4 Round Butt 3 and 2.5 Inch Beauties

[CKPOMEH]

Folks -

Xmas came early for me. Was one of those Sundays where at the shooting range, I had to wait so much that I just gave up and decided to stroll by the LGS as I had to pick up a 3rd gen Detective Special I had purchased the prior week online.

So, I walk in an notice a 100+ gun collection just brought to the floor the prior day (mostly S&W revolvers from the 80s, but there were some Colts and some 70s Smiths).

I made 3-4 separate trips over a week as I was getting overwhelmed by the amount of revolvers I had interest in, and had to keep doing research to make sure I was getting decent buys.

Here is the output of one of those trips, starting with top left:
66-3 3 inch, came with a box
686 (no dash) 2.5 inch
657 (no dash) 3 inch - I read only 150 or so of those were produced
629-1 3 inch

Just wanted to share, and add a couple of things:

1) Anyone who can confirm on the numbers for the 657 3 in RB quantities? The owner must have shot it the most - had the most carbon on it, and it felt the most 'worked out' - smoothest trigger, looks like it will be a pleasure to shoot occasionally.

2) The 629-1 combat grips are a little more edgy on the finger grooves than the rest. I looked at a couple others online and they looked similar - I assume that's what the OEMs looked like for this Lew Horton run? Or a potential repro?

3) The full extractor rod on the 3 inch 66 makes a whole different extracting experience. I have a 2 3/4 model 19 and extraction has always been tricky, so never felt comforable to have it as part of the EDC lineup. I may add the 66 to my EDC line up...should I given its rarity or just using my Kimber K6S in 3 inch? I like the Kimber and it is the smallest package 3 inch 357 I have been able to locate...

Cheers!

 

[ACE10000D]

Quite a find for you. Almost makes me nauseous to think a poor widow might've just lost thousands of dollars selling her late husband's collection to a LGS (probably a fear for a lot of collectors). Hopefully that's not the case. The grips all look factory.

 

[philbrook3]

The 657 appears to be the one made in 84-86 time frame. The 657 that was 1 of 156 was a full lug Lew Horton gun. If I remember remember right they produced more of the 3” 657 than they did the 4”. Nice pickup

 

[Bald1]

Nice haul. Congrats on being in the right place at the right time

 

[jer830]

Yeah. I’ll second the opinion that the widow probably got screwed. No she did get screwed. Good for the OP to get them, but my experiences with gun dealers always leaves me with a want to shower. If I shake hands with a gun dealer I always count my fingers afterwards. But with the laws requiring transfers through dealers, you got to accept and deal with it. Enjoy.

 

[bobsguns]

Wow, a 629 with a 3" bbl!

Momma mia`!


On the flip side, the widow might be a gun hater & just wanted to get rid of them? Been known to happen.

 

[boykinlp]

Quite a nice haul!
Larry

 

[TheTinMan]

Very nice! The first revolver I ever bought was a new Model 66-4 with a 3” barrel. It just felt right to me.

 

[CKPOMEH]

Quite a find for you. Almost makes me nauseous to think a poor widow might've just lost thousands of dollars selling her late husband's collection to a LGS (probably a fear for a lot of collectors). Hopefully that's not the case. The grips all look factory.

So, from the store, they told me the guy was a gun dealer, as the guns I bought (most with boxes) had a 'personal' sticker on those boxes. Some were unfired but most had slight usage. I picked some other rare S&W finds like a 6 inch Midnight Black SS 686, 6 inch 29-3 Hunter with unfluted cylinder and full underlug, etc). Not sure if the collector was still alive or not, but he was definitely a S&W guys. There were some Colts, but no more than 10-ish.

 

[CKPOMEH]

The 657 appears to be the one made in 84-86 time frame. The 657 that was 1 of 156 was a full lug Lew Horton gun. If I remember remember right they produced more of the 3” 657 than they did the 4”. Nice pickup

Thanks!

I have the SN (ANP 45XX) pinning it down to 1987. The only product code with 3" barrel in the SWSC is 103951 - 3" RB RR/WO from 1986. So it is possible this is the gun (no box came with this one unfortunately).

In the catalog, the Lew Horton one was referred to as manufactured in 1998 so, it would be 657-4...This seems late for the Lew Horton guns with those RB combats, most appear to be mid and late 80s vintages....

 

[CKPOMEH]

Very nice! The first revolver I ever bought was a new Model 66-4 with a 3” barrel. It just felt right to me.

Yes, this gun feels so good in the hands. I mean, it is a SS model 19 just with a full extractor rod, so much better than the 2 3/4 with short extractor. And I have found the M19s to have the best triggers - they just perfected them over all of those years.

 

[StrawHat]

Quite a find for you. Almost makes me nauseous to think a poor widow might've just lost thousands of dollars selling her late husband's collection to a LGS (probably a fear for a lot of collectors). Hopefully that's not the case. The grips all look factory.

Yeah. I’ll second the opinion that the widow probably got screwed. No she did get screwed. Good for the OP to get them, but my experiences with gun dealers always leaves me with a want to shower. If I shake hands with a gun dealer I always count my fingers afterwards. But with the laws requiring transfers through dealers, you got to accept and deal with it. Enjoy.

Or, the deceased told her to take them to that dealer as he trusted the dealer to consign them and Pat the lady. He may have struck the deal himself.

I know I have made provisions for that eventuality.

If shooters keep ignoring the LGSand buying online or elsewhere, the LGS will soon disappear from the picture. A town North West of me went from 4 gun store to 1. Another town, North of me is losing their second gun shop. It is a shame no one wants to support the local guy.

Kevin