"Custom" means . I bought this 65 off GB about 8 years ago. It was/is in really great condition. Obviously Smith bobbed the hammer, did a great trigger job, tighten the cylinder gap and made sure all the tolerances were tight. I called Smith and inquired as to what "Custom" meant, what was the process/program and who did the work. Their response was to get the information from the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation for a mere $100 which I did. I finally received the Letter from the Foundation but no information as to the "Custom" program even though I specially requested this information. I can only assume a purchaser could special order a firearm requesting certain features. The case states "Custom" and has a Spec Ord #. Any thoughts.
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Cogratulations Bowzette I suspect you will love that 65-6. Maybe thirty years ago gunsmith Mike Larocca was customizing 65s to look just like yours, including Speigel boot grips. The conversion was pictured on the cover of a gun magazine and as soon as I saw it, I wanted one. I'm unaware of the factory doing them.A few years ago I had Mr Larocca make these 65 customs in 3" and 4" for me.My grips were crafted by the Culinas

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My guess is you noted all the special (custom) features on the gun. I suspect the Special Order Code just indicates it was packed on the 334th day of the year 2000.

I think this is past the time window in which the SWHF has records but it would not hurt (or cost) to ask.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

It’s bad enough when a letter doesn’t contain anything exciting or interesting. But when they advise you to spend $100 and still nothing. That’s infuriating to me…… regardless that’s a cool gun you have there.

I had my local gunsmith built one of those for me back in 1986 after seeing one on the cover of one of the "gun Rags" mine is also mag-na-ported. Which in retrospect I could have skipped as I generally carry +P .38 in urban settings. Spegel Boot Grips and Sparks Summer Special holster.

You will enjoy that gun!!!!!!

OP. Great gun. Beautiful grips. That does stink about the letter.

John Adams. Your revolvers are awesome also. Mike LaRocca did over my old city issued 65 and it’s a beauty. I like the bead blasted finish on mine. Unfortunately Mike just retired at the end of 2023. He did some great work for me on revolvers and 1911s.

My 3 inch was done over by the Factory with their combat revolver package. Highly recommend.

https://www.smith-wesson.com/custome...on-gunsmithing

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I have a real affinity for S&W box end labels, I find them fascinating and always have, so I am drawn to them and more often than you might imagine, I search the web and auctions for images of them. To me, they are a very interesting puzzle.

I've seen a lot of stuff added to a box/box end label. Sometimes it is S&W that adds them, and a perfect example is the (poorly executed) recall/check that S&W did with the Model 624 revolvers, where they stamped the big red C in a circle on the box and noted nothing on the revolver itself.

But anyone who worked in a gun store, especially through the 80's and 90's can confirm that many gun stores added things to box end labels for their own use... most often, it was a page number from a grand catalog they used to quickly refer to when they priced the gun.

In all the thousands of S&W end labels I've seen, I cannot honestly say that this stamped "custom" looks familiar. I can't say with confidence that I have never seen it, but it sure doesn't look familiar to me at all.

My guess is that the "custom" ink stamp and also that hand written number were added to the box end label after S&W shipped the revolver. Could have been distributor, could have been retailer.

I think the "custom" could be meaningless. Or quite possibly, some gunsmith did a particular job on it, and perhaps he had a stack of Model 65's and he did the same package on all of them and marked the end label on the ones he'd completed.

I think it is worth noting that the final entry on the factory letter makes no mention whatsoever of a bobbed hammer. And more evidence -- the six digit product code of 102602 is not noted in the SCSW 4th as having a bobbed hammer.

My guess is that S&W did not stamp custom on the box, and they shipped that gun with a traditional hammer and no extra work... someone else did the work.

Thanks but I did $100 of "asking" and didn't get an answer. A copy of the Foundation Letter is attached to thread.

The grips are C.S fancy black walnut. The waiting time now is over 2 year to get a set of his grips. When I bought these it took 14 months. His grips from others than C.S. are very expensive due to the wait.

John I bought the "Custom 65" about eight years ago. It was shot very little before I got it. I have only shot about 150 rds of .38 but always cleaned the chambers well so shooting .357 would not be an issue for me.

Thanks Steve for your thought on the Box marked "Custom". As i stated I have no idea what it was to mean and who/how it got so marked. Excellent job whoever did it.

Here's another example of Mike LaRocca's work, this one exercised on a 65-5 Lady Smith (note the ejector rod shroud)...



Adios,

Pizza Bob

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NRA Benefactor Member

I don’t think the 3” 13/65 needs much customization; it comes just right from Smith.

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213th FBINA

I have never seen Smith & Wesson use a hand stamp with the word “CUSTOM.” When there are any kind of special designations, they have always been traditionally printed on the end label, not hand stamped.

The letter will only provide the information they have, and the fact that there is no additional information makes it logical to conclude that the work was done outside the factory.

That makes sense except why the designation of "Spec Ord #"?
Was this an attempt to misrepresent who did the bobbing of the hammer to be DAO, excellent trigger job and make sure the tolerances were "tick tight"? I find it all rather strange. It isn't like someone is trying to convince the world this is the pistol Booth used to shoot Lincoln and thus worth a fortune. At any rate I find it rather strange and confusing.

Every box label in this timeframe has a spec ord number which is a Julian date code for year-day of manufacture.

Special features would be listed under the word “Features” either spelled out or abbreviated.

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.......it would be nice if there was some record of modifications. CH is pretty spot on when he says 3 inch Ks don't need much in the way of improvement. I would feel very comfortable with any of the 3 inch K frame Smiths, pre-lock and in .38 Spl or .357 Mag., just as they came from the factory.

I would be forever done searching for the perfect belt revolver if Smith would build a steel (always steel) 3 inch K with these factory items, no lock, Novak style rear, with a gold bead front, enclosed ejector rod housing, round butt and chambered in .327 magnum.

My two favorite 3s are a Model 10 HB rb with hand checkered back strap, cut down Hamer spur, action slicked up. The second is a Model 64. Back in the 1990s Wilson Combat made up several Smiths mostly 66s w 2 & 1/2 bbls. I saw this 64 wandering the internet looking for a new home. I had to adopt it and very glad I did. Drove up to Wilson one day and spoke with Vic Tibetts, the custom shop Manager for Wilson and he was the lead on the SWs they turned out in the 90s. He looked the 64 and told he remembered it because he built it himself, the rest were Model 66s.

The 3 inch Ks are hovering right at the perfection mark, sometimes a bit of tweaking can elevate them beyond that.

As we all know what really makes them or any gun perfect is the shooter who works to reach competence with the firearm.

You have a great revolver.

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LEX ET ORDO

Exactly - there is nothing “special” about the special order numbers other than the Julian date. I agree it is very misleading, but if you are not a forum member here, then you likely don't care… In all the gun shows and shops I have visited over the years, many vendors have brought the special order thing to my attention but could not provide an answer to what makes it special… once I have explained the date code, they become speechless.

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S&W factory revolver armorer

Never understood why S&W never offered a 3" Model 65 NL
[Non LadySmith/NewLine] with a shrouded ejector rod, like they did with the 3913NL. Would IMHO have sold hundreds of thousands!

102602 is the product code for a plain vanilla 3-inch round butt Model 65. The special order number is usually a “Julian date” which makes it easy to ascertain when the revolver was shipped. As I indicated, I believe the “CUSTOM” stamp was not applied at the factory. If there was any “funny business” going on, I do not believe it was the factory.

I'm with Sevens, the factory didn't stamp it.
If the factory didn't stamp it, there will be no records for the Historical Society to tell you about.