Question about boxes--Teach me please

[DUSTYDOGDAN]

I have uploaded a photo of 3 boxes and would like to know the years S&W used these three boxes.
All boxes are from S&W Autos.
The cardboard box is from a 645 that is from 1988.
The blue box with blue latches is from 1996 and it is a CS45.
The box with gray latches is from a 410S made in 2005.
If the experts can give a time line of the usage it would be great. I think I now know the blue box with blue latches started in 1995.
Thanks again for any info on the years S&W used each box.

 

[snw19_357]

Don't have an answer for you on the blue plastic with gray latches but they went from the cardboard to blue plastic with built in blue latches in 1995.

 

[DUSTYDOGDAN]

Thanks for responding.

 

[Dave Lively]

It also depends on the gun. Some of their less expensive guns like the 22 Compact I bought a few years ago still come in cardboard boxes.

I bought a 686+ last weekend. If you want to see a picture of a recent box I can post one when I get back from work.

 

[jbtrucker]

My used 5906 1995-96 bought several years ago was in blue latch box. Don't know if original the label was scratched up and covered with sales stickers

 

[rosewood]

My used 5906 1995-96 bought several years ago was in blue latch box. Don't know if original the label was scratched up and covered with sales stickers

Doesn't that tick you off, wished the dealers wouldn't put stickers over the factory stickers. Kind of ruins them when you are trying to find out more info on your gun.

Rosewood

 

[Countrycuz]

All the new ones I've bought in the last 10 years have blue cardboard boxes

 

[mauser9]

Sure like the plastic boxes over those cardboard jobs myself. Folks may be more inclined to keep them over the older jobs. Sure held onto mine my CS-9 came in back in 99. Usually preferred if gun is put up for sale I have noticed.

 

[N4KVE]

Doesn't that tick you off, wished the dealers wouldn't put stickers over the factory stickers. Kind of ruins them when you are trying to find out more info on your gun.
Rosewood

Are you kidding? When hundreds of guns are stacked on top of each other with the serial # decals facing out for a quick inventory count, where should the stickers go? On the top of the box so each box must be removed for the count? That’s not gonna happen. To us, a gun box is like a TV dinner box. It holds the item, & that’s all. If a cardboard box is dented, but the gun is pristine, we don’t care. The box did it’s job. Case closed. GARY.

 

[StakeOut]

All the 686-4 and 629-4 Special Order numbers from 1995 that I owned had blue cardboard boxes but dash 4 from 1996 were in blue plastic boxes.
Lots of blue plastics boxes for sale at gun shows for $10.00: some are with end labels while others have them scratched off.
It's a shame how so many original boxes get separated from the guns that shipped in them.

 

[Dave Lively]

Are you kidding? When hundreds of guns are stacked on top of each other with the serial # decals facing out for a quick inventory count, where should the stickers go?

I cannot blame a LGS owners for putting stickers where they can see them.

But I do wish gun makers would duplicate all the info on the stickers on a receipt inside the box with manual. The cost would be negligible. Some stores these days will give you a 3 foot long receipt if you buy a bottle of water, the cost must be close to zero and they have to enter all the information to print the stickers anyway.

 

[Sevens]

As you start your S&W box journey, keep in mind that the first plastic non-PC boxes mentioned above with the blue latches have extremely fragile latches.

Those latches snap off at the joint if they are opened in an overzealous fashion.

These days out in the wild, they are perhaps as many with a broken latch or two as there are complete.

 

[JohnHL]

As you start your S&W box journey, keep in mind that the first plastic non-PC boxes mentioned above with the blue latches have extremely fragile latches.

Those latches snap off at the joint if they are opened in an overzealous fashion.

These days out in the wild, they are perhaps as many with a broken latch or two as there are complete.

So don't ya think that's why the "1st gen" blue plastic boxes went to the gray latches?

John

 

[Sevens]

Why of course I do!

Brings up a good point. The very, very early hard plastic Performance Center blue boxes (circa 1992, maybe 1993...) were fantastic boxes and Lou Ferrigno couldn't rip a latch off one of those.

That's my favorite S&W gun box. I like them better than the fancy (dirt cheap Chinese junk) aluminum PC cases. The fancy PC case is absurdly over-valued in the market.

 

[toddimusnimski]

Doesn't that tick you off, wished the dealers wouldn't put stickers over the factory stickers. Kind of ruins them when you are trying to find out more info on your gun.

Rosewood

I'm with you, seems like there is plenty of room on the box end to place their stickers without covering up the factory info. I get it, dealers are selling guns not boxes, but as collectors (accumulators?) it's nice to have the original box in decent shape with a legible label. Easy to not care when the model is still in production, but in later years an un-touched one is more appreciated.

 

[rosewood]

I'm with you, seems like there is plenty of room on the box end to place their stickers without covering up the factory info. I get it, dealers are selling guns not boxes, but as collectors (accumulators?) it's nice to have the original box in decent shape with a legible label. Easy to not care when the model is still in production, but in later years an un-touched one is more appreciated.

Exactly, plenty of room.

 

[daka]

Some people (ME) are fussy about the boxes...I'll pay more for a gun with the papers and box....

 

[DUSTYDOGDAN]

Some people (ME) are fussy about the boxes...I'll pay more for a gun with the papers and box....

I passed on so many back in 2001 to 2015 that didn't have the box and papers and now I wish I would have bought everyone with the prices they are today..LOL

 

[skwchock]

I agree that the boxes are great to store/stack. The plastic ones are much larger and take up more space in your gun safe. Some people like to have their gun NIB...with the box kept for keeping the gun in good appearance (and without damage).

 

[N4KVE]

To answer the OP’s question, they never went anywhere. Today I set up a bunch of guns for the Palm Beach, Florida gun show. I paid attention to the S&W boxes. Our guns came from S&W within the last month, so they are all factory fresh. Half came in the blue cardboard boxes, & half were the blue plastic cases. It seems some models come in cardboard, while other models come in plastic. So they never changed from one to the other. GARY.