Model 29 mystery

[hedbonker]

I am trying to find out when my M29 was made. It's a nickel 8/38s that I bought brand new from a gun store prior to 1997. It does not use a transfer bar safety mechanism. The firing pin is part of the hammer itself. The gun is marked as a 29-3 which would indicate that it was made between '82 and '88 and that makes sense but the serial number on the yoke and the butt are using an AUC prefix which according to online resources indicate a manufacture date from after 2000. Not possible since I bought it long before that year. Can anyone shed any light on this?

 

[s3dcor]

Three letter prefix started in 1983.
AUC letters were used in 1987
29-3 was produced from 1983 to 1988
The firing pin should be on the hammer
Sounds like your transfer bar is missing.

 

[hedbonker]

Can you cite any sources on the 3 letter prefix? That appears to be the real oddball thing that I ran into.

 

[s3dcor]

I got all that info from the Standard Catalog of Smith &Wesson

And Welcome to the Forum

 

[Rock185]

There is a hammer block, but the S&Ws do not use a transfer bar.

 

[hedbonker]

While the Standard Catalog is the definitive resource currently available it is certainly not infallible. I have written to S&W this AM - Hopefully they will have a conclusive answer. I certainly appreciate the responses here and thank you for the welcome.

 

[DT75]

As Rock185 also points out :

S&W do not use a transfer bar, they do however have a hammer block.
Hammer blocks and transfer bars have the same goal, making sure the revolver cannot fire if the trigger is not pulled. They have pretty much the opposite function for achieving this.

The hammer block can be removed, and the revolver will happily function without it.
Not so much if a transfer bar is removed.

 

[MP-5]

Ruger revolvers use the transfer bar system.

 

[bigggbbruce]

While the Standard Catalog is the definitive resource currently available it is certainly not infallible. I have written to S&W this AM - Hopefully they will have a conclusive answer. I certainly appreciate the responses here and thank you for the welcome.

Do you have the box. It would have the information you want.

You have been given correct information with regards to when AUC prefix was used.

 

[hedbonker]

S&W verified that it was indeed made in 1988 so y'all were spot on. Thanks so much!

 

[bigggbbruce]

S&W verified that it was indeed made in 1988 so y'all were spot on. Thanks so much!

Yea.. lots of know it alls around here.

 

['79 Magnum GT]

S&W verified that it was indeed made in 1988 so y'all were spot on. Thanks so much!

Hey Hedbonker!,
I just joined here myself a month and a half ago after I bought a M-24-6 asking if they could help me find out when it was manufactured.
The guys here went above and beyond in assisting me. I've learned so much here and check in several times a day. (I'm retired so I can do that sort of thing) I even bought a copy of the Standard Catalogue 5th edition for researching the M-624 that I picked up from my FFL guy yesterday. I also had a copy of the 1st edition that was printed in 1996 but it was a tad out of date.
Glad to have you here.

Rick

 

[Dodge City]

Your AUC prefix was made is 1986.

 

[bigggbbruce]

Your AUC prefix was made is 1986.

S&W told him '88, probably early '88, book shows AUC as '86+'87.