As the owner of another 6" 629-1, I know how nice your gun must be. Here is what I can tell you about it.
The porting is not factory; if they are slots with angled ends making them appear to be trapezoids, it was done by a firm called MagnaPort but I never saw any of their porting that had more than one slot per side. To some people, porting is a benefit but to most, the added noise, combustion dirt blown up in the air and the shooter's face and dirt accumulation on the barrel are negatives. And like any aftermarket alteration, that sort of thing almost always devalues an item.
The gun should have checkered target stocks, not a rubber Hogue MonoGrip. Buying a set of original stocks will cost between $50 and $150, depending upon condition and wood figure.
The sights are the standard issue (for a 629), called the red ramp front and white outline rear. It is a hunting sight package intended for improved visibility in various lighting conditions.
The AYS number is the gun's serial number. 629-1s were manufactured from 1982 until 1988 and yours should have shipped during late 1987 or very early 1988.
Six-inch barrels are the most common as other barrel lengths were not offered when the 629 was first released and most buyers opted for the longer barrel. I did.
Like the guns up to the -2E, the -1 is considered as some to be less desirable as it does not have the "endurance" package that was included with the -2E engineering change. But that only matters to those who envision themselves running countless and unending quantities of full-house magnum ammunition through their gun. Mine is relegated to punching paper with target handloads, so that is a moot point for me and I just bought a nice example when I found one, regardless of dash number.
As far as pricing, the market is a little nuts right now but I think the buying craze primarily affects shorter-barreled, smaller-caliber handguns. If it helps establish some sort of value for your gun, I paid $615 for my 629-1 about a year ago. It was in all-original condition and came with its box, tools and all documents. It is shown below with my two 629 Classics.
The lack of original stocks, given their replacement cost, and the porting will probably reduce your gun's value somewhat, especially to collectors should it be in "collectible" condition. And of course, its overall condition is important as well.
I hope this helps you. My suggestion would be to keep it and use reduced power loads in it.
Ed
