A Lew Horton 24-3....or is it? PICS
- Thread starter MAG-NUM
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tradrick
Member
This would be a fine example of why I love wheel guns. Simply awesome.
cmannie
Member
24-3
FWIW....
Every boxed Lew Horton 24-3 3 inch I have seen,(maybe 10 or 12) have ALL had 2 pc boxes...Your gun is the first I have seen in a one pc box...Leads Me to think that it WAS one of the last...The gun was maybe at S&W factory,and the "new" one pc boxes began to be shipped...Like the LAST of the 27-2 guns were...Put into one pc boxes...
Hope this helps.
Beautiful gun.
FWIW....
Every boxed Lew Horton 24-3 3 inch I have seen,(maybe 10 or 12) have ALL had 2 pc boxes...Your gun is the first I have seen in a one pc box...Leads Me to think that it WAS one of the last...The gun was maybe at S&W factory,and the "new" one pc boxes began to be shipped...Like the LAST of the 27-2 guns were...Put into one pc boxes...
Hope this helps.
Beautiful gun.
Good to know. Mine's an AEM gun, presumably one of the last ones shipped.
Looks a lot like all the others.
crackerjack
Member
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I have a 24-3 and called Lou Horton they stated it also was not one they sold. Apparently a number of these were sold by other distribution . Mine is quite accurate and a pleasure to carry and shoot . Enjoy it.
Frank
Frank
I think I remember that S&W sold a lot of these outside of Lew Hortons.
If you've never held one of these babies in your hand, it's hard to appreciate how special they are. Love those finger groove combats!
I'm trying to figure out best to CC one. I think I see a new Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake on my Christmas list.
Here's a pic of mine.
MajorDude
If you've never held one of these babies in your hand, it's hard to appreciate how special they are. Love those finger groove combats!
I'm trying to figure out best to CC one. I think I see a new Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake on my Christmas list.
Here's a pic of mine.
MajorDude
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senecaap
Member
I paired mine up with an IWB from Black Hills Leather
( Black Hills Leather - Only the best custom gun leather western cowboy police holsters rigs ) and it is one of the most comfortable gun/holster combos I have, sitting standing hiking whatever. Rides at 4:00 so nice I forget it is there, and disappears under any but the thinnest/clingiest tshirt. This holster sealed the deal for me, I'm never buying from anyone but Rudy.
senecaap
Member
I have also heard that LH didn't take the full run, and has done so numerous times, and that S&W just filters them through other channels. I have never heard of any other distributor ordering this configuration, I would assume it was the tail end of the run, and never got to LH.
Shouldn't make any difference if was marketed by LH or S&W, it's a great gun. Identical in every way. If you haven't shot it please do so for the enjoyment of it. Mine is an AEM S/N and came in a 2 piece box and Roy tells me was shipped July 84.
I replaced the grips to a Rd to Sq butt conversion.
I replaced the grips to a Rd to Sq butt conversion.
cmannie
Member
624
By the way...
I called S&W Performance Center a couple years ago,researching a 629 UDR I had...They confirmed that many of the special run guns were NOT always ALL taken by the distributor that placed the order...(Lew Horton,Zanders,Davidsons,Etc) and also that sometimes they would stop production in the run,if the guns were not selling well...So,if the run was for 300 guns,they may have stopped at 225,say...or 250...He also told Me that if the run called for a specific number,that is the number that was publicized,the "interrupted run" was not announced,(obviously!)
SO...Even if a gun is "listed" as "5,000 made for Lew Horton"
Or "300 made for RSR" there is no surety that they even MADE ALL "5,000" or "300"
It MAY be less...
OK...Hope this helps...
By the way...
I called S&W Performance Center a couple years ago,researching a 629 UDR I had...They confirmed that many of the special run guns were NOT always ALL taken by the distributor that placed the order...(Lew Horton,Zanders,Davidsons,Etc) and also that sometimes they would stop production in the run,if the guns were not selling well...So,if the run was for 300 guns,they may have stopped at 225,say...or 250...He also told Me that if the run called for a specific number,that is the number that was publicized,the "interrupted run" was not announced,(obviously!)
SO...Even if a gun is "listed" as "5,000 made for Lew Horton"
Or "300 made for RSR" there is no surety that they even MADE ALL "5,000" or "300"
It MAY be less...
OK...Hope this helps...
Belt Fed
Member
If I remember correctly, the L.H. 44 Special Snub Nose came with a S&W holster included in the price.
firearmsunlimited
Member
A $50.00 letter will solve the mystery.
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I bought mine, AEM 7xxx, new in the box from a gun store in San Diego. It came with the holster, which I didn't want due to me being a lefty and it being a right handed version..... but took it anyway in that the store owner told me it came with it. I believe (believed) that the holster was included which is why I have it today. It is possible that the store owner, who I have known for years and did a ton of business with, added the $30 in the price I paid, but I don't believe so in that I didn't want it. And, he may have just throw it in, not really having a market for it without the gun. I will never know in that I don't recall what I paid for the package and he closed the shop nearly 10 years ago when he retired. Regardless, I did get the holster which still resides in the original packaging. It is a fine handling, great looking firearm, in the perfect caliber, in the perfect format (N frame) IMHO. A final note........as I have stated in other threads over the past several years, I still prefer my 696 as a 'carry' piece due to the slightly smaller frame and grip, and the stainless steel construction.
Marshall 357
Member
Its a great looking 44 !
kalei
Member
found mine at a local gun shop about 8 yrs ago. It is a LH 24-3 S/N AEM0xx, very nice no box, papers et. has been shot. kinda big for my hands.
Smithhound
US Veteran
As others have said already 5,000 were made initially for LH, but it appears they could not turn the entire lot and the remainders where then sold thru S&W as a special run.
Whatever the case that particualar model, as well as the 3" 624, is one of the 'classiest' looking revolvers ever made. Just the look says "business". I believe (but could be wrong) that Bill Jordan said 'I like big bore's, because they leave big holes'.
I've been lucky enough to put together a set of the 3", 4" and 6 1/2", all NIB that are really the pride of my collection. Also along the way the identical set in SS were accumulated. The SS 624's do get shot, but not the blued 24's. That's just a me thing.
When the 24-3 came out in 1983 my Wife was pregnant with our Son and money was tight as bark on a tree. I worked in a small shop at the time and wanted a set so bad it hurt. Could not be done, but I swore I would eventually have it.
It took almost 25 years to do but I did it. The 6 1/2" was the first, found at a gun show in Chatt. I found it on the second table I looked at, picked it up and noticed a fellow behind me just itching to look at it, I knew if I set it down it would be gone. I paid $400 for it OTD.
A few years later I got a call from a good friend that She had a 'funny' looking 3" .44 just in, looked new...I think I left the phone reciever swinging in air as I ran for the truck. That one set me back a whopping $450!
A few years later and I found one here on the Forum, the 4", the hardest to come by in NIB. I ended up with it and if memory serves paid over $900 for it, but would have paid more to have it.
So after over 2 decades I kept my promise.
Patience pays.
RD
Whatever the case that particualar model, as well as the 3" 624, is one of the 'classiest' looking revolvers ever made. Just the look says "business". I believe (but could be wrong) that Bill Jordan said 'I like big bore's, because they leave big holes'.
I've been lucky enough to put together a set of the 3", 4" and 6 1/2", all NIB that are really the pride of my collection. Also along the way the identical set in SS were accumulated. The SS 624's do get shot, but not the blued 24's. That's just a me thing.
When the 24-3 came out in 1983 my Wife was pregnant with our Son and money was tight as bark on a tree. I worked in a small shop at the time and wanted a set so bad it hurt. Could not be done, but I swore I would eventually have it.
It took almost 25 years to do but I did it. The 6 1/2" was the first, found at a gun show in Chatt. I found it on the second table I looked at, picked it up and noticed a fellow behind me just itching to look at it, I knew if I set it down it would be gone. I paid $400 for it OTD.
A few years later I got a call from a good friend that She had a 'funny' looking 3" .44 just in, looked new...I think I left the phone reciever swinging in air as I ran for the truck. That one set me back a whopping $450!
A few years later and I found one here on the Forum, the 4", the hardest to come by in NIB. I ended up with it and if memory serves paid over $900 for it, but would have paid more to have it.
So after over 2 decades I kept my promise.
Patience pays.
RD
Marshall 357
Member
WOW! Interesting.
goldenlight
Member
I remember reading the article about them in Guns and Ammo, and that highly respected gun rag
stated that the holsters could be 'purchased separately'.I didn't know about ordering from a distributor back then. I asked my local shop to order one for me, and they said they couldn't get one.
I had a terrible itch to get one, and I wound up buying one in about '86 or '87 used. No box, and it came with Pachmyr grips on it.
It took quite awhile to find to find a set of the correct grips for, as you might imagine.
Mine is in nice shape, but it came to me in 'has been shot some' condition, so mine was never in danger of being a shelf queen.
Mine hasn't had a trigger job, but it has the nicest trigger of my modest collection of S&W revolvers.
Mine has the AEL SN# prefix, and is a LOT of fun to shoot.
I'm sure glad that I reload for it: it is made of the same steel as a Model 29, and can handle MUCH more powerful ammunition than the few loads that are available from the factory.
I load a 250 cast lead Keith style bullet pretty mild for for target shooting. But, with 200 and 225 gr JHP bullets, it can be loaded as hot as recoil allows...and 44 cal snubbies are pretty famous for recoil.
Mag-num: your 24-3 sure is one very beautiful revolver!
Your photography skills really show off that revolver! The bluing on yours is MUCH nicer than mine.
S&W-SL
Member
Not a lot I can add here that DCWilson and others haven't already highlighted.
I, too, have an ALA gun, mine, ALA2432. Roy Jinks told me today that LH not only didn't take all 5000 but then insisted that they did not go to any other distributor. So these are somewhat more scarce than the LH specials.
Mine was issued in 1984. My S&W Authenticity request is on it's way to Springfield for the 'rest of the story'.
You guys here are a terrific resource - THANKS!
I, too, have an ALA gun, mine, ALA2432. Roy Jinks told me today that LH not only didn't take all 5000 but then insisted that they did not go to any other distributor. So these are somewhat more scarce than the LH specials.
Mine was issued in 1984. My S&W Authenticity request is on it's way to Springfield for the 'rest of the story'.
You guys here are a terrific resource - THANKS!
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