Smith and Wesson Serial Number not recognized

[DC Plumber]

Hey guys,

Last year I bought a 4" 586 no dash. I have to send it in for the firing pin bushing issue. It locked up on me. I'm able to clear it and keep shooting, but I want to get the fix so I can count on it firing and operating properly no matter what I shoot in it.

When I went throught the process to get the shipping started, Smith and Wesson told me that it's not a serial number that is recognized. I took the number off of the bottom of the grip frame, which is also the same as the number on the frame right above the "MOD 586". That's the serial number, right?

It is AUB8***

The last three characters are numbers too.

Anyone have any ideas.

Thanks in advance. Oh, and there is no "M" stamp on the gun, but I have "C11", a Z in a circle, a Q in a triangle, a stand alone number 5, a D3 and a 5 digit number that is on the swing out cylinder frame and also on the grip frame.

This is a square butt, L frame blue 357, firing pin on the hammer, with NO recessed cylinder. It shoots accurate as all heck and has a great trigger. Too bad the primer flows into the firing pin bushing, or I wouldn't be typing this.

Thanks again,

 

[Radagast]

AUBxxxx should date your gun to early 1987. The recall dates to 1987 and affects 586 & 586-1 guns.
Bear in mind your gun dates back 24 years and the IBM XT was the big thing in computers. I would be surprised if the original shipping records were computer generated, they are more likely to be in a typed bound book.
There may have been a data entry error at some point when the original records were transcribed. Anyway, the gun needs to be fixed. Send it in.

 

[DC Plumber]

Thank you Radagast, good explanation on the database.

I knew it dated quite a way back. I'm definitely sending it back for the fix. I was just hoping that it wasn't a fake or something crazy and that I bought a gun that really isn't a Smith and Wesson. Unlikely it could happen, but it anything is possible, maybe.

 

[TonyT]

I shoot a 4 inch S&W 586 no dash which has not been sent in for the FP bushing fix. As a plus I can use the inexpensive Ranch Products moonclips in my no dash (I had the cylinder modified for use with moonclips).

 

[DC Plumber]

TonyT,

Have you ever had yours lock up?

What level of loads do you normally shoot?

I wonder if I could change the bushing if they sent one to me.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // Try A V B 8XXX for 1987 V as in Victory should be the second letter not U as in Umbrella. HTH

I sent mine in and had the revolver back before the letter stateing they had recieved it.

If S&W won't do the recall work free because of the serial number factor.( If it is indeed a U)
I'd ask to speak to another "higher up" person or just have them fix it on my dime.

Good Luck with a fine handgun.

 

[Radagast]

Content:
Going off the Standard Catalog of S&W serial number lists, ALCxxxx shipped in November 1985, AVBxxxx shipped in July 1987. As serial numbers were mainly consecutive, its fairly safe to say that an AUBxxxx serial range gun was manufactured between those two dates, and closer to the later date.

 

[content]

Thanks for explaining, I'm new to the book and did not realise the sequence was showing start dates with letter gaps.

Much appreciated

 

[DC Plumber]

Thanks for all of the info guys.

I got an email today from Smith, indicating that I should call. Ends up my gun was made before they started saving serial numbers on computers, but they have it recorded, probably by handwriting.

So I called. No problem, they are shipping a prepaid shipping container and are convering it as a recall/warranty issue. Keeps me happy.

When I entered my claim on the first computer generated form, their database just didn't have it on file, so no big deal. Wheww.

 

[Radagast]

DC Plumber:
Good news. Based on the complaints vs thumbs up / noise to signal ratio on the various gun forums, S&W have pretty good customer service.

Content:
Not all three letter prefix serial numbers were shipped consecutively, as you will see if you have a look through the tables. Some less popular guns sat on the shelf for a while, I recall one six inch barrel Model 66 from the late 80s lettering as shipping two years after its serial range should have been manufactured. Some serial number blocks were reserved for special runs and can also be out of sequence. As the 686 was one of S&Ws most popular lines at the time (the polymer autos were just about to appear on the market, the CCW revolution was to start within 12 months with Florida's Shall Issue law) I think its safe to say that the 686 was shipping as quickly as it could be manufactured.