stainless 57?

[dcj10]

I have a Model 57 I bought to hunt with so I would not risk banging up the guns in my collection. It was finished in what I thought was an aftermarket brushed nickel or hard chrome. Not a collector to me if it has been refinished. I noticed the double action was a bit rough, But I usually shoot single action, so no big deal. I recently took the gun to my Gunsmith to have him check out the trigger and he offered to buy it off of me. I asked "What do I have?". He said I had an early stainless prototype and he would love to have it. I said it can't be stainless it's stamped Mod.57 and is pinned and recessed. He said it was indeed stainless and highly desirable. Is this possible?

 

[nipster]

I guess it's possible, if you take the sideplate off, you should be able to tell if it's stainless or not. From that one picture, I would say it looks like it. It's also got chromed hammer and trigger, which of course could have been swapped in.

They made stainless N frames P&R, the no-dash 629's were P&R, I have one. I dont know if they ever made the 657 P&R or not, I have not seen one, but you dont come across them that often to begin with.

 

[SAFireman]

At S&W, anything is possible

Looks nice though.

 

[colt_saa]

Odds are greatly against it being stainless. It would have to have been produced 4+ years before the introduction of the 657 to be a no dash. What year does the serial number track back to?

It is most likely hard industrial chrome.

But with S&W there are always rule breakers.

 

[dcj10]

The serial number is N7764XX and dates to 1980. That makes it 6 years before the intro of the 657. The 629 came out in 1979 with serial Number N748564 and the 8 3/8 inch 629 in 1981.

 

[Shooting4life]

I would get it lettered.

 

[LEO918]

I would sell it to the gunsmith who is sure it's rare and stainless, for a lot of money.

 

[handejector]

Armoloy.....