The top revolver is product code 101024. That is a 627 that was made beginning with no engineering revisions and ending with the -2 engineering revision. 5276 of product code 101024 were manufactured across the four engineering revisions. The -0 is the most common variation of this product code while the -2 is the rarest.
The example in your photographs is quite obviously a -0 engineering revision. The example in the photograph has the longer stop notches that were introduced at the -0 revision but is clearly not a Drilled and Tapped frame which is the change that occurred at the -1 engineering revision
The second revolver is a WHISCO Exclusive offering, most likely the second revolver is product code 101030. This was a specal run for a German Distributor. Quantities are unknown on this firearm however it is a much smaller number of pieces than the first revovler.
You are correct, the first revolver has a 5 1/2" barrel while the second revolver is a 5" barrel. You have a good eye to notice the 1/2" shorter barrel in photographs.
It is harder to tell the engineering revision of the second revolver without a view of the top-strap. It is definitely a -0 or beyond since it has the long stop notches. Since it is wearing the newer cylinder release I would guess it to be a late -1 engineering revision. It is extremely unlikely that the second gun would be a -2 engineering revision since it is not built on the CNC milled frame
It was mentioned as to whether these are 6 shot or 8 shot. It is obvious from the photos that these are both 6 shot revolvers. If they were the newer 8 shot design there would be more stop notches visible in the cylinder.
You would be hard pressed to go wrong with either firearm. Both were manufactured in the same era at Smith and Wesson
I have been shooting a -1 engineering revision of product code 101024 for many, many years now and it would be very hard to give it up
.
