Classic Hunters?

[Cal44]

I have a 657-3 Classic Hunter 41 mag, and really like it.

There are other "Classic Hunter" models out there.

Does anyone collect these?

I believe there are 629, 610, and 686 classic hunters at least.

They seem to have, in common, double lugged barrels or 6 - 6.5 inches.

Is there is N frame 357 mag Classic hunter model?

Pictures always welcome.

Dave

 

[colt_saa]

Lots of Classic Hunter style revovlers in many, many calibers and various barrel lengths

Here is a 627

These are all 657s

How about a 10MM 3" version?

Or 3" 44 Magnums in blue or stainless

There are lots more but I don't own them or have them photographed

 

[Glynngaddy]

I have a 29-5 Classic Hunter made only in 90 or 91 I think

 

[Cal44]

Colt SAA

Are you sure those short barrel guns are "Classic Hunters" ?

There are many guns called "Hunters" "Light Hunters" "Magnum Hunters" etc. Plus there are "Classics" with no hunter in the name.

But all the classic hunters I can find have long barrels.

 

[colt_saa]

Colt SAA

Are you sure those short barrel guns are "Classic Hunters" ?

There are many guns called "Hunters" "Light Hunters" "Magnum Hunters" etc. Plus there are "Classics" with no hunter in the name.

But all the classic hunters I can find have long barrels.

Not all Classic Hunter style firearms are rollmarked Classic Hunter. Classic Hunters have been produced over the past 3+ decades in at least 3", 5", 5 1/2", 6", 6 1/2", 7 1/2" and 8 3/8" configurations. Long barrels are by far the most common.

Here are examples of the names that you mention

This is a Lite Hunter

This is a Magnum Hunter

These are Hunters

Classics are simply the modern re-introductions of older (often discontinued) firearm configurations.

 

[madmikeb]

This is the original "Classic Hunter." They were a 29-3 and the name was chosen from a contest in Shooting Times.

This one has a Hogue stock, has been tuned by Andy Cannon and a Millet sight.

 

[DR505]

657-2, 627-0, 686-3. That's it for me...sorry for such a poor showing.

 

[Cal44]

Not all Classic Hunter style firearms are rollmarked Classic Hunter. Classic Hunters have been produced over the past 3+ decades in at least 3", 5", 5 1/2", 6", 6 1/2", 7 1/2" and 8 3/8" configurations. Long barrels are by far the most common.

I just brought up the S&W catalog on my Kindle and searched for "classic hunter".

And you are right. They did sell models in the barrel lengths you mentioned -- all the way down to a few 3" ers.

Very nice pictures of guns in your post. Thanks.

Dave

 

[Cal44]

657-2, 627-0, 686-3. That's it for me...sorry for such a poor showing.

Not a poor showing at all.

I'd like to find one of the 357 mag variants.

Thanks for the pics.

Dave

 

[Fishinfool]

This is the original 629 classic hunter, a one year only model from 1989 I believe. The stocks are original to the gun. 6 inch barrel. Very accurate, and has accounted for a few whitetails.

Larry

 

[kff41]

Nice N frames Is any of the 41mags factory power ported as I have a 657 that is a 6.5 barrel unfired and box even states power ported wonder how many made It is full lug no fluting on cylinder bought years ago but it never replaced my 657 8 3/8 standard lug with a 2x Leopold scope in the deer stand

 

[Cal44]

Nice N frames Is any of the 41mags factory power ported as I have a 657 that is a 6.5 barrel unfired and box even states power ported wonder how many made It is full lug no fluting on cylinder bought years ago but it never replaced my 657 8 3/8 standard lug with a 2x Leopold scope in the deer stand

The catalog mentions a Magnum Hunter 657 that was factory ported.

My M657-3 classic hunter is not ported.

 

[Snapping Twig]

This is the original "Classic Hunter." They were a 29-3 and the name was chosen from a contest in Shooting Times.

This one has a Hogue stock, has been tuned by Andy Cannon and a Millet sight.

And here's mine -same gun, a 29-3, but its been to Mag-Na-Port and hard chromed. They also tuned it up for me to my specs.

 

[colt_saa]

Nice N frames Is any of the 41mags factory power ported as I have a 657 that is a 6.5 barrel unfired and box even states power ported wonder how many made It is full lug no fluting on cylinder bought years ago but it never replaced my 657 8 3/8 standard lug with a 2x Leopold scope in the deer stand

Yes, it is pictured in my thread above and again here

That is product code 103948. The revolver is marked as the Classic Hunter II on the barrel. 500 were produced, all on round butt frames. The grips are manufactured by Altamonte. Most of these were produced in 1999.

Your box will have a 4 digit Spec Ord number on the end label. That is the date of manufacture of your revolver. First digit is the year, the remaining 3 digits are the date in Julian format.

 

[AveragEd]

I just have one, a 6" 686-3 I bought used several years ago that almost appears to be unfired, so I haven't shot it.

The unfluted cylinder lends a unique look to an S&W revolver but it also adds weight, something you would more prefer to have in a target-specific handgun than one to be carried while hunting. I also question why they put black sights on a "hunting" revolver - that is the application where colored sights are most useful. But Classic Hunters are something of an oddity as only 5,000 of each was supposedly made and that alone makes them interesting.

And it seems that they were shipped with either factory checkered target stocks like mine was or with the aftermarket Hogue MonoGrip, something I find strange for a limited-run handgun. It's also weird that S&W used the aftermarket Hogue instead of the one bearing their own logo. But we all have learned that you can't always depend on S&W to do the expected.

Ed

 

[kff41]

Thanks for the reply and the info did not realize only 500 made Best kff41

 

[H Richard]

Another of the "originals", the 29-3 with the 4 position front sight.

 

[PA Guns & Ammo]

I would like to get a Classic Hunter in the 629 but my 686 will suffice for now:

 

[Rahjerz]

629-1 Classic Hunter

629-1 Classic Hunter NIB.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Classic Hunters

I've got a 657-5 Classic Hunter 7-1/2" too.

I also have a 686-6 Talo 5" that, while technically not designated as such, is essentially a Classic Hunter too.

.

686-6 (top left) & 657-5 (top right)

.

 

[Glynngaddy]

Magazine with the name the pistol article from Sept 87

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

629-1 Classic Hunter NIB.

I think it's interesting to note the box itself does not say anything about "Classic Hunter", other than the unique product code. Per the Spec Ord # your gun shipped September 22, 1988. One year, to the month, after the Shooting Times article was published. I also have BBD51XX and BBD46XX in my s/n collection, both are 103616, that also shipped on that very same day. These were some of the last -1's. By December the -2 was shipping.

 

[Rahjerz]

I think it's interesting to note the box itself does not say anything about "Classic Hunter", other than the unique product code. Per the Spec Ord # your gun shipped September 22, 1988. One year, to the month, after the Shooting Times article was published. I also have BBD51XX and BBD46XX in my s/n collection, both are 103616, that also shipped on that very same day. These were some of the last -1's. By December the -2 was shipping.

Do you have the boxes for yours? Do they say anything about being a Classic Hunter. The previous owner said he bought a 686 Classic Hunter and this 629 at the same time, are you familiar with the 686 being called a Classic Hunter? He gave the impression that these were being sold as a pair.

 

[one eye joe]

HERE'S A PAIR OF 629s THAT I USED TO WEAR TOGETHER @ SERIOUS SOCIAL FUNCTIONS, IN MY YOUNGER DAYS. THE 8 3/8" IS A CLASSIC HUNTER…….

 

[DR505]

HERE'S A PAIR OF 629s THAT I USED TO WEAR TOGETHER @ SERIOUS SOCIAL FUNCTIONS, IN MY YOUNGER DAYS. THE 8 3/8" IS A CLASSIC HUNTER…….

THOSE are nice. A shoulder rig and a belt rig opposite sides?

 

[gumpys]

Lots of Classic Hunter style revovlers in many, many calibers and various barrel lengths

Here is a 627

These are all 657s

How about a 10MM 3" version?

Or 3" 44 Magnums in blue or stainless

There are lots more but I don't own them or have them photographed

You got plenty of eye candy there.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

Do you have the boxes for yours?

I don't have the box or the gun. I just collect the s/n's, ship dates, product codes, and other little details from boxes and guns I've seen. I don't think I have ever seen the words "Classic Hunter" on a box. It's either on the gun, or you have to have a SCSW to look up the product code to find out what it was called. I do believe M686 Classic Hunters were made, along with other models. I don't think they were sold as pairs, at least not from the factory. A distributor might of. Do your own research. Try Google and this forum and search with the words "smith & wesson", "classic hunter", and the product code.

 

[ko41]

My first 657 Classic Hunter that I bought in '91 or '92.

KO

 

[AveragEd]

Kernel, per the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, which S&W considers gospel for guns manufactured prior to their 1994 (I think?) computer crash, Product Code 104249 as shown on my gun's box label is the one for the 686 Classic Hunter. The guns are not marked and to my knowledge, none of the accompanying paperwork was either. I don't own any of the other models so I never looked them up but paging through the sections on those model numbers will answer your question regarding validity.

When I was buying mine, I called S&W to ask how many were made and was told that four had been shipped since 1994. I thought that meant just four were ever made but when another one popped up on GunBroker a few months later, I almost hit the "Buy Now" button but considered the odds of someone like me who has never been one to fall into such good fortune being able to own 50% of the ones that were made, so I called again. This time, the computer crash was explained to me. S&W can only cite what their records indicate and everything before the crash was lost, so they defer to the SCoSW on guns shipped prior to that crash. When I told the person with whom I spoke that the book states that 5,000 were made, the reply was, "Then that's the right number."

Apparently, and this is MY assumption, 4,996 were shipped prior to the computer crash and the four remaining guns were shipped afterward. Talk about your "fuzzy math"...

Ed

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

I went back a looked a my notes and a lot of the box did have the words "CLASSIC HUNTER" on them, like ko41's. Some did, some didn't. Typical S&W practice.

Found this interesting article:

A love for the classic sixguns. Smith & Wesson's Classic Hunter