alphabrace
Member
I don't know who Lew Horton is but i do know his guns are expensive. Are they marked or engraved somehow?
How do you tell if its a Lew Horton?
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alphabrace
Member
I don't know who Lew Horton is but i do know his guns are expensive. Are they marked or engraved somehow?
Lew Horton is a distributor with enough pull to get special run guns pushed thru production and the Performance Center. Their guns are not specially marked but often have unique features.
http://www.lewhorton.com/
http://www.lewhorton.com/
Lew Horton is a distibutor who has S&W make special runs of firearms. There is no marking on them mostly its just a knowledge of the product line. Maybe if one contacted S&W they could let you know by the SN. Hope this helps.
gilroy
Member
If you don't have the box, call S&W. Usually the box is marked.
Erich
Member
And, as a former manager of a gun store who dealt with Lew Horton all the time, I'm just amused as all get-out that there exist people who think that there's somehow a premium on "Lew Horton guns." Horton did some special runs - if your gun is in that run, it's in that run. There's no "Woo Hoo! I got a Lew Horton special model!"
It's not like the Eddie Bauer edition Explorer or something, it's just like a car that came through some dealer who ordered a bunch with some set of features on them.
Cracks me up.
Cracks me up.
I'm sure Erich or S&Wchad can confirm or dispute this but I believe many "LH" guns were made with a different serial # prefix. Some were also made in non-standard configurations as special runs of varying quantities. I believe that may be a difference you are looking for.
JacMac
Member
Erich is on the case. I used to buy guns from Lew Horton, when is was just a gun store in Framingham, Mass. At some point they evolved into a distributor for S&W. Basically Lew Horton and S&W work out production runs based on the availability of parts and presto: a different gun
JacMac
Member
rimfire is correct on both points
Revolver King
Member
Here is a Lew Horton 686
BillCa
Member
Yet another Lew Horton Special
Model 657, .41 Magnum, 3-inch, round butt, combat grips.
Model 657, .41 Magnum, 3-inch, round butt, combat grips.
prefer_wheelguns
Member
I used to live in Ashland MA, the next town over from Framingham, where Horton had a retail store across from the old railroad station (which has gone through a succession of restaurants). The store is long since closed, but 20 years ago it was a fine place to spend an idle hour. He had a small line of antiques as well. I bought my 3" 624 LH special there in '85; it's still the house gun and the only one I keep loaded. I'd post a pic but it looks like BillCa already has-- the only difference is the caliber marking on the barrel. I miss that place.
Poohgyrr
Member
Sometimes they are on sale, my M27 was marked down substantially from retail. It has a combination of features that S&W has never made in one gun, at least recently and to my knowledge anyway..
3 /2"
tapered barrel
PC made
square butt
three locking points for cylinder/crane
eight rounds of .357 S&W Magnum
moonclip ready (Go Ranch Products!!!)
blued or nickle
low serial numbers available
great pic, not mine:
The only way to know if a gun is a Lew Horton Special, Exclusive or a Limited Edition is to recognize the configuration or look it up (if it‘s documented). The guns are not specially marked and they‘ve done a lot of different things over the years. Other distributors like RSR, Camfour, Talo, and Davidsons handle non-standard guns too.
LH handles a lot of the limited run Performance Center models. Some of the guns they offer are exclusives available only thru them. PC guns are expensive because of what they are, regardless of who distributed it and they’re easy to ID by the PC logo. Here’s a couple of LH PC exclusives:
LH handles non Performance Center guns as well. The Model 63 2” started out as a LH exclusive and later became a regular production offering available thru other distributors. The only way you’d be able to ID a LH is by looking it up.
This Model 686-4 Plus shown below started out at S&W as a regular production 104192. LH had a small quantity (less than 50) shipped directly from S&W to Mag-na-port for the porting. LH then replaced the rubber grips with Eagle Secret Service grips, slapped some stickers on the box and added two digits to the product code. Lew Horton was able to verify the features by their product code 10419212, but it’s meaningless to S&W.
LH handles a lot of the limited run Performance Center models. Some of the guns they offer are exclusives available only thru them. PC guns are expensive because of what they are, regardless of who distributed it and they’re easy to ID by the PC logo. Here’s a couple of LH PC exclusives:
LH handles non Performance Center guns as well. The Model 63 2” started out as a LH exclusive and later became a regular production offering available thru other distributors. The only way you’d be able to ID a LH is by looking it up.
This Model 686-4 Plus shown below started out at S&W as a regular production 104192. LH had a small quantity (less than 50) shipped directly from S&W to Mag-na-port for the porting. LH then replaced the rubber grips with Eagle Secret Service grips, slapped some stickers on the box and added two digits to the product code. Lew Horton was able to verify the features by their product code 10419212, but it’s meaningless to S&W.
CH47gunner
US Veteran
I emailed LH to ask whether my 624nd 3" was distributed by them.
I had heard that some of the 624 3" guns had been ordered by LH but, had then been distributed by someone else.
LH was very quick to respond that per the serial number, my 624 had indeed been distributed thru them.
It may not mean as much as a Jinks letter but, it was pretty "Special" for me.
Bruce
Model 624 3" Lew Horton Special
I had heard that some of the 624 3" guns had been ordered by LH but, had then been distributed by someone else.
LH was very quick to respond that per the serial number, my 624 had indeed been distributed thru them.
It may not mean as much as a Jinks letter but, it was pretty "Special" for me.
Bruce
Model 624 3" Lew Horton Special
rburg
Member
Erich's comment is kind of interesting. Yes, mere handling by LH doesn't impart any value in and of itself. But the combination of features was good enough to generate some demand when made and that demand remains. Why they could understand and see the value when the factory couldn't is part of the problem. The factory or most factories are driven by the sales department. Sales types are often not shooters and only rarely gun nuts (like us here.)
The old story of Don Wilkerson and his "Don Wilkerson Special" come to mind. He was the Colt expert of long standing. After Ray Meabaum passed, Don's stature even grew more. He discovered that it was possible to put a 3 1/2" barrel on a SAA and still incorporate a full stroke ejector rod. Colt's had made that barrel length in the past, but didn't put an ejector rod on the guns (Sheriff's) or the 4" (Shopkeeper's). So Wilkerson called the factory to order up a few. Of course they laughed at him. Said they weren't going to do it. So he said how about 20. They still laughed and said no. When his order got up to about 100 guns, they changed their tune. To a nearly bankrupt Colt facility, 100 guns presold was just too good to turn away.
How does Dick know this story?
A few years back we were sitting at our tables at National Gun Day and a prospective customer (we thought) came walking up. He instantly focused on the Wilkerson Specials and asked innocently enough "whats the story on those?" John, my table pard, went into the above spiel. When he finished the speach, the guy on the other side of the table smiled at him and said "I know, I'm Don Wilkerson."
It was fun seeing John packpedal and turn all red. But Wilkerson was a gentleman and laughed. Said it was pretty accurate.
Often the user of a product knows more about it than the people who make it. All the manufacturer wants is to produce it and ship it, to be forgotten forever. Consumer wants and needs are often given little interest. Think S&W and the infernal locks. They do what they want, build what they want because its convenient for them. They often don't give a crap about anyone else as long as their product sells.
That Horton has better insight is because they're closer to the customer than the manufacturer. Some of the better gun shops probably could add a few things, too. But the factory has insulated themselves from reality by using a distributor network.
The old story of Don Wilkerson and his "Don Wilkerson Special" come to mind. He was the Colt expert of long standing. After Ray Meabaum passed, Don's stature even grew more. He discovered that it was possible to put a 3 1/2" barrel on a SAA and still incorporate a full stroke ejector rod. Colt's had made that barrel length in the past, but didn't put an ejector rod on the guns (Sheriff's) or the 4" (Shopkeeper's). So Wilkerson called the factory to order up a few. Of course they laughed at him. Said they weren't going to do it. So he said how about 20. They still laughed and said no. When his order got up to about 100 guns, they changed their tune. To a nearly bankrupt Colt facility, 100 guns presold was just too good to turn away.
How does Dick know this story?
Often the user of a product knows more about it than the people who make it. All the manufacturer wants is to produce it and ship it, to be forgotten forever. Consumer wants and needs are often given little interest. Think S&W and the infernal locks. They do what they want, build what they want because its convenient for them. They often don't give a crap about anyone else as long as their product sells.
That Horton has better insight is because they're closer to the customer than the manufacturer. Some of the better gun shops probably could add a few things, too. But the factory has insulated themselves from reality by using a distributor network.
Erich
Member
Wow, what a good post, Dick.
Thanks for taking the time to do that up.
I should clarify that I celebrate the great feature combinations of some of these guns and applaud LH for getting them done. Own one, in fact.
(Some of the other features on some of these, I think, are absurd and shouldn't have been made - but I don't want to "be a hater" and get into that.) What amuses me and what I was referring to above is the apparent "cargo cult" of folks who misunderstand that there's some sort of gold star attached to a revolver that came through one distributor or another. I've watched this develop, and it's happened just because folks will talk about a certain LH model here on the forum. I've noticed that other people misunderstand that the use of the "Lew Horton" descriptive modifier signifies that these are some sort of premium models, and start to lust for them. When there's nothing to lust for, really.
Anyway, I just really enjoyed your post, Dick. Thanks.
I should clarify that I celebrate the great feature combinations of some of these guns and applaud LH for getting them done. Own one, in fact.
Anyway, I just really enjoyed your post, Dick. Thanks.
Dick, that's great insight. Now if S&W sales & marketing would only read the "Wish List" on the forum and select a few items to make special runs they might sell a few more (If they leave the IL out). Remember back in the late 80's when the factory had the "Gun a week" program. Lots of limited editions of neat guns. One of my favorites, the 36-6 was initiated then.
Erich
Member
Ah, the "gun a week" days. That's when I was managing a gun store - those were the days!
bronco45
Member
I enjoyed "Gun of the Week" I kept up for a while!!!!
Now I look for some of those that I let go because I thought S&W would build them forever!
Alas, what a struggle just to find a nice Model 66-3 or 4 in a 2.5" bbl configuration.
Who would have thought S&W would ever quit making that model. Or the 25-5 4" 45 Colt.
Now I look for some of those that I let go because I thought S&W would build them forever!
Alas, what a struggle just to find a nice Model 66-3 or 4 in a 2.5" bbl configuration.
Who would have thought S&W would ever quit making that model. Or the 25-5 4" 45 Colt.
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