.

It's one of my older & less expense one's but it's my favorite 357.

.

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Waiting for the break of day

Hey guys, just read through this discussion because I came across a 3-5-7 yesterday at my LGS. It is a 3" version and does not have an internal lock. I put a deposit on it but left the store forgetting to take pictures or record the serial number. Has anybody heard of one of these without the lock? I will get the gun in hand asap and post pictures. Thanks!

686-dash number, serial number, fluted or unfluted, and pics would tell a lot.
Could be even the 3-5-7 grips were put on afterwards.
Need more info.

Has the unfluted cylinder for sure, and original box with label. The store tag said 686-6 but I didn't verify that on the gun. Feel so dumb for not taking pictures - but I was in a bit of a rush. Will get that info ASAP. Thanks.

Per 4th edition S&W Std Catalog, 686-6 would have the lock.
Dash number on the gun and part number on the box ?.
Could've been someone replaced the lock with the 'plug'.

I have a Talo 3-5-7 3" 686-6+ I bought new in 2012 and it has the lock just as yours should if it's a
3-5-7!

OK, here are a couple of pics from the store. Can provide more when I get home.

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	SW686Plus-Gun.jpg (86.0 KB, 27 views)

Interesting, that SKU150853 shows as a 4" 2010 Talo.

Even "The Bible" makes mistakes. 3" is correct.

__________________
The best I can with what I got

Pretty sure I see a plug.

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The best I can with what I got

I think you do see a plug! I missed it the first time because it is done very well! I saw another plug once and it was horrible looking but this one is so well done I didn't even see it and now that I do I still have to look very carefully. Will try to capture it with better photos. Who does this work? Are there plug companies? Is this a popular thing to do? The work on this gun is so well done it must have cost a bit.

If a 'gunsmith' did the 'plug', could the barrel have been swapped too to a 3 incher.
But anyway, looks great, 3" plugged.

Doubtful. They were 3" , 5" , and 7" guns. Why swap a 7" for a 3" when they make a 3"?

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The best I can with what I got

When I look at the current SW website that sku is for the 3" just as my box says.

In just the right light the plug can be seen - but just barely.

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