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S&W M637 cheaper than M37 - Why?
- Thread starter LH2
- Start date
Jack Malloy
New member
If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that its because Smith doesn't put much difference in the final polish between blued and stainless guns, and the fact that the blued models have to be blued (where stainless is just left as is) is why the prices are so different.
That and the fact they are tryng to get out of making blued guns.
That and the fact they are tryng to get out of making blued guns.
most of the time blued guns actually take more time to polish to make right then stainless does, if stainless was polished to the point that most blued guns are it would look like nickel. The Ruger Vaquaro's have a high polished stainless finish, but most stainless smiths are not that highly polished. And like was posted above Smith is trying to get away from blueing.
Hmm. Just seemed weird because for example Ruger always charges *more* for stainless, and here S&W is doing the opposite.
Makes sense though, it may actually be more work to produce a blued gun, factor in the EPA cost for the bluing process.
I notice Kahr also charges more for black than stainless. Same gun, but the black treatment is an extra step...
Makes sense though, it may actually be more work to produce a blued gun, factor in the EPA cost for the bluing process.
I notice Kahr also charges more for black than stainless. Same gun, but the black treatment is an extra step...
The model 37 has an aluminum alloy frame, not carbon steel. It's not blued, but anodized. Now the barrel and the cylinder (for the models with the steel cylinder) are blued. Bluing the steel and anodizing the aluminum is one more manufactoring step which would add to the cost.
The model 637 also has an aluminum alloy frame, but it is left in the white and have a stainless steel barrel and cylinder. Nothing extra was done to this revolver until they brought it back out with a clearcoat paint sprayed on it to make the 2 metals blend in color.
The model 637 also has an aluminum alloy frame, but it is left in the white and have a stainless steel barrel and cylinder. Nothing extra was done to this revolver until they brought it back out with a clearcoat paint sprayed on it to make the 2 metals blend in color.
Several things factor in here.
First, like others mentioned, the model 37 is an anodized alloy frame and blue-steel barrel & cylinder. The 637 is also an alloy frame with a stainless steel barrel & cylinder. But there the differences end.
The newer 637 is actually a new frame called the J-Magnum frame and it is the current production j-frame. The frame is beefed up in several places and slightly longer than the older .38 j-frames. The model 37 didn't start using this same size frame until the -3 change allowing it to fire +P loads.
Older Model 37's often carry a premium if unfired or LNIB. Older alloy frames were known to "stretch" slightly if they fired a lot of +p type loads.
First, like others mentioned, the model 37 is an anodized alloy frame and blue-steel barrel & cylinder. The 637 is also an alloy frame with a stainless steel barrel & cylinder. But there the differences end.
The newer 637 is actually a new frame called the J-Magnum frame and it is the current production j-frame. The frame is beefed up in several places and slightly longer than the older .38 j-frames. The model 37 didn't start using this same size frame until the -3 change allowing it to fire +P loads.
Older Model 37's often carry a premium if unfired or LNIB. Older alloy frames were known to "stretch" slightly if they fired a lot of +p type loads.
The newer 637 is actually a new frame called the J-Magnum frame and it is the current production j-frame. The frame is beefed up in several places and slightly longer than the older .38 j-frames. The model 37 didn't start using this same size frame until the -3 change allowing it to fire +P loads.
So they currently use the same frame right?
The 637 isn't any "better" than the 37, just a bit cheaper due to manufacturing costs?