1996 S&W 640-1 .357 dual ported

[loumsmith]

I was wondering if anyone can offer an opinion on the value of this pistol or where I could find anything out about the model. I tried S&W and got nowhere. This appears to be the first model year and it has a slotted port on each side of the barrel and the stock rubber grip. It came like this from S&W new. It was not sent in for after market porting. I rarely see the ports and I can't really get an idea of the value or why it is one of the only ones ported in that way. This is mostly about curiosity, because its a great gun and whenever I think about trading it for a semi-automatic I flinch and keep it.
Thanks for your comments.
-Lou

[Pizza Bob]

If your pistol is all original (including the rubber grip), Supica & Nahas list only two possibilities and both were Lew Horton distributor specials. If you have the box the product code for the J-Comp or Power Port, as it was known, is 170068, and the serial number prefix would be RPC. The grips were Pachmayr Decelerators and the front sight had a Tritium insert.

The second possibility is one called the Quadport. Product code 170078 with a serial number prefix of THE. Pachmayr grips, glass bead-blasted finish.

If the grips were changed, it could be an RSR special (prod code 170073) which was Magna-Ported and had a pinned black ramp front sight.

That's all I could find.

HTH

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[loumsmith]

Thanks Bob. I will have the box in hand tomorrow and I will respond. Neither seem to fit the pistol. It has only 2 ports, a stainless finish, and standard sight, rubber grips and a stock # of Serial is CAT8338.. I will check the model number tomorrow. I bought it new and still have the original material. Maybe it is RSR special.
-Lou

[mpi]

i have an RSR special and it's been my favorite snubby other than my colts

[loumsmith]

i have an RSR special and it's been my favorite snubby other than my colts

I love the 640, but it has stock rubber grips, so I am still not sure how it ended up ported from the factory. No model fits so far. I mean, I know it is a 640-1, it says so.
-Lou

[mpi]

these came with wood grips, but most folks changed them out first thing due to recoil discomfort. so the grips aren't a true signifier as to model.

[Pizza Bob]

these came with wood grips, but most folks changed them out first thing due to recoil discomfort. so the grips aren't a true signifier as to model.

They are if he bought the gun new, as he indicated.

The product code number should tell the story. You may have a very unique piece that was used as a test bed for porting used on the PC model(s).

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[loumsmith]

Ok, I took a few photos so you guys would know/see as much as I do. Like I said earlier, I purchased it new in 1996. I saw that I still have the tag the dealer had on it in the display case, so I threw that in, too. Here is a link to the photos. https://picasaweb.google.com/1082407...01August172011

[mpi]

i stand corrected!

[loumsmith]

i stand corrected!

The product code doesn't seem to imply anything about the Magna Port. Maybe it was just a rare occurrence. I have seen other pistols just like mine. One was in a post with pretty much the same questions as me. One thing I found interesting is in the following post, it is a different pistol, but same year, ported, and CATXXXX serial #. http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-rev...mparisons.html