S&W Model 68 photos

[Yoda]

From everything I've read, the Model 68 was only made in .38 Special, and all the ones I've seen at gun shows have been in that caliber, EXCEPT for the very first one I ever saw, which is in .357, and which I bought. It's still my favorite revolver. BTW, it was my very first revolver, too!

Here are the photos:








- - - Yoda

 

[saemetric]

If this is a test, I'll play--it's an L frame Model 681 in .357 mag. Model 68's were in .38 only and a K frame .

 

[Oro]

-it's an L frame Model 681 in .357 mag.

That sure is what it looks like to me. Certainly an L frame and it looks like it's stamped "681."

The 68's were all also only 6" I believe, but I could be wrong on that - just never have seen a 4" 68.

 

[Yoda]

I'm far from an expert, but...

The frame CLEARLY says 68 "dash" 1, or "68-1." All this time, I thought I had a rare Model 68-1. Now I'm confused. Educate me.

- - - Yoda

 

[Pistol Toter]

Padawon, As it seems, that is not always.

 

[Oro]

The frame CLEARLY says 68 "dash" 1, or "68-1."

It really looks to me like it says "681." I see a fleck in the steel between the 8 and the 1, but that's a surface defect and not a stamped dash. If it were a stamped dash, there would be a full space between the "8" and the "1", not a tiny dot.

That's an early '80s vintage 681 .357 magnum, the 686 fixed-sight variant. Very good guns. But it's not a 68-1 - they were K frame (smaller - it's just obviously not a K frame gun), 6" barrels, non-lugged, and had adjustable sights.

Pistol Toter is right, Padawan.

Don't be discouraged, those are very nice guns, and certain users prefer them to 686 because of the sights and they are more rare than the adjustable sight versions.

 

[9mmepiphany]

it sorta embarrassing. the OP and i exchanged some PMs and it never came up that his gun had a 4" barrel or fixed sights. from his description, it sounded like someone had screwed a L-frame barrel onto a left over K-frame marked "M-68"

i have to agree with the other posters. this is clearly a M-681

the M-68 was:
1. built on a K-frame
2. had an underlug that only enclosed the ejector rod
3. only came in the 6" barreled lenght
4. only came with adjustable sights...from it's parent gun, the M-67

the M-681 was:
1. built on the larger L-frame
2. was the M&P (Military & Police) version (fixed sights) of the M-686
3. was the stainless version of the M-581
4. only came in the 4" configuration

sorry for the confusion

 

[Yoda]

Well, all righty then...

Obviously, I've been mistaken all this time.. I just checked some photos on some other sites (which I guess I could have done a long time ago), and you all seem to be correct!

Ah well, it still is a great gun.

Thanks for the education. Now I need to correct my inventory.

- - - Yoda

 

[deano186]

My Mod. 68 is clearly overstamped from Mod. 66

On my Model 68-2 the stamping looks like it originally said Mod. 66-2 and was overstamped to Mod. 68-2.

I don't know if they were all like that.

 

[rishooter]

Not a 68

I have a Model 68 complete with the CHP transfer form for it and and four other revolvers from Verdugo Hills to Sacramento,so I know who carried it.
The 68's were manufactured only in .38 Special and were designed to handle +P loads.they were made for CHP and a few for LAPD when magnums were discontinued for awhile to satisfy the wine and cheese pukes.
Mine has a CHP stamp with the usual oblliteration.They only came with 6" barrels.Nice shooters.The photo looks like an L frame.The 68 was a K frame.

 

[Oro]

A couple of points I've learned about 68's over the last few years:

. only came with adjustable sights...from it's parent gun, the M-67

The 66 was the parent gun according to the best minds in the field I've heard on the subject. I recall a very vigorous and heated debate among some S&W collectors about two years ago on exactly this (on which I was on the losing side, having also thought the 67 was the "parent" gun - so I'm not being "smug" here ). Both are built on the KT frame, but the fact it comes with a magnum barrel (the shrouded ejector) and that the frames and cylinders were reportedly heat-treated as magnums and not as .38 specials, make the argument convincing that the 66 is really the parent. Which fits neatly with Deano's observation...

On my Model 68-2 the stamping looks like it originally said Mod. 66-2 and was overstamped to Mod. 68-2.

I don't know if they were all like that.

Supposedly the early prototype -2s were done that way, and most went to the LAPD. If you do not know the history of yours, Deano, it might be worth taking some photos of that and mailing them along with the fee to Roy Jinks and get a factory letter. If mine were like that I probably would - well worth the $50 to find out.

I have gotten rid of my 15s and 67s, but the 68 is the one KT .38 I really want to own. I keep just missing them when I find a good deal on one...