Is this a Lew Horton Model S&W 686-1?

[MrMoose]

Headed back to S&W

Boxed up the 686 no dash and it's headed for a FedEx round trip courtesy of S&W. It will have the recall done and come back M-Stamped. My question is: Should I have any Performance Center work done while it is in there? Thinking about Master Action Tune. Anything else to make great better? Thanks for sharing your opinions.

 

[CobiaS&W]

Possible Lew Horton Limited Edition 686

First time Post. I'll try to make it short and get to the point. I recently purchased a S&W 686 No Dash 2.5" serial #AFA60XX. I called S&W this morning and and they were only able to tell me a manufacture date of 1984. There is no Product Code listed(#104212?) for this firearm. This is very close to the number in the letter from Lew Horton in the above post. Would someone be able to identify this 686 as part of the "Lew Horton Limited addition Series". There is no box or papers. Thanks.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I would think so since it's SN# is only a few hundred before mine & there were 6000 made.

Enjoy.

.

 

[colt_saa]

I called S&W this morning and and they were only able to tell me a manufacture date of 1984. There is no Product Code listed(#104212?) for this firearm.

That is extremly unusual

Call them back and talk to a different person.

If you are told the same thing, ask them to look at the serial number before yours and after yours.

If they are the same configuration, ask for their product code.

 

[CobiaS&W]

Just got off the phone with S&W CS. They told me that the the serial #s above and below mine also did not have product codes. They suggested I contact the Historical society. Not familiar with this organization. Is this something they would be able to help me with? The plot thickens. Time to start doing some research.

 

[colt_saa]

Just got off the phone with S&W CS. They told me that the the serial #s above and below mine also did not have product codes. They suggested I contact the Historical society. Not familiar with this organization. Is this something they would be able to help me with? The plot thickens. Time to start doing some research.

Requesting a Letter of Authenticity on your revolver will probably not yeild the information you are looking for.

The Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation relies on the same databse that the CS reps have access to when we are talking about newer firearms (those using the AAA#### serial number pattern).

Sometimes the SWHF has access to the original invoices the distributors received, but in this case I think the odds are against you, besides you would need to request a Historical Letter for that research

Here is the factory link to the letters:
Firearm History Request | Smith & Wesson

 

[CH4]

My 2 LH 2.5" 686s are no dashes with serial numbers starting with ANC****

 

[CobiaS&W]

Not thinking I am going to be able to find this out. 6000 units were made so chances are that this was part of the LH run of 2.5" 686's. Short of having the box don't really know where else to look. Interesting that the serial numbers on either side of mine also do not have product codes.

 

[CobiaS&W]

Models that were simply distributed by Lew Horton that are no different than the same model available from another distributor are meaningless. That is not what we were looking for

In this case, no L-frame snubbies existed prior to Lew Horton's vision. There was no way to buy a 2 1/2" 686 except from Lew Horton

So the first 2 1/2" 686s are there because Lew Horton made it happen.

I am watching a 1984 686 No Dash 2.5" for sale. Seller states In 1984, Lew Horton released the Limited Edition Smith and Wesson 686 model with production totals ONLY being 2500.

Is there a way to determine how many 686 2.5"s were made in 1984 or as stated in the attached quote they were all made for Lew Horton?

 

[colt_saa]

I am watching a 1984 686 No Dash 2.5" for sale. Seller states In 1984, Lew Horton released the Limited Edition Smith and Wesson 686 model with production totals ONLY being 2500.

Is there a way to determine how many 686 2.5"s were made in 1984 or as stated in the attached quote they were all made for Lew Horton?

Records (when they exist) are not kept by year, they are kept by product code

There is no way to determine how many were made in a particular year

As you can see in BLUEDOT37's Letter of Authenticity from Lew Horton Distributors, which is pictured above, 6000 revovlers (product code 104212) were produced from 1983 through 1987.

Smith & Wesson did not add the 2 1/2" barrel to the 686 production lineup until 1990

 

[CobiaS&W]

Possible Lew Horton Limited Edition 686

Based on the available information all these 1984 686 No Dash 2.5" Revolvers were ALL Lew Horton Distributed. This firearm is at S&W now for the recall. I just order 2 sets of Culina grips for this 686 and a 66-2.