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nagantino
10-23-2022, 11:39 AM
305983305984

Today I removed the grips from my S&W 686 6 “, to check and tighten the strain screw as I was getting light strikes. The photos show a series of letters struck on the metal of the gun. There seem to be a lot of them but I don’t remember any marks on the 686 4”, which I part-traded for this revolver. It’s a Target Champion model which I believe were sent to Germany. Anyone have any idea as to their meaning?
HWooldridge
10-23-2022, 12:20 PM
Owner’s initials?
nagantino
10-23-2022, 12:48 PM
Yeah could be. Lots of numbers though.
725
10-23-2022, 12:53 PM
Wonder if they relate to work done in the custom shop?
dswancutt
10-23-2022, 02:26 PM
I believe they are just various fitters marks from the time it was assembled.
1Hawkeye
10-23-2022, 04:42 PM
They are factoy assembly codes.
stubshaft
10-23-2022, 05:17 PM
That's the first time I've ever seen something like this on a S&W.
nagantino
10-23-2022, 05:23 PM
Are they peculiar to Germany though, or are similar stamps and marks used in the Smith and Wesson assembly line? I’d love to know what they mean because they must have a meaning. Thanks for the replies.
1Hawkeye
10-23-2022, 05:42 PM
I think S&W started doing it about the same time they started putting the model numbers on the frames up till then the frame, barrel , & cylinder were serialized and the inside of the frame was just stamped with a builders and qc stamps.
gwpercle
10-23-2022, 07:05 PM
They are factoy assembly codes.

:goodpost:
BINGO ! We have a Winner .
Assembly codes
Gary
MT Gianni
10-23-2022, 07:50 PM
I have not seen assembly codes in that size. I believe all guns sent to Europe require entrance stamps. I especially think the larger fonts may be that. If the smaller ones are fitters marks the same numbers should show up on other parts of the gun.
David2011
10-26-2022, 04:15 AM
All of the surplus military guns that I bought after some point had an additional marking that looked like it was made with a dot matrix printer, much like the markings on the right side of the grip frame. Any gun that has been commercially imported into the US after some point in time should have additional import markings even if it was originally manufactured in the US. I don't recall the exact date after which such markings became mandatory.