New Old Stock?

[yrunvs]

Last summer I decided to buy a new Smith and Wesson Model 60 for another concealed carry option. I purchased an advertised new M60 from Grabagun website as their price and shipping was pretty fair. Today I was checking on getting a new plate screw I buggered up and it hit me that I have a SW model 60-14 as per markings on the crane and according to wikipedia it has a manufacture date of 2001? That would make it 16 years old new in the box can that be or am I missing something? I just assumed it was a recent manufacture the gun has the identical appearance to the guns on the SW website.

 

[H Richard]

It is not unusual for a new gun to sit in inventory, (or be misplaced) and come to market quite a few years after Mfg. It could have been at the factory or at a distributor. I bought a 432PD from a dealer new last year, and it was mfg in 2005 per Roy. I had previously bought a 431PD and it was confirmed shipped April 16 and I bought it in Apr 16. As I understand it a batch were made up from parts on hand, even though they had been discontinued in 2005.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

Last summer I decided to buy a new Smith and Wesson Model 60 .....

What is the guns serial number?

Ship date is likely printed on the box label.

 

[Wee Hooker]

FWIW, I've purchased two "new old stock" S&W revolvers from dealers over the net in the last 6-8 years. Both had minor issues that included retarded timing, handling marks and/or a canted barrel. After the fact, I suspect that is why these particular guns never sold. I'm not saying I would never buy one under that heading again but I know now they require extra scrutiny before purchase.

 

[Pef]

The wikipedia page for the model 60 provides the year the model was introduced in manufacturing.

The 60-14 has been produced since 2001, but they are produced each year by S&W.

The serial number for the model is used to determine the year of manufacture.

 

[yrunvs]

Thanks for the responses they are very helpful. The more I research and read on the SW revolvers the more of a mystery they become. Over the last year I have purchased 3 SW revolvers a K22 from 1948 the Model 60 2 inch and a Model 19-7 and I love them all. Thanks again.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

Is the serial number Top Secret, or something?

 

[yrunvs]

Is the serial number Top Secret, or something?

Not at all DJV3475

 

[hoc9sw]

Grab-a-gun and CDNN are both places where you may find batches of guns / parts that were produced some time ago but sat in a distributor unsold for years. I call them the "Tuesday Morning" of the retail gun world.

But the date you purchase a gun "new" is the start of the warranty for the manufacturer.

I bought a "new" Ruger Single Six that turned out to be several years old, enough so that it needed new springs to replace a couple of rust bunnies.

 

[rwsmith]

Sounds like 'new old stock'....

FWIW, I've purchased two "new old stock" S&W revolvers from dealers over the net in the last 6-8 years. Both had minor issues that included retarded timing, handling marks and/or a canted barrel. After the fact, I suspect that is why these particular guns never sold. I'm not saying I would never buy one under that heading again but I know now they require extra scrutiny before purchase.

....should be called 'blems' or 'factory seconds.' or maybe just 'defective'.

 

[Rock185]

I have occasionally purchased NOS/never sold at retail guns that were actually manufactured several years prior. Not defective, not seconds, not blems and never an issue. I recently bought a NOS gun made in '95. A model I liked from that era, and in perfect condition as expected, in the box with everything. Very glad I bought the NOS/20+ year old gun

 

[bigggbbruce]

I bought a Ruger Mark I NIB from a new start LGS in 2016.. it was manufactured in '74.. he actually had 5 of them.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

Not at all DJV3475

That gun was likely made and shipped in...

September of 2017.​

You should find a number on the box label. Something like 091517. That number will be the precise ship date.

It's not and older gun at all. It's practically brand new.

 

[yrunvs]

That gun was likely made and shipped in...

September of 2017.​

You should find a number on the box label. Something like 091517. That number will be the precise ship date.

It's not and older gun at all. It's practically brand new.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

Thanks for the info.

Are you going to tell us what the ship date was? For someone looking for help, you sure play your cards close to the vest.

 

[H Richard]

I have heard the stories that in years past the S&W "vault" wasn't always stocked "First in , First out", and often newer guns were shipped a long time before some older guns. Roy told a story some time ago of a Model 39 that was shipped 14 years after mfg. The date it was shipped is the date of origination per S&W and BATF.

 

[yrunvs]

Are you going to tell us what the ship date was? For someone looking for help, you sure play your cards close to the vest.

All of my questions have been answered in previous posts yours and others and I appreciate that.

I learned......... I own a 60-14 of which production started in 2001 but are apparently still being manufactured and shipped with that designation. You informed me that my gun was recently produced and after digging out the box I found 121617. I thought I had purchased it last fall but it was actually in January 18/18 so everything ads up and makes sense.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

All of my questions have been answered in previous posts yours and others and I appreciate that.....

I wasn't certain September was the correct ship month, which is why I wanted confirmation. I'm a little surprised it was as late as December.

With guns made 10 and 30 years ago it's a lot easier to estimate their ship dates. Because there's 10 to 30 years of information floating around. They have history, they've traded hands.

It's the new guns that are hard, because there's no published information and very little info in writing otherwise. Plus, S&W has recently changed the s/n prefix sequences they are using, so there's that, too.

 

[photoman]

Grab-a-gun and CDNN are both places where you may find batches of guns / parts that were produced some time ago but sat in a distributor unsold for years. I call them the "Tuesday Morning" of the retail gun world.

I'm not sure this is fair to say about Grab A Gun but most definitely is true for CDNN. They (CDNN) often purchase the last guns of production runs from wholesalers and then sell direct to the public. They can be some really good deals if you catch them before they sell out.

I think GAG is just a high volume online retailer. I'm not aware of them selling closeout guns but I could be wrong. Just ask my wife.