Ugly Duckling

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Happy New Year forumites - and what better way to start the new year than by buying a new (to me) Smith & Wesson?

As the title says, this one is a real ugly duckling. It's a model that I didn't know existed until I ran across one in a gun shop in New England in 2007. I should have bought it then, because they have about doubled in price since then. Water under the bridge. I was poking around the Internet, not looking for anything specific, when I ran across this one at a relatively good price. I made an offer and it was accepted. It will be several weeks until I get my hands on it - payment/shipping/transfer - OGAM.

This is the big brother to the Centennial series of J-frame revolvers. It is built on an alloy L-frame with a 5-shot titanium cylinder. It is DAO with an internal hammer. It has a 2.5" barrel and is chambered in .44 Special. Only made for a couple years - introduced in 1999 discontinued in 2001 (probably because it was so ugly) - which means it has no internal lock. Depending on whose review you read, I've seen the weight stated at everything from 18 ounces to 27 ounces. I think it probably is in the 20 - 21 ounce range as my 325 PD is 25 ounces (bigger frame but bigger holes and one more of them).

So here it is...

A S&W 296 Ti

I hope that your new year starts off as well as mine.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[124gr9mm 859]

Very nice!

Yes it is ugly, but I wouldn't pass one up!!

[PK90 3,570]

Is alloy that much heavier than scandium? I would think it weighs a lot less than you might think. Got a scale?

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

12 minutes ago, PK90 said:

Is alloy that much heavier than scandium? I would think it weighs a lot less than you might think. Got a scale?

The frame may be Scandium (in S&W parlance). Scandium is a rare metal and those guns that have "scandium" frames are actually an alloy of aluminum and scandium. Just the barest hint of scandium is all that is used in the alloy. It makes the metal harder/stronger.

In reading various reviews on this model, just as with the weight, it has been referred to as scandium in some and aluminum alloy in others. The laser engraved atomic orbital diagram on the side plate is used on Scandium guns as is the tag line "Airlite". I thought I'd just play it safe and say aluminum alloy, which covers all bases.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[345Sire 158]

2 hours ago, Pizza Bob said:

Happy New Year forumites - and what better way to start the new year than by buying a new (to me) Smith & Wesson?

As the title says, this one is a real ugly duckling. It's a model that I didn't know existed until I ran across one in a gun shop in New England in 2007. I should have bought it then, because they have about doubled in price since then. Water under the bridge. I was poking around the Internet, not looking for anything specific, when I ran across this one at a relatively good price. I made an offer and it was accepted. It will be several weeks until I get my hands on it - payment/shipping/transfer - OGAM.

This is the big brother to the Centennial series of J-frame revolvers. It is built on an alloy L-frame with a 5-shot titanium cylinder. It is DAO with an internal hammer. It has a 2.5" barrel and is chambered in .44 Special. Only made for a couple years - introduced in 1999 discontinued in 2001 (probably because it was so ugly) - which means it has no internal lock. Depending on whose review you read, I've seen the weight stated at everything from 18 ounces to 27 ounces. I think it probably is in the 20 - 21 ounce range as my 325 PD is 25 ounces (bigger frame but bigger holes and one more of them).

So here it is...

A S&W 296 Ti

I hope that your new year starts off as well as mine.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Nice, put it out in the sun with some tanning lotion and it'll look better. 

It's not ugly, just different.

Congrats on the new family addition!

[fishnut 2,358]

Nice, I like ugly guns too, I have a 649.