617-1

[dave790]

i just got a 617-1 , 6 in. , 6 shot ser. no. CAH5xxx, can you give me a date of birth on it. it is in great shape with box and papers but it has seen a few rounds. got it for 600. they don't show up around here much.
thanks dave

 

[MakeMyNight]

I can't pin the date exactly, but the model 617-1 was manufactured between 1993 and 1996 and from what I can decipher (by serial prefix), the gun's dob may have been late 1995.

Hopefully, someone with more insight regarding the dash 1 engineering change will chime in and clarify.

If You can give the product number from the box, that would help immensely.

 

[k22fan]

dave790,
Your box end label is dated with a Julian calendar date that is marked "Spec. Ord.". It was assumed you know the decade so it's four digits, year of the decade, then day of the year. Your 617 is from the 90's so 1234 would be read the 234th day of 1991.

The dash one signifies a change of rear sights to the current type that is drilled and tapped under neath.

Best Regards,
Gil

 

[stevieboy]

I've got a -1 in 4" made back in '93. Mine shoots like a laser. You're gonna love yours. Congrats.

 

[fyimo]

Congratulations as they are wonderful revolvers

 

[dave790]

thanks to all. k22fan, spec. ord is 5306 so i read it as 306 day of 1995. it does shot great. when i retired from work in 2005 they wanted to buy any thing i wanted up to 500.oo. like a stove or washer but i told them i wanted a s&w so they gave me a check and i got a 617-4 6in. 10 shot. i need to get it out and shoot it. the 617-1 will be the work horse.
dave

 

[wproct]

Congratulations on your new 617-1! I see you've already found out that the 617's are addictive.

 

[wproct]

dave790,
Your box end label is dated with a Julian calendar date that is marked "Spec. Ord.". It was assumed you know the decade so it's four digits, year of the decade, then day of the year. Your 617 is from the 90's so 1234 would be read the 234th day of 1991.

The dash one signifies a change of rear sights to the current type that is drilled and tapped under neath.

Best Regards,
Gil

Strange, this special order code on the box of my 17-6 does not agree with the year of production that Smith & Wesson gave me? The first number of the code on my box says the 9th year of the decade, and Smith & Wesson told me it was made in 1993.

 

[k22fan]

Strange, this special order code on the box of my 17-6 does not agree with the year of production that Smith & Wesson gave me? The first number of the code on my box says the 9th year of the decade, and Smith & Wesson told me it was made in 1993.

The spec. ord. number on box end labels actually being a Julian date is something that I've read on this forum many times but not seen in print elsewhere. The number has translated into a sensible date on all the other boxes I've looked at. I think I have a logical explanation for the number on your box but I welcome correction by experts.

I think your 17-6's box was labeled in 1989 and the S&W customer service representitive told you it was "made" in 1993 but more correctly should have worded that "shipped" in 1993. I arrived at this explanation because under model 17 "Engineering and Production Changes" in the SCSW (2006), p. 184, Supica & Nahas write "1989: Model [17-5] discontinued for model 17-6, full-lug version." and all the S&W historical letters I've seen have been worded "shipped in".

On p. 400 the SCSW lists serial number prefixs used in 1989 as BDC, BDS, BDY, BDY-BDZ, BEA-BED, BFE, BEK, BEN and BEP. For 1993 the prefixs listed are BMB, BNW, BPD, BPE, and BPK. The prefix list is known to be incomplete but is your 17-6's prefix on either list?

Gil

 

[Camster]

I can't pin the date exactly, but the model 617-1 was manufactured between 1993 and 1996 and from what I can decipher (by serial prefix), the gun's dob may have been late 1995.

Hopefully, someone with more insight regarding the dash 1 engineering change will chime in and clarify.

If You can give the product number from the box, that would help immensely.

My 617-1 has a CCP prefix and I've always thought that it was a 1998 gun.

 

[k22fan]

Nit-picking details when I could head for the range.

[...] the model 617-1 was manufactured between 1993 and 1996 [...]

My 617-1 has a CCP prefix and I've always thought that it was a 1998 gun.

The dash 1 was not replaced by the dash 2 10 shot in 1996 but continued in production until replaced by the dash 3 in 1998. CCP falls in between prefixs listed for 1998 is the SCSW, P. 400.

 

[wproct]

K22fan, thank you very much for taking the time for the detailed response to my question. Actually, my serial number isn't in the two categories that you listed, my serial number starts with BEE.
Thanks,
Bill