S&W MODEL 24-3 PRODUCTION NUMBERS

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marlin39d

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According to what I've read elsewhere there were around 7500 24-3's total.

Does anyone know approximately how many of these were made with 4" barrels?
 
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According to what I've read elsewhere there were around 7500 24-3's total.

Does anyone know approximately how many of these were made with 4" barrels?
 
The SCSW shows 1000 made with the 3" in the Model 24 section. In the back of the book under Lew Horton guns, it shows that 5000 24-3's were made. I don't know if that is what the original order was or what the difference is.
 
Great article by the late(and lamented!) "Skeeter" about the .44 Special and the "reintroduction" of the M-24-3 in 1983,along with "production figures"-but I don't think the 3" models were mentioned?(If anyone wants,I will dig through my "pile' and find the year and month of issue-BUT its too damm hot/humid here in S. Maine!!).

Most interesting aspect,IIRC,was that S&W could have sold "a lot more",but Roy promised the collectors that they'd only make 7500!

But,as Skeeter said,Roy then came up with the idea of making the 624!!! Thus pleasing BOTH the shooters/collectors.

As an aside,I was looking at 4" M-24-3 for a while in a shop run by a notorious hi priced and obnoxious owner back around 1988, He wanted $475 for a 99% no box. An old retired railroader who hung out in the shop(I am a railfan/railhistorian-my "cheap" hobby!) followed me out and I thought he just wanted to talk more Maine railroads. Tipped me off to an upcoming small estate sale,where I bought a 5 screw 1955 vintage M-24 FOUR inch,with 2 sets of grips for and a 7.5" Triple Lock Target for just under $700! Former game warden's estate!

Bud
 
My 6.5" 24-3 is ABZ40XX while my 3" is AEJ83XX.

My understanding of the M24 serial numbering is that the 7,500 that were made with the 4" and 6.5" barrels are in the ABZXXXX range but that the 3" Lew Horton's 24-3 are in the AEXXXXX range.

When I bought my 3" 24-3, I spoke briefly with Roy Jinks and he confirmed that they made 1000-1500 in the AEXXXX range. We only spoke briefly and he didn't look anything up, he was just going off top of his head.

Just my $0.01 (I don't know enough to have a full $0.02 :-)

BB45C
 
Here're mine:

6.5" ABZ84XX
6.5" ABZ39XX
4" ABZ41XX
3" LH AEJ85XX (now a 4"
icon_biggrin.gif
)
 
Mine: Originial owner of all-

6.5" ABZ4469 shot with presentation case
6.5" ABZ3522 NIB " " "
4" ABZ0561 NIB " " "

please note that Smith stopped issuing PC's with
N frame guns just before this model was "reissued"
so I picked up the PC's seperately as Smith was then selling
them as options.
 
I'm curious now how high the serial numbers ran on the supposed 7500 4" and 6.5" Model 24-3's. I don't know if they started at ABZ0001 or skipped blocks of numbers. Mine is ABZ750X and I had guessed that it was one of the last ones made, but I see member jefats has ABZ84XX. I guess that's why Mr. Jinks tells us not to put too much speculation into serial numbers sometimes.
 
Here's the contents of a letter from Roy dated May 18, 1984 regarding M24's.

We received your letter of recent date in reference to the Model 24's.

Smith & Wesson's production on the current group of Model 24 was limited to 7500 units to be manufactured during 1983 and 1984. These revolvers were assigned to a serial number lot of ABZ0001 to ABZ9999. All 7500 units were to be numbered within this series. However, there was another group of approximately 2500 N frames serial numbers within this range so as to complete the block of numbers. The fact that your revolver bears serial number ABZ81XX does not indicate that there are more than 7500 units as these Model 24's were not sequentially numbered.

At the present time, Smith & Wesson is not planning any additional Model 24's in the standard configuration. However, if shooter demand is so great, Smith & Wesson may be pressured into producing another production run.

We hope that this information is helpful.

Sincerely,
Smith & Wesson
Roy G. Jinks
 
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