Transition 25-2?

[Iowahunter]

I picked up a NIB 25-2 last fall and just now got around to checking it out more cause we moved. The ser # N82xxxx puts it 1981 but, it has a pinned barrel thats 6inches long. Old frame with new barrel?
Could this be one of the last pinned ones ?

 

[Dennis The B]

According to the S&W Catalogue, the pinned barrels weren't deleted until 1982. The "1980" date was the start of the transition, and not a fixed change date.

As an example, I have a Model 27-2, produced ca. 1969. It has a 6.5" barrel, and S&W discontinued that barrel length in 1967, according to the catalogue. It's not rare, just different than "normal".

S&W, like a lot of manufacturers, uses batch-manufactured parts; and those parts frequently are used to exhaustion, not some arbitrary date.

 

[pharmer]

This 25-5 is ser# N821XXX, 1981. From what I understand, pinned barrels shipped into 1983. Joe

 

[Iowahunter]

Thanks for the replies. I had bought one back in the early 80's that I know wasn't pinned and I also know with S&W that nothing is set in stone..