S&W mod. 67 what series?

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Icebear

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Hello

I intend to get an S&W 67. Now I found a dealer with one in a very good condition for a good price.
Now I wonder about the qualities of the different series (-1, -2 etc.) respectively the different periods of production.
Are there differences or are they all more or less the same, also the very new ones?
The serial number of the mentioned mod.67 is 3K60813. There is also another number: 73671 SG 17 (but that one is maybe not relevant).
I checked a list on the net and if I got it right, it should be from the year 1971. Is that true? And what "dash"-series (-1, -2 …..) that would be?
 
I know from my own experience of dealing with a rather lot of S&Ws from estate sales, the conventional wisdom of some, that lower numbers are better is completely false as an out of hand assumption.

Some *dash* advances certainly entail cost-cutting measures but more than those are actual incremental improvements based upon consumer feedback.

I won't open a can of worms for some purists but, aside from collectibility, there are at least 3 revered S&W revolvers that I won't bother with with lower dash numbers.

Then, there are those who won't touch a Hillary-Hole gun while I have two factory 629s; a -5 & -6 and the lesser *valued* gun (the -6) is a markedly better gun relative to trigger, lock-up and cylinder alignment. Doesn't mean that the new is better than the previous. Just means that new might be better than previous.

On the 67... I'd get FACTUAL breakdown of the *-* changes.

Todd.
 
Excellent revolver, my first agency-issued sidearm, back in 1987. I shot it very well. Recently picked up another, a 67-1, for nostalgia purposes. I don't remember if the department's one was a dash-1 or a no-dash, all that was out at the time.

One made in 1971 would be a no-dash model, which many collectors believe to be highly desirable. The dash-1 rolled in around 1977, I think.
 
If it is a -? The model number under the crane will be 67-?. If there is no dash # it is a no dash model.
As the others said some dashes were actual improvements and others cost cutting measures.
I have found the Standard Catalog of S&W to be priceless as a reference book for myself as a fairly green S&W accumulator. It explains in detail and timeline all of the dash changes. Mine is 4th edition, not sure if there is a fifth.
 
The Model 67 was introduced in 1967 as a no dash of course. The dash 1 came about in 1977 when the gas ring was changed from yoke to the cylinder. During the run of the dash 1, in 1982 the pinned barrel was deleted from production. Dash 2 came about in 1988. The Pinned barrel models are slightly more desirable than the later models and usually sell for around $50-75 more in these parts. The model 67 while a great gun, would never be classified as a "collectors item" in any dash configuration. Personally I would consider the value of any prelock Model 67 to be about the same and could care less about the pinned barrel if I was just looking for one to shoot.
 
Thank you all. So it's highly probably going to be one of the new series. One more question: is the (new) mod.67 a round- or square butt frame?
 
I think all of the newer s&w revolvers are round but frames that can utilize round or square butt grips...with older guns you’ll have to check the individual gun.

The older 64-3 on the right with the square butt Hogue grips, the newer 686-8 on the left with the round-Butt frame with the same profile Houge grips.

C3F25D89-A7FF-45CD-B12C-8E640A7B749B.jpeg

Stay safe.
 
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Thank you. If I put a round-butt-grip on the 67, does it give the same proportions as a square butt? Because it looks like it would be the same size in the end. The left grip resp. the lower rubber part seems to compensate the steel-part from the left square butt. Thus it must be the same size and feeling in the end
 
You cannot put a round butt grip on a square butt frame. His point was the newer guns are ALL round butt and you can have round or square functionality based on what grips you choose. Something else to consider when you are buying dash #’s based on what you want.
 
Mike C2 is correct, I was a bit short in my answer. The round butt frame allows the shooter to use either a round butt grip or a square butt grip cut for the round butt frame. You are right regarding the Hougue on the 686, it does cover the lower end where the round butt curves. This effectively made it a square butt grip.

The square butt frame like the 64 on the right is one and done with square butt grips, because it's too wide at the bottom for round butt grips.

Stay safe.
 
I have a 67-1. My first firearm. It was out of time when purchased (undisclosed by a gunbroker seller!) but S&W fixed it at my expense and it has been a fantastic revolver ever since. At the time I bemoaned that it was not a .357 magnum but I have come to realize that while it is not a .357 magnum it is, in fact, an apex .38 special. They have a lovely barrel contour unmatched by the modern bull barrels and not nearly so waifish as the pencil barrels.
 
ApacheCoTodd said:
I won't open a can of worms for some purists but, aside from collectibility, there are at least 3 revered S&W revolvers that I won't bother with with lower dash numbers.
Todd.
Click to expand...

:) I have a S&W Model 10 no dash. I was very surprised to discover that the center pin was threaded so that it would unscrew if the gun was operated, thus locking up the action. Used some fingernail polish on the threads to fix it. The 10-1 fixed that little oversight. So, you definitely have a good point.
 
SeanSw said:
I have a 67-1. My first firearm. It was out of time when purchased (undisclosed by a gunbroker seller!) but S&W fixed it at my expense and it has been a fantastic revolver ever since. At the time I bemoaned that it was not a .357 magnum but I have come to realize that while it is not a .357 magnum it is, in fact, an apex .38 special. They have a lovely barrel contour unmatched by the modern bull barrels and not nearly so waifish as the pencil barrels.
Click to expand...

The 67 is another great example of what ApacheCoTodd was talking about-- the original had a stainless steel rear sight. Yours, and mine, have the more sensible black ones. ;)
 
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At the risk of making way too many posts in the same thread, I should mention that serial numbers and dash numbers aren't always a good guide to when something shipped from the factory. They can give you a rough idea, but it takes the S&W historian to tell you for sure when it happened. For example, I have a 10-5 that shipped in 1964, and a 10 no dash from 1961. You'd think it would take more time than that to jump five revisions, but no.
 
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