Smith 657 with 3" bbl

[dfletcher]

I just bought a 3" Smith 657 - very nice shape, just needs a bit of cleaning inside & out - and from what I read on the net prices are all over the place. I didn't look at the yoke stamp, so I don't know if it's 657, 657-1, -2, etc but it's no lock, no MIM and the old style stud cylinder retainer on the left side of the frame. Receipt says only "657" and serial # is ANE56XX. Any info on DOM and whether it's a plain old stainless 57 or anything different?

Whatever the heck it is, I'm happy. I dumped a 3" Lew Horton 44 Mag a few years ago and have always regretted it a bit. I like the 41, this will do fine.

[Miltiades]

1986 probable date of manufacture

I looked in my SCSW, and found that the 657 was produced in a 3 inch barrel in 1986, with product code 103951. Later, in 1999, the Performance Center produced a 2-5/8 inch barrel 657 with product code 170134. So if yours has the 3 inch barrel, it must be the 1986 version.

I believe these are fairly scarce.

[B Strong]

I just bought a 3" Smith 657 - very nice shape, just needs a bit of cleaning inside & out - and from what I read on the net prices are all over the place. I didn't look at the yoke stamp, so I don't know if it's 657, 657-1, -2, etc but it's no lock, no MIM and the old style stud cylinder retainer on the left side of the frame. Receipt says only "657" and serial # is ANE56XX. Any info on DOM and whether it's a plain old stainless 57 or anything different?

Whatever the heck it is, I'm happy. I dumped a 3" Lew Horton 44 Mag a few years ago and have always regretted it a bit. I like the 41, this will do fine.

I've got one of these also - serial # ANE31XX

Check out the S. & W. letter:



Both yours and mine were made in '86.