Model 649 is home...

[ogilvyspecial]

ogilvyspecial,

Is your 649-3 a full stainless steel (with the longer ejection rod), .357 Magnum rated and without "the lock"?

That is exactly what I have been looking for, but was told did not exist. Folks (including S&W) said that the full stainless 649, with the slightly longer barrel and .357 rating came at the same time as "the lock". Is yours a very new version (dreaming!) or one that came just before the lock was added?

Dumb question I guess, I'm looking at your pictures, but I am dumb-struck, so I guess I need your confirmation.

To add a little more to Ray's confirmation, my 649-3 dates to 1996 or
early 1997, roughly 4 years prior to the lock showing up.

The M649-3 came on the scene (1996) when the MIM parts were being
introduced so you will find the 649-3's with either a forged hammer & trigger
or MIM. I feel I got lucky in that the only MIM part on mine, not that I'm against MIM
mind you, generally speaking, was the firing pin.

Since I have heard reports of the MIM pins breaking, which might be why
S&W now, for the most part, uses stainless pins I recently swapped out
the MIM pin on mine for a new, factory stainless firing pin.

Good luck in your quest, they are out there.
I recently found one for a forum member at the same shop I stumbled across mine.

 

[ThomasH]

Sigh...

Thanks Ogy,

I suppose I "should" just stick with my superb 640 Pro, but that hasn't stopped me before!

Sigh....

- Thomas