624 updated post 16

[krsmith58]

went to local gun show yesterday. it was small but i was able to pick up a few desirable, to me, and thought i would share this one with you all.

an individual with a couple of tables selling some his personal collection. in his display case there was a 624 he had labeled as a 44 magnum. 3 inch barrel and 2 sets of grips. the light colored were some sort of antler material.

we went back and fourth a little and settled on a price of $1300.00. i got home and into my fourth edition and i believe it was a lou horton exclusive. barrel reads 44 Special but sure enough chambered a magnum round. got to looking here and elsewhere and determined it is one of the ones Smith recalled after it was discovered some mdl 24s had been fitted with the wrong (magnum) cylinder. serial # ALB3582

sorry about the crappy pics. just wanted to share what i think was a cool find with my forum family. krs

 

[629shooter]

Nice 624. With the Combat stocks being present, you did well.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[22hipower]

I've seen them sell for more. I've been watching for one for some time to go with my 4 and 6 inch 624s but they're always "too expensive." They were "too expensive" at $800. . . . . Nice buy, great gun. Will the cylinder close and rotate with the magnum rounds? If so, sure wouldn't shoot it with one. My 696 will chamber some 44 mags and the cylinder will close but won't rotate and the hammer can't be cocked.

Jeff
SWCA $1457

 

[krsmith58]

I've seen them sell for more. I've been watching for one for some time to go with my 4 and 6 inch 624s but they're always "too expensive." They were "too expensive" at $800. . . . . Nice buy, great gun. Will the cylinder close and rotate with the magnum rounds? If so, sure wouldn't shoot it with one. My 696 will chamber some 44 mags and the cylinder will close but won't rotate and the hammer can't be cocked.

Jeff
SWCA $1457

interesting, i just checked to see if they would load into cylinder. i didn't close it or see if it would function with the mags. i definitely wont shoot magnums in it even if they would fire. thanks for the heads up. kenny

 

[CH4]

Nice piece, especially with the combats.

I'd been looking for a 3" 624, but recently picked up a pristine, 3" 24-3 with combats, which scratched that itch. It was a find at my local Bass Pro. $783 with vet discount. Still smiling.

 

[krsmith58]

Nice piece, especially with the combats.

I'd been looking for a 3"623, but recently picked up a pristine, 3" 24-3 with combats, which scratched that itch. It was a find at my local Bass Pro. $783 with vet discount. Still smiling.

first, thank you for your service. that's a beauty and a great price. thanks for sharing. krs

 

[ladder13]

The shoes are in storage. Both LH as are most of them I believe. Earl used to provide free "letters" via email.
Now a fee is charged I understand.
No biggie, LH or not, you have a great N snub.


file image uploader

 

[S&WIowegan]

Lew Horton????

I have 2 3" 624s. One letters as a Lew Horton and the other one isn't. Why? Because S&W had leftover parts which they assembled and sold. This was pretty routine back when S&W would make special runs.

If your 624 will chamber and fire 44 Magnum DO NOT send it in to S&W to be "tested"! They will keep it! They have also made 629s with 3" barrels so look closely at the labels.

 

[krsmith58]

Mother ship

thanks to all for the replies. my research turns up that there are no replacement cylinders so if you send your revolver in for the recall you will NOT get it back.

i would not fire magnums in it even though they may work. i seldom shoot mags in my 29s/629s. i save the mags for my lever action rifles. same with my 357s/38s.

my research leans toward the fact that firing the magnums was never about safety but about Smith trying to correct an issue that putting the wrong cylinder in the 624s wasn't a positive reflection on the company.


again thanks to all. krs/kenny

 

[cmj8591]

If the gun chambers and properly head spaces with a 44 magnum, why would you not fire it?

 

[krsmith58]

If the gun chambers and properly head spaces with a 44 magnum, why would you not fire it?

i very seldom fire magnums in my 44s, 357s. or 41s. partly economic as in costs less and my hands just can't stand the abuse the mags dish out. also i have lever action rifles that i save the mags for. that said i'm always looking for the 41 magnum lever guns which has alluded me so far. thanks, krs kenny

 

[jtcarm]

I certainly hope it works well for you, but sans a factory letter stating it shipped that way, I would've kept walking.

 

[wagonman]

the cylinder of the 44mag is 1.702 in length, the 44spl is 1.577, by my measurements, the barrel extension on 44mag is .132 on 44spl .250, my point is they bored some 624 cylinders deep enough to accept mag ammo. they didn't use a magnum cylinder I have one in the recall serial #range, and would not send it in for inspection. and no it won't chamber a 44mag case.

 

[cmj8591]

the cylinder of the 44mag is 1.702 in length, the 44spl is 1.577, by my measurements, the barrel extension on 44mag is .132 on 44spl .250, my point is they bored some 624 cylinders deep enough to accept mag ammo. they didn't use a magnum cylinder I have one in the recall serial #range, and would not send it in for inspection. and no it won't chamber a 44mag case.

The 624 and 629 receive the same heat treatment. They have the same cylinder wall thickness at the cylinder stop notches, which are the weak point. The 44 magnum OAL is about 1.6" so the length of the special cylinder is a bit short depending on the bullet used in the 44 mag. From a pressure standpoint, there is no reason why it can't be done so long as the OAL of the 44 magnum is short enough to fit in the 44 special cylinder. There are two different questions being discussed here. CAN you safely shoot the gun using a 44 magnum round and WOULD you shoot the gun using a 44 magnum round?

 

[22hipower]

The 624 and 629 receive the same heat treatment. They have the same cylinder wall thickness at the cylinder stop notches, which are the weak point. The 44 magnum OAL is about 1.6" so the length of the special cylinder is a bit short depending on the bullet used in the 44 mag. From a pressure standpoint, there is no reason why it can't be done so long as the OAL of the 44 magnum is short enough to fit in the 44 special cylinder. There are two different questions being discussed here. CAN you safely shoot the gun using a 44 magnum round and WOULD you shoot the gun using a 44 magnum round?

I believe S&W will tell you not to fire a 44 Mag round in a 624; why else would they have recalled the 624s and kept those that would chamber a 44 Mag? If the factory says don't do it, it might not be a good idea to try to prove them wrong. Certainly wouldn't fire 44 Mag in my 624s, not that I can, they won't chamber.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[krsmith58]

update

i almost forgot about answering a question or two about a 624 that i found at gun show.

44 special revolver will chamber and the action works as it should with 44 magnum rounds. i don't intend to shoot any magnum ammo it.

as luck would have it, if i just can't stand it and must shoot mags in a 3 inch round butt N frame, problem solved.

thanks for the replies, krs/kenny