price of 617
- Thread starter rmack
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5Wire
Member
IMO the lock on a 617 is a non issue. It's a plinking gun, no loads. hot enough to trip the lock even on a bad, bad day. If you don't like the looks, get "the plug" (search this forum) and it will look OK. $700 is a reasonable price for any 4-incher. $400 is a total bargain.
I had a 617-2 Plus with a 6-inch barrel and stainless cylinder, here it is, a beautiful gun:
(cleaning by MPro7 products)
I also had and kept a 617-6 Plus because it is so nicely balanced and very similar in size and weight to other 4-inch K or L frame revolvers in larger calibers. I can pick off small chards of clays with it a 50 yards. I get the evil eye from some shooters when I do it. I let 'em try it out and most say, "I gotta get wunna those."
I had a 617-2 Plus with a 6-inch barrel and stainless cylinder, here it is, a beautiful gun:
(cleaning by MPro7 products)
I also had and kept a 617-6 Plus because it is so nicely balanced and very similar in size and weight to other 4-inch K or L frame revolvers in larger calibers. I can pick off small chards of clays with it a 50 yards. I get the evil eye from some shooters when I do it. I let 'em try it out and most say, "I gotta get wunna those."
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IMO the lock on a 617 is a non issue. It's a plinking gun, no loads. hot enough to trip the lock even on a bad, bad day. If you don't like the looks, get "the plug" (search this forum) and it will look OK. $700 is a reasonable price for any 4-incher. $400 is a total bargain.
I had a 617-2 Plus with a 6-inch barrel and stainless cylinder, here it is, a beautiful gun:
(cleaning by MPro7 products)
I also had and kept a 617-6 Plus because it is so nicely balanced and very similar in size and weight to other 4-inch K or L frame revolvers in larger calibers. I can pick off small chards of clays with it a 50 yards. I get the evil eye from some shooters when I do it. I let 'em try it out and most say, "I gotta get wunna those."
No one is saying the new ones with locks aren't great shooters but they will never be worth what the no dash one is worth in the long term. There is no question that none of these 617's would ever be used as self defense weapons in a normal situation and that any version of the 617 would be a good target revolver. They are there for enjoyment at the local gun range and to blast way with lots of rounds. At the end of the day the no dash will always be slightly more desirable to S&W people just for the wood S&W combat grips and the fact that it's the original version of the revolver.
Actaully the early 617-1's shipped with S&W combat grips as S&W tended to use up all there parts during a transition and change.
5Wire
Member
If you want it for the money or respectful nostalgia, you're right but you're not going to lose much after a couple years even close to $700 on any four-incher as far as I can tell. They've been appreciating pretty good, about 6.5% APR. If you find one and want to have a bunch of fun shooting it, I'd say buy it. It will be worth more than you paid for almost immediately.
snubbiefan
Member
They played "Yankee-doodle-dandy" , or "who's-on-first" with them on the dash 2 through the dash 5. They finally landed on the 10-shot stainless for good with the dash 6, which has the IL. If you can find a dash 4....it should have a stainless steel 10-shot cylinder, but I may not trust that as they went back to a 6-shot in the dash 5. It's like musical chairs.
Having said all this, there is nothing wrong with the alloy cylinder except they are a bit tender inside where the yoke tube meets the base and they tend to have relatively early end-shake issues, but it's a 22 in a heavy frame and should go thousands of rounds before that becomes an issue
It's a jungle out there buddy....good luck. IMHO, the only way you are going to know you have a good no-lock 617 with no MIM parts is in a ND or a dash 1., which is a 6-shot.
Happy hunting!
Having said all this, there is nothing wrong with the alloy cylinder except they are a bit tender inside where the yoke tube meets the base and they tend to have relatively early end-shake issues, but it's a 22 in a heavy frame and should go thousands of rounds before that becomes an issue
It's a jungle out there buddy....good luck. IMHO, the only way you are going to know you have a good no-lock 617 with no MIM parts is in a ND or a dash 1., which is a 6-shot.
Happy hunting!
Thanks Snubbie for the info . At the range I often shoot next to a guy that has a 6" 10 shot all stainless 617 .
I couldn't care less on what might be worth more in the future, I want a shooter . Also the MIM is a non issue with me . I shoot every weekend both MIM and non MIM and the only one that broke on me was my non MIM 629 . The hammer nose broke right off making the gun useless .
I couldn't care less on what might be worth more in the future, I want a shooter . Also the MIM is a non issue with me . I shoot every weekend both MIM and non MIM and the only one that broke on me was my non MIM 629 . The hammer nose broke right off making the gun useless .
snubbiefan
Member
Lots of guys here on the forum are up-to-speed on the 617 dash numbers and I likely got my information from a post right on here. Sometimes...you can't always be sure, or know it's current, but there is enough to see that Smith went back-n-forth with the 10-shot cylinder until they eventually found a machining process that would work with the stainless steel material. I just don't think they finally got it right until the current run (dash 6). There was a period of time in the process that they built the SS 10-shot and then took it back, went back to the 6-shot and eventually landed on a good 10-shot SS....I guess.
I have much experience with the alloy cylinders in 317's and I can tell you now....they are a lot tougher than we think they are. There is simply no danger in blowing one up and the only issues are the "appearance" on a SS gun and the tenderness of the wear-surfaces in the innards if it's a range-gun. The MIM parts don't bother me in the smaller caliber weapons, but I don't necessarily like them in the larger calibers. Before I would purchase an IL...I would purchase a NL even if it had MIM parts in it.
I have much experience with the alloy cylinders in 317's and I can tell you now....they are a lot tougher than we think they are. There is simply no danger in blowing one up and the only issues are the "appearance" on a SS gun and the tenderness of the wear-surfaces in the innards if it's a range-gun. The MIM parts don't bother me in the smaller caliber weapons, but I don't necessarily like them in the larger calibers. Before I would purchase an IL...I would purchase a NL even if it had MIM parts in it.
I just bought a model 617-6 brand new that was priced at $689.00 at Williams Gunsight here in Michigan. They had some used ones for $599.00 and 639.00 back in December. Might want to check their website to see if they have any. Love shooting mine. Have to find some ammunition that is consistent as I get a FTF every 10 rounds when in double action mode. Single action seems to work fine.
civil1977
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- 617
snubbiefan, I think you're information is a little off. The -3 was a 6 shot and -4 was a 10 shot, both introduced in 1998 and made concurrently until 2001 when the internal lock was introduced and the -5 became the 6 shot and the -6 became the 10 shot. So there wasn't any back and forth on the dashes and there were no issues with the -4 10 shot cylinders that I know of. In fact, next to the no dash 617s, the 617-4 is probably the most sought after version, with the 4" barrel being the most coveted.
Here are my two 617-4s:
snubbiefan
Member
I admitted that I got my information from another source off the forum here and I will post what I had. It can sometimes be difficult to figure out who-knows-what and I guess the best answer to that is get the official record from somebody at Smith and Wesson. I think we all know that model variations of guns will show up that are not even in the "bible" as Smith (as any other manufacturer) will use-up spare parts on hand to construct a run of guns that all of us don't know about.
I have been trying to get a complete list and information on the 3 dash numbers associated with the Model 38 and have at least two different answers.
Hey....all I know for sure about is the ND I have in my hands!
I have been trying to get a complete list and information on the 3 dash numbers associated with the Model 38 and have at least two different answers.
Hey....all I know for sure about is the ND I have in my hands!
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stevieboy
Member
About 5 years ago I bought a 617-1 4" 6-shooter at a gun show for $500. All the way home I kicked myself for paying so much money for the gun. I'm certain that my wife and I have put at least 20,000 rounds through it in the past five years. It still runs flawlessly. It turned out to be the best handgun purchase I ever made.
Btw, I have the original combat grips, but I just love the Kuracs that I put on this gun.
Btw, I have the original combat grips, but I just love the Kuracs that I put on this gun.
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andyo5
Member
My local dealer sells them for $669 plus tax.
swinggrind
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I had a 8"3/8 model 617 and foolishly traded it for a .17HMR 647. I swapped guns and kicked in $100.00. At the time I thought it was a hot trade but I do not like the 647 as much. It seems to blow back the empty cases in the cylinder and by the 4th or 5th shot it is hard to rotate. I always seem to regret selling a Smith even when getting another to replace it.
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