Latest pawn shop score.....a 3" model 625-3

[31FordA]

Congrats on the 625-3. I stumbled across one a few months ago and grabbed it, but I paid a bit more. By the way, mine is also a BEN serial prefix.

 

[wiskerchew]

I just won a 625-3 w/ the 3" bbl in a auction. They had it listed as a model 1989 snub nose but it was unmistakable what it was. Got it for 800 and it is a BEN also. Can't wait to get it here and take her out to play.

 

[rockquarry]

I bought a 625-3 3" new in 1992. I shoot only cast bullets in mine. It's surprisingly accurate and much easier to shoot well than many short-barreled revolvers. No doubt the weight has something to do with that.

 

[jughed440]

That was a steal. The 3" 625 is wanted by many, and good deals are hard to find. Took me 2+ years to find one for a reasonable price. This is also a "BEN" gun. It's a keeper for life.

 

[bigjohn4]

Why is it the only ones I find are $1300 or more? Nice find you made!

 

[CH4]

Very nice! These actually came originally with Pachmayr rubber stocks but I'm fairly sure you're not too stressed out about that .

Yeah, the grips are worth half of what you paid for the gun! Sweeeeet!

I think I'll send my 5" 45 cal model of 1988 to Magnaport to have them do their 3" mini combat job (without magnaporting)!

 

[nachogrande]

YUP

Good snag. That is a holy grail gun for many and I enjoy mine.... I bet the pawn shop had about half of their asking price in that thing...

I always wonder what the pawn guys paid too. You know they aint losing $. (nor should they, just curious).

 

[1911-10MM]

Great Find, Mine also has the BEN prefix

 

[rockquarry]

Does the "BEN" prefix have some significance?

 

[vigil617]

Wow. Beautiful guns, you guys. I think I know what my next Grail gun is going to be.

 

[XAVMECH]

Also "BEN"

I've got 3, 4 and 5 inch variants. They're great revolvers. The five-inch usually put a big smile on people's faces when they shoot it, due to its easy and accurate groups.
My -3 is a BEN prefix, as well.

 

[Ed Fowler]

Here is mine, made in 1960 by Claud Simmons gunsmith in LaPorte Colo. I carried it undercover in a home made shoulder holster. Used once as a club, worked very well, also shoots great.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

Does the "BEN" prefix have some significance?

Nothing special. Alphabetically it was just the next-in-line prefix when the large M625 production order was fulfilled. The same prefix was used with other revolvers that were different models. They weren't even N-frames.

It is unusual to see so many of one particular Model have the same prefix. It was the result of S&W scheduling a lot of focused production into a short time frame. Normally, S&W will spread out such large orders over several months, or even years. These -3 were made (mostly) all at once in December of 1989. Thousands of them.

 

[gman51]

Yep you practically stole that beauty.

 

[rockquarry]

Kernel- Thank you for the explanation. My gun also has such a prefix.

I've mentioned this on here some time ago, but I bought my revolver from CDNN in Abilene, TX. For years, they've sold a lot of closeout guns of all kinds at good prices. I've purchased a number of them and many of you may have done the same. It's obvious from the prices that many of their sale items were guns that turned out to be far less popular than the manufacturer (or a distributor that ordered them from the manufacturer) anticipated they would be. Anyway, for whatever reason, products didn't enjoy healthy sales through regular distribution channels. It appears the 3" 625-3 was one such product.

Is a production figure on these revolvers available.

 

[Truman]

I also picked a 3" today at the gun show for $700otd, prefix BEN.

 

[tt66]

I have a 3" BEN prefix as well. One of my favorites.

 

[iPac]

Yep you practically stole that beauty.

If you had the need for a big bore snubby, that was definitely a great deal.

Fantastic looking gun. Very similar to my 629-2E 3". I would so much rather have the fluted cylinder though for many reasons.

I'm not a fan of auto calibers in a revolver, but I may have bought this one. Nice score.

 

[AKtinman]

I feel fortunate to own a 625-4 5" and a 625-6 with a 4" Mountain Gun barrel. Both great shooters.

No NEED for a 625-3 3" but I'd probably pick one up at the right price.

I've observed a low of BEN 2232 to a high of BEN 9231 for serial numbers of 625-3 3" guns.

Many of these are Product Code 100923.

No idea how many were made.

 

[zeke]

Just got one of these at local gunshow. Not as good condition and $800. They are rare up here, and have been looking for quite awhile to try and get one under $1000. It has a BEN 00XX serial number.