Found a 627-2 That I Can't Identify now with PHOTOS!!

[AveragEd]

I was surprised to see a -2 with MIM parts and the extended cylinder stop but I didn't have time to check my SCoSW until this morning.

MIM parts did not appear on standard production 627s until the -3, which interestingly was released as an eight-shot gun during the same year as the six-shot -2, 1998. The pictured gun apparently is a Product Code 148327 which is described as: 5" 627-2 6-shot, MIM H&T, gold bead front, box lists SB but gun reportedly is RB; quantities unknown, variously reported as 15 or 300, may be neither. Oddly, the only 627s listed as having unfluted cylinders are 149140, a six-shot 6" 627-2 made for Lew Horton, 149193, an eight-shot 6" and 170095, an eight-shot 6" Performance Center gun. The dash numbers for those last two aren't listed.

It sounds like there is a very appealing cloak of mystery surrounding that gun!

Ed

 

[Hondo44]

I was surprised to see a -2 with MIM parts and the extended cylinder stop but I didn't have time to check my SCoSW until this morning.

MIM parts did not appear on standard production 627s until the -3, which interestingly was released as an eight-shot gun during the same year as the six-shot -2, 1998. The pictured gun apparently is a Product Code 148327 which is described as: 5" 627-2 6-shot, MIM H&T, gold bead front, box lists SB but gun reportedly is RB; quantities unknown, variously reported as 15 or 300, may be neither. Oddly, the only 627s listed as having unfluted cylinders are 149140, a six-shot 6" 627-2 made for Lew Horton, 149193, an eight-shot 6" and 170095, an eight-shot 6" Performance Center gun. The dash numbers for those last two aren't listed.

It sounds like there is a very appealing cloak of mystery surrounding that gun!

Ed

Ed,
steamloco76 said it is Product code 148218 in his 1st post, one not listed in SCSW.

 

[amazingflapjack]

I have a 627-0 mod of 1989 5 1/2 that is full lug and un-fluted and round butt w/ combats. It has German markings and manual, and is a delightful revolver.

 

[BUFF]

I have a 627-2 exactly like the one pictured. S/N is CCU23xx range. I bought it in February, 1999. Interesting gun.

 

[Nightowl]

Back with a range report. Shot 50 magnums and 50 .38's through the new 5". It handles the recoil of the magnums very well and really dampens the .38s. Had a lot of glare off of the gold bead front sight, so the groups at about 10 yards seemed to drift left. Checked the rear sight and, lo and behold, the sights were moved left of center. Centered the rear sight and moved the group back to center. All in all, to say I am quite pleased would be a major understatement.

 

[steamloco76]

I'm very glad to hear the good range report and happy to have helped hook you up with a "Grail" gun!

 

[627 city hunter]

I have a 627-0 mod of 1989 5 1/2 that is full lug and un-fluted and round butt w/ combats. It has German markings and manual, and is a delightful revolver.

I would enjoy some photographs of this firearm, if possible. I enjoy the M627.

 

[Nightowl]

I would enjoy some photographs of this firearm, if possible. I enjoy the M627.

There are some pics in post #12 above that pretty much tell the story.

 

[WhistlerSWE]

I thought I'd wake this thread, if you guys don't mind.

I found this beauty in a shop in Denmark. Now begins the process of import permissions etc, probably 2-3 months before I get the gun in the mail.

It is a 6" (152mm) barreled 6-shot S&W 627-3 in .357 Mag built on the N-frame. I have never seen a 6-shot later than -2, as the -3 started with the 8-shot cylinders and 4" barrels. The "Target Champion" engraving is a sign of it being licensed by Wischo in Germany, where the -0, -1 and -2 generation 6-shot 627's are fairly common, however only with the 5" and occasional 5.5" barrels.

Frame mounted firing pin, 6-shot cylinder and 6" barrel. It is my dreamgun for many years and I didn't even know someone had made it.

Serial number is CHA7661 and seller says it is a 627-3.

This will see a steady diet of the classic 173 gn Keith when it reaches my home in Sweden.

 

[Jamesatrange]

Nice looking gun.

 

[Nightowl]

They are real beasts! That one has a Millet rear sight and a different front sight than what is standard in the U.S. It kinda looks like a Dawson front sight of some sort. The front sight is interchangeable, so maybe the original front sight is with the gun, if it has been changed. I'm have no idea if the gun shipped as is, or sights were changed.
That is a great find anyway, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have mine.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I'll add another version of the 627-2. I bought mine at Rock Island Auction in April of 2007. The gun is 5" barrel with fluted cylinder, Patridge gold bead front sight(interchangeable), MIM case-colored hammer and trigger and a round butt grip wearing Hogue rubber.

The blue hard case it came in serial number matches the gun...#CCZ7294, product code 148327, spec. ord. 8327. The case also indicates the stock is SB but both the rubber Hogues on the gun and the grip frame are round butt; perhaps the stocks on my gun have been switched.

All exterior markings are laser engraved: Right side of barrel "357 Magnum" in cursive and left side Smith & Wesson in cursive. No checkering on top strap. A poster above asked the OP if the example he was discussing was a Performance Center gun. The OP's answer was no and my specimen is also not PC.

This thread makes it clear why Supica and Nahas expressed confusion about 627-2s. If you have a 627-2, don't assume anyone else has one exactly like yours.

 

[WhistlerSWE]

They are real beasts! That one has a Millet rear sight and a different front sight than what is standard in the U.S. It kinda looks like a Dawson front sight of some sort. The front sight is interchangeable, so maybe the original front sight is with the gun, if it has been changed. I'm have no idea if the gun shipped as is, or sights were changed.
That is a great find anyway, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have mine.

The front sight is from a german performance firm called Centra. The front sight has a quick change feature where you lift it up and turn the upper half of it around so you change the point of impact. It is a pure target feature for those events where you sometimes want to hold in the white below the target's center and sometimes in the center of the target.

I wrote S&W about my 627-3 and received this answer:

Your firearm was produced 7/22/2003
Our records show that 501 were produced.

However, that doesn't answer the question of whether there were:
a) 501 pieces of 627-3 made all together or,
b) 501 pieces of 627-3 with six shot cylinders or,
c) 501 pieces of 627-3 with six shot cylinders and 6" barrels.

I would go for b). The 627-3 is pretty common with 8-shot cylinder and the 6" barrel on 6-shot cylinder is way too uncommon to be made in 501 pieces.

 

[Michagun]

I thought I'd wake this thread, if you guys don't mind.

I found this beauty in a shop in Denmark. Now begins the process of import permissions etc, probably 2-3 months before I get the gun in the mail.

It is a 6" (152mm) barreled 6-shot S&W 627-3 in .357 Mag built on the N-frame. I have never seen a 6-shot later than -2, as the -3 started with the 8-shot cylinders and 4" barrels. The "Target Champion" engraving is a sign of it being licensed by Wischo in Germany, where the -0, -1 and -2 generation 6-shot 627's are fairly common, however only with the 5" and occasional 5.5" barrels.

Frame mounted firing pin, 6-shot cylinder and 6" barrel. It is my dreamgun for many years and I didn't even know someone had made it.

Serial number is CHA7661 and seller says it is a 627-3.

This will see a steady diet of the classic 173 gn Keith when it reaches my home in Sweden.

Whistler:

My son is living in DK. I would like to know how to get a target pistol to him. Do you know offhand what the requirements would be for me to ship it and for him to own it? Would it be easier if I sent him a target rifle instead?


Thank,s

---Michagun email is sigsauerfan AT hotmail DOT com

 

[WhistlerSWE]

Michagun: I have no knowledge about exporting firearms from the US, nor on importing to Denmark. However, most Scandinavian countries only allow firearms to be owned if you are a competition shooter or have a hunting license. You can try contacting Huntershouse.dk, they do a lot of import/export sales and are the one I bought this 627-3 from.

 

[WhistlerSWE]

I corresponded with Roy Jinks, S&W Historian:

[My name], right now all I can tell you is that there were 135 guns in the serial range CHA7657 – CHA7661 and they were all in the same configuration as the one you asked about without other serial numbers from other guns I cannot provide the configuration. Roy G. Jinks, S&W Historian

This is indeed thrilling, I will continue my research.

 

[B2zero]

A quick revival of an old post.

I bought a 627-1 the exact same place as OP.

Cant wait to bring it home.

My post of me trying to find more info on it is here :

Identification of a 627-1

Great info in this post..

Thank you..

 

[Theguncollector69]

I have a 627-2 exactly like the one pictured. S/N is CCU23xx range. I bought it in February, 1999. Interesting gun.

I also have one of these mystery 627s with product code 148218. Did you ever find out how many were produced?

 

[Nightowl]

I also have one of these mystery 627s with product code 148218. Did you ever find out how many were produced?

I don't think there were very many, but they do show up from time to time. I think almost as many were sent to Wischo in Germany as there were shipped here. I think the 6 inch is relatively more common, as I know four people that have them. All are are CCU serial numbers. I have two 6 inch 627-2s that are in the CDY 25xx serial number range, product code 149193, Spec. Ord 0342. The five inch guns are CCU 23xx Product code 148218, Spec. Ord 8218, a couple years older. I really wanted a fluted cylinder 5 inch 627, which is really hard to come by, as I have never had the opportunity to purchase one.
Mokuloa is the 627 expert here and maybe he will add something to this old thread.