I love the 8 shot, 357 Magnum concept.
Back in 1996 when it leaked out the Lew Horton was going to have Smith and Wesson make these odd wheel guns for the upcoming SHOT Show I was excited. I called and asked that they send me #357. I have always liked serial numbers.
What I was told is that 300 were being produced and that was it. So I had #27 sent instead. It arrived in June. That is the revolver in the top left of this image.
Not too long after getting #27 I got a call from Lew Horton asking if I was still interested in having #357. It turns out that this was the fastest selling Distributor Exclusive they ever had. So in September #357 arrived. That is the revolver in the upper right of the above photo.
The rest as they say is History. Thanks to Lew Horton, that model has been in continuous production for 19 years now and we have had dozens of variation on it over the years.
But these were stainless and the top straps were uncheckered. So in 2000 Bangers produced 4" and 6 1/2" model 27s complete with proper top straps. When I learned of these I was too late to have both barrel lengths in #27. One had already been sold. #357 was out of the picture because only 100 of each were being produced. So I settles on a number with no meaning, but they were the same.
In 2001 Bangers was supposed to follow up with 3 1/2" and 5" 27s. It is very sketchy why this did not happen.
However in 2006, Lew Horton picked up the ball and gave us blue Registered Magnums in 3 1/2" and 5". Yes I bought the same serial numbers as the Bangers guns.
2007 saw Lew Horton release the Registered Magnums in Nickel. Naturally I had to add those as well
Here is a complete set, one of each 8 shot, 357 Magnum model 27 configuration that has ever been produced. All six have the number. None of these have been fired since leaving the factory (I have other non-matching that I do shoot).
There have been many others along the way
There are more to photograph and more still to buy
And I have to include my little 8 shot revolver as well
