Trying to identify a .44 mag revolver

[PDX1953]

A woman I know who is unfamiliar with firearms has a S&W .44 mag revolver she got from a deceased relative - I think. Unfortunately she lives 700 miles away so I can't pop over & inspect it myself. She's also a bit scatterbrained so trying to get her to answer a series of questions is a challenge. The good news is she's not about to go shoot it.

The gun is black with a grey cylinder but doesn't have the Scandium marking on the right side. The barrel is probably 2" - 2-1/2" long and it appears to have a fiber rod front sight. I read about a safety recall on some .44s and am curious if her's might be affected. The serial number is BVA01xx.

If it's not a problem gun what's the wholesale value? Are they a popular gun, i.e., in demand and a relatively easy sell?

Any information will be helpful - Thanks.

 

[regalsc]

Don't know exactly but a 329 PC with a power ported barrel. I'm guessing it's pretty valuable. I'm hoping someone that knows for sure answers your question. The frame could be after market coated that would cover any markings.

 

[b_san]

It would appear to be a 329 Carry Comp but I don't know of one that was produced by the factory. If I had to guess just on those pics I'd say someone took a 329PD frame and had a 629-6 Carry Comp barrel coated black and installed. If you can get her to read the Model and Serial numbers from under the crane you could call S&W and see what they tell you it was/is.

 

[PDX1953]

It would appear to be a 329 Carry Comp but I don't know of one that was produced by the factory. If I had to guess just on those pics I'd say someone took a 329PD frame and had a 629-6 Carry Comp barrel coated black and installed. If you can get her to read the Model and Serial numbers from under the crane you could call S&W and see what they tell you it was/is.

I called S&W as suggested & learned that it's a 329 Performance Center gun built in Jan. 2004. It has a Scandium frame & a Titanium cylinder and to quote the CS Rep, "It's a great gun to carry but a bad gun to shoot" based on the power to weight ratio.

Sounds expensive.

 

[murphydog]

I called S&W as suggested & learned that it's a 329 Performance Center gun built in Jan. 2004. It has a Scandium frame & a Titanium cylinder and to quote the CS Rep, "It's a great gun to carry but a bad gun to shoot" based on the power to weight ratio.

Sounds expensive.

The rep sounds to be a wise man

I have never heard of or seen one of these, so difficult to estimate a value.

 

[PDX1953]

The rep sounds to be a wise man

I have never heard of or seen one of these, so difficult to estimate a value.

The Performance Center has their own section & I filled out a form & asked what they did to it.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

....S&W .44 mag revolver....gun is black with a grey cylinder ..... ....serial number is BVA01xx.....

I've never seen a "BV" s/n prefix, but I have seen many "BU" s/n's (alphabetically they immediately precede BV) and they all dated to 1995. That in itself is kinda strange, since the factory told you a January 2004 ship date. Given the gun has the Internal Lock System (ILS) it's gotta be 2000 or later.

I think it's a product code 170233. It has the right features. 3-inch barrel, dovetailed front sight, Power Port, trigger stop, titanium cylinder, angle latch, ILS, blue/black finish. The Performance center made 99 beginning in September of 2003. So even the time frame is about right. I've seen two of the 170233 guns and they both had "DEW" s/n prefixes. Which is different from the OP's gun.

The question I'd have for the owner is, is the gun a..........

Model 329-1?​

Emphasis on the "dash one". The 170233 guns were -1's, and it was the -1's that were subject to the recall. To find out, open the cylinder. Look on the frame under the barrel. The model number and dash number (if any) will be there.

 

[PDX1953]

I've never seen a "BV" s/n prefix, but I have seen many "BU" s/n's (alphabetically they immediately precede BV) and they all dated to 1995. That in itself is kinda strange, since the factory told you a January 2004 ship date. Given the gun has the Internal Lock System (ILS) it's gotta be 2000 or later.

I think it's a product code 170233. It has the right features. 3-inch barrel, dovetailed front sight, Power Port, trigger stop, titanium cylinder, angle latch, ILS, blue/black finish. The Performance center made 99 beginning in September of 2003. So even the time frame is about right. I've seen two of the 170233 guns and they both had "DEW" s/n prefixes. Which is different from the OP's gun.

The question I'd have for the owner is, is the gun a..........

Model 329-1?​

Emphasis on the "dash one". The 170233 guns were -1's, and it was the -1's that were subject to the recall. To find out, open the cylinder. Look on the frame under the barrel. The model number and dash number (if any) will be there.

I asked the CS Rep if it was a -1 etc & he said 'No'. Since it went through the Performance Center I think their reply will be more thorough.

The owner prefers to communicate only via text (she's a bit strange) so attempting to have her answer a logical series of questions is a challenge. I finally determined she inherited it from her step-father.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

One thing we can be sure of... it the frame hasn't been painted or coated after it left the factory. See the metal colored little circles on the left side for the frame. Those are the trigger and hammer studs. They penetrate the frame. If the frame had been coated or painted aftermarket those circles would be covered up.

I'm not convinced it's not a -1. The SCoSW specifically mentions the BVA s/n prefix, that it's out of sequence, used for a small limited run, and associates it with the M329-1. Still thinking it's a 170233.

 

[b_san]

Sorry about my earlier post, I'd forgotted about the recalled 329-1. The recall affected serial number range is BVA0004 to BVA0210 and DEW0001 to DEW0099 and applies to ALL revolvers in that range which includes the number of the gun you posted above.

Performance Center Model 329 Safety Recall - Smith & Wesson

So yes it's rare but if you buy it you can't shoot it or send it in to S&W for service as they'll destoy it. On the plus side they will offer you credit towards a comparably priced model so if you bought it cheap enough you could make a little $ getting a new production gun you wanted from S&W.

 

[PDX1953]

Sorry about my earlier post, I'd forgotted about the recalled 329-1. The recall affected serial number range is BVA0004 to BVA0210 and DEW0001 to DEW0099 and applies to ALL revolvers in that range which includes the number of the gun you posted above.

Performance Center Model 329 Safety Recall - Smith & Wesson

So yes it's rare but if you buy it you can't shoot it or send it in to S&W for service as they'll destroy it. On the plus side they will offer you credit towards a comparably priced model so if you bought it cheap enough you could make a little $ getting a new production gun you wanted from S&W.

Since it's a recall gun I'm sure I'll be hearing from the Performance Center. She lives in the hills above Chico, CA & wants to carry a .45 on her hikes primarily because there have been Cougar sightings. She has a nice 39 I tried to buy from her in the early 90's but she still shoots it now & then & won't let go of it. I'm thinking of just buying a good entry level 1911 & swapping her for the .44. I'm trying to talk her into a .40 cal b/c I think the .45 will be too much for her.