Was there an N-Frame .357 with fixed sights?

[UNCLE PAULY]

My 1980 S&W 520 NYSP with Craig Spegel grips and El Paso Saddlery cross draw holster. Bought it unfired from original owner and took it out to the range 1st day. Shoot it regularly as all my guns get shot. No safe queens!

It's one of my Sunday barbecue guns.

 

[Dio]

If your a reloaded and can live with souped up 38 why not get a HD?
Mine is by far my favorite Smith.

 

[mikerjf]

For another take on fixed-sight N's, check out WC145's "Crowbar". There's a few pix on the forum, found one in this thread:

3.5" Custom Combat 28 357 Magnum

 

[Bald1]

What do you guys think is a legitimate price for unfired and rarely fired model 520 ? Real world prices. If you were selling one what would you ask? Not the inflated asking prices you see online.

 

[steelslaver]

A 1917 frame, a model 28 cylinder and barrel and files or a milling machine to remove as much of the rib or all it and leave as much front sight ramp and front sight blade so that it could be cut down to whatever height you preferred load centers with at the range you prefer. Want to dump some more weight? Cut and file or mill off the majority of the ejector shroud. Metal is relatively easy to remove.

Only draw back if that it would be a long action. But that isn't much of anything.

I am always going the other way milling the frame for adjustable sights

 

[scott1970]

For years, I've had a safe queen, boxed 520 sitting in a safe. A couple of years ago, I purchased a clean 520 shooter here on the board. The original grips were long gone along with the box. This has become my absolute favorite .357 Mag to shoot. Had I known how much I would enjoy this revolver, I would have deflowered my pristine one years ago.

Here's my beater 520.

 

[gnappi]

and I choose to not understand why anybody would bother with fixed sight guns---except for "pocket pistols"---and I also choose to not understand why anybody would bother with those---except perhaps as a "Back Up Gun".

Since you said "fixed sight guns"

Well there are many, MANY thousands if shooters who have no adjustable sights on single actions. As a matter of fact I bet that the SAA and Vaquero sales outweigh adjustable sight SAO models.

 

[fredcoyote]

Smith 520 Modified to Darn Near Perfection!

Bought this from a forum member a couple years back. S&W 520 with 3 1/3" 27 barrel, dovetailed front sight, and round butt. One of the best looking 357 I've seen. Bank vault tight and smooth as butter. Didn't pay a whole lot since it was just a shooter but I get my money's worth every time she goes to the range!

One of those "till death do us part" Smiths...

Think there's a few 520 in shooter price territory out there. Way too good looking of a pistol to stare at and not shoot!!!

Take care,

Fred

 

[clang444]

As mentioned, the NYSP 520 is about it from the factory for fixed site N frame .357 magnums. I've been on the lookout for one locally for the last 20 years and the closest I've come to one is a set of PC grips:




I was lucky enough to score a NYSP 681, which is the reason the 520 order was cancelled so they could purchase this gun instead:




If a fixed site & heavy barrel is what you are after, you can scratch that itch for not a lot of money with a model 10 heavy barrel like my 10-1. It is a K frame .38 Special though...




If you really want a more powerful fixed site N frame, you might also want to consider a 1917 or 1937 Brazilian in .45ACP. A lot of these exist in shooter condition. Here is one of mine that was cut down to 4":

 

[Pizza Bob]

The only heavy barrel .357 I know of is the K Frame Model 13, in effect a scaled down Model 58.

The Model 19-P is a fixed sight K-frame that was made for Peru, but they canceled the contract before it was complete. Some guns went to Peru, some to Wischo in Europe and some released through domestic distributor channels. Mine came through Wischo...

Rather unique front sight with a longitudinal channel cut in the blade and then yellow paint applied - 100% factory.

When the Peruvian Police representative was asked why they didn't just buy Model 13's he said that sometimes his men liked to use their revolvers as clubs and he didn't want to deal with any bent extractor rods.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[A10]

Lots of helpful folks here talking about things you didn't as for...Fixed sight factory .357 would be, as stated, a 520. Please, Please don't modify a model marked 20, those seem to be even more rare than the 520. If you search you can find a reamed Heavy Duty, so you won't be affecting the value since someone did that before you. Reamed HDs reduce their value significantly.

As far as cost goes, I don't think I've seen a 520 for less than 15 Benjies in a while.....

 

[moralem]

My 58 and 520….well used.

 

[jframejoey]

If you want the profile of a 58 in .357 you can step down a frame size to the short-lived model 619. It was a stainless fixed sight 7 shot L frame in 357 without an under lug. It looked like a model 65 on 'roids!

 

[SmithNut]

My 1980 S&W 520 NYSP with Craig Spegel grips and El Paso Saddlery cross draw holster. Bought it unfired from original owner and took it out to the range 1st day. Shoot it regularly as all my guns get shot. No safe queens!

It's one of my Sunday barbecue guns.

His grips really do dress them up, don't they....

 

[Ameshawki]

Paid $1200 for my 520, three maybe four years ago. No box. My 38/44 was a bit more recent purchase, maybe $800 off the top of my head. Not reamed for 357.

Making another run of 520s wouldn't be too difficult but Smith has already re-used the 520 model number. Maybe just call it a Model 20. Not sure it gains much over a 681 (which I also have).