S&W 29-3 Lew Horton?

[bearhitman]

I'am getting a S&W 29-3 3inch. 44magnum Lew Horton,What is the Lew Horton part?Is it a custom gun like a Performance shop??Also did they put letters like ALB in the serial numer?And what year were these made?
Thanks for any help

 

[shawn mccarver]

I'am getting a S&W 29-3 3inch. 44magnum Lew Horton,What is the Lew Horton part?Is it a custom gun like a Performance shop??Also did they put letters like ALB in the serial numer?And what year were these made?
Thanks for any help

Lew Horton is a distributor located in Massachusetts. Distributors sometimes offer exclusives, and Lew Horton Distributing Company has done so for quite a number of years.

The serial numbers would have used the current standard S&W format, 3 letters followed by 4 numbers.

 

[bearhitman]

Thanks,would the action be the same as a non Lew Horton,it is not like a performance shop in anyway right?So what is the benefit/deal of haveing the name attached?what's so special to make it stand out?Whats the best way to tell its a REAL Lew Horton?Thanks

 

[sar4937]

I have been trying to run down a suspected Lew Horton model that is not in the SCSW. Lew Horton offers no info regarding their models. If a way exists other than a letter from Mr. Jinks, I would be interested in knowing. Mine is a Perf. Center gun, and does not exist according to the SCSW.

 

[senecaap]

The fact that, prior to Lew, Smith and Wesson never offered a 3" .44. What Horton does is order special runs of pistols in configurations that S&W doesn't offer. My LH 24-3 was from, I think, 1983. The "FBI Model" of the 27 (the 3.5" bbl) was a very popular pistol configuration, but the 27 was the only N frame ever offered with a bbl shorter than 4" from the factory. Some liked the pistol, but didn't care for the .357 chambering.
I believe they are just special run line guns, but every Horton I have shot, seems as if it is just a little tighter/smoother than a regular production piece, but that could just be in the mind.
The best way to tell if a piece you are looking at is a real LH offering is to do your research with Supica & Nahas "Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson" and the Blue Book.

 

[sar4937]

Let me restate that my particular gun is not listed in the SCSW. I do see some listed Lew Horton guns, but there must be gaps and omissions in the SCSW. Horton's was unwilling to confirm what models they have offered in the past. I'm sure a letter on a gun will confirm or deny Horton's involvement.

 

[kennyb]

Thanks,would the action be the same as a non Lew Horton,it is not like a performance shop in anyway right?So what is the benefit/deal of haveing the name attached?what's so special to make it stand out?Whats the best way to tell its a REAL Lew Horton?Thanks

the action will be the same as any other S&W..it is NOT like a performance center gun...there is know "benefit"to the fact that lew horton was the distributor...as another poster mentioned...horton ordered guns from S&W and sold them...same as many other distributors....

 

[kennyb]

Let me restate that my particular gun is not listed in the SCSW. I do see some listed Lew Horton guns, but there must be gaps and omissions in the SCSW. Horton's was unwilling to confirm what models they have offered in the past. I'm sure a letter on a gun will confirm or deny Horton's involvement.

i didn't see my 3" M29 in the book either...roy jinks confirmed mine shipped in jan.1985 and that S&W referred to these as the 44 combat magnum...

 

[bearhitman]

Thanks,I read somewhere that they were made only in 1985 but i dont really know for sure if the info was correct...

 

[Kevin G]

In years past weren't Lew Horton and some of the other big distributors, Jerry's comes to mind, initially the conduit into the supply chain for performance center guns? I've got an 845 which I believe originated w/Lew Horton.
Seems now S&W does more direct marketing of the PC guns.
Tks, Kevin

 

[d625]

Late 80's through the 90's at least, this is what the "highline" Smith product line looked like to small dealers (I was one)

PC guns were available in relatively small quantities to stocking dealers only via the large distributors. Probably as a way to make unique guns available to all dealers, some of the large distributors ordered special runs of non-catalog guns to be offered to all dealers.

Lew Horton likely had more special runs than any other distributor and promoted them very effectively to dealers. LH guns were very desirable and because of name recognition and their excellent choice of specs, they have become even more desirable with time. Several other distributors did the same, although on a much smaller scale - Ashland, Jerry's, Bangor, etc.

Unless someone else offers a different opinion, it was always my impression that the distributor specials were not assembled or tuned by the PC department. None of them I ever handled suggested otherwise.

 

[sar4937]

This is my gun in question. http://smith-wessonforum.com/guns-s...-one-kind-629-performance-center-6-maine.html There are two others on the internet searching for info on this model. Eventually, I will letter it.

 

[cobra44]

On the Lew Horton models, I bought a 629 a while back, and a call to S&W verified that it was not a Lew Horton revolver.
I am not sure if they can still tell you or not.

 

[Engine49guy]

Lew Horton N snubs

I have posted a picture of these 2 LH 44's a few times.
I bought each used and recently sold them in a moment of weakness.
Really neat guns.
Would have to locate the SN's to figure out manufacture dates.
Something tells me early 80's.

 

[ditrina]

Although it's true not every Lew Horton was a Performance Center Gun....They do exist. Here is my Lew Horton 629-3 Performance Center 3" Quad Port.. Serial Number FPC00XX .. Also not listed in the SCSW...There were only 300 made as ordered by Lew Horton.. The descriptive Ad was generously supplied by forum member SmithNut.

 

[SharpshooterOPD]

I own one of the 3" 29-3's and my understanding when I purchased it was that it was part of a limited run for Lew Horton. I recieved some documentation from a former S&W employee several years ago that supported the fact it was an LH model (this was a partial factory record of limited production models, not a Roy Jinks letter). As far as the revolver itself goes, it's a chunky little thing but it locks up like a bank vault. My only complaints with it are the finish (which doesn't seem quite up to typical S&W standards) and the action which drags a bit on one chamber (nothing a good action job would't cure). Neither of these issues really concerns me though since it is a safe queen, not a carry piece or a shooter. Hope this helps.

HRF

 

[Gunhacker]

I got my "is it an LH" answer straight from the horse's mouth by sending an email to [email protected] with my gun's serial number, asking if it was an LH gun.

I received a reply confirming that it was one of theirs, and was one of the total 4 that they shipped, made by the S&W Performance Center in December 2002.

It's a 4006 IDPA and also not mentioned in the SCSW.

 

[jcelect]

Lew Horton 29-3s

In 1983 the distributor Lew Horton ordered a special run of the model 24 with a 3" barrel and round butt. This was the first time(post war) that S&W had produced an N frame gun with a 3" barrel or a round butt. People said these would not sell! In a few months Lew Horton had sold them all and was back for a mod 29 in the same configuration. 100787 is the product code for the model 24 and 101224 is the produce code for the model 29. A side note to these guns is the holsters that S&W made for the 3" N frame guns. At that time there were no holsters made for the 3" N frame guns made by other manufactures. The total quantity of either guns is not known but it is estimated to be 5000+/- for each model. Since the early 1980s it has been a practice for distribuitors, RSR, Camfor, Talo group, Lew Horton, Ashland Shooters Supply, Dayton Shooter Supply, Buckeye Shooters Supply, and others to order a special limited run of a gun in a configuration that was not a normal catalogued item.

The model 24 and 29 are in the top row.

This is the S&W holster for the 624.

This is the holster for the 24/29.

jcelect SWCA#LM723