S&W 637 question

[compass will]

I went to this gun shop today that has 100's of handguns all tied to a bench in a big circle.
in the way these are displayed and since they are on a cable leash you can walk up and dry fire them, try them out in your pocket.
I went to check out the Smith and Wesson 637 and 642. (thinking it could use it as as a boat gun with 38 shot shells, and 2nd as yet another concealed gun other days.
In Florida I can only open carry if I am fishing, and we don't fish. The Bond Arms Snake slayer is a pocket full)

the thing I noticed about both guns I saw on the display rack today is there was a line carved into the cylinder right where the detent is for the cylinder indexer.
Is this common and should I expect my new J frame stainless cylinder to look just like it before long?

The last Smith revolver I was an original that shot 44 Russian and it did not have these lines.

[pietro]

.

The score ring on the cylinder usually indicates that the gun is out of time.

I've returned a one, bought used, to the S&W repair center, where they repaired it for the bubble.

[stubshaft]

NO, the new J frame gun should not look like that. The last 642 I bought was pristine and after a couple of thousand rounds it still looks relatively new.

[compass will]

well we will find out. I went with the 637, but I still think an (additional) model 60 with 3" barrel is in my future :)

[FergusonTO35]

637 is a great little gun, I've had mine for about 12 years now. You would be surprised how accurate they can be too.

[JRD]

The 637 has a blasted matte finish cylinder. You will get a bright line where the matte is polished out by the cylinder stop riding against the circumference of the cylinder between the stop notches. That is totally normal on a S&W. It isn’t scoring (shouldn’t be).

[FergusonTO35]

Yes, a turn line is perfectly normal. If the gun in question has been on display and dry fired to death then it will definitely have one.

[compass will]

thanks everyone. Its fun shooting this little gun. Its a nice carry gun as well as plink around the range gun. I am not going to put the larger 3 finger grips on it so it fits in my pocket better.
But I really still think I want a model 60 with 3" barrel (with 3 finger grips) as well, but would love to be able to handle the 60 with 3"barrel at the same time as a Model 66 in both 2.75 and 4.25 as well as a 686 4" to see the difference in frame sizes.
but I already have several SAA clones with 5.5" so 3"-4" is what I a looking for.