I just bought a S&W 629 with a four inch barrel.  These have been unobtanium around here.  In fact, I do not remember seeing one in the last five years.  After getting it home and reading up on it, I notice that at least some current 629's have the two piece barrel.  This one does not.  If mine does, they sure hide it well.  Also, I noticed the gun is so dirty I find it hard to read the SN.  Maybe the store clerks had a little shooting session last weekend.  I am okay with that, but I am beginning to wonder if this gun is actually new.  SN is DZF****, and the model number is 629-6.  

I just looked at my 6 inch 629 with underlug.  It is a 628-8, and does not have the two piece barrel either.  Finish is the same.  It is a shooting fool with the red dot, but a little heavy for a perfect packing pistol.

I seem to remember that a different dash number does not mean a later gun, but a different variation.  In other words, maybe the underlugs were dash 8's and the regular barrels are - dash 6's?  

Most of the time the dash revisions were linked to design changes that occurred over time, so generally yes lower dash number will be an earlier gun.
If you are saying it was dirty from firing and sold as new, that is probably a false statement. The factory test fires the guns before shipment ( or used to anyway) every other chamber, so a new gun would have 3 clean and 3 dirty chambers.

The 629-6 was the result of adding the internal lock to the 629 and was released starting in 2001.

The 629-7 was the engineering change which brought about the two piece barrel design, starting in 2005.

The 629-8 is the Model 629 with a slabsided barrel and was introduced beginning in 2006.

The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, 4th Edition, only shows serial number ranges going up to CZX, which was used in 2015.

So, yes, your 629-6 with a serial number starting DZF should have an internal lock, a non-slabsided, single-piece barrel, and could be current production.

DZF tell us it was produced long after the 629-7 was introduced.

Like the others have already said, the higher the dash, for the most part - the newer the gun.

As far as the 2 piece barreled guns, the only 2 piece barrel guns that I know of are those like the Night Guard, Air lite,etc., pretty much those that aren't an all stainless gun and have alloy frames. So you're good there.

I bought a new 629-6 this last year

1 piece 4" barrel

I like my -5.

No lock, only a couple MIM parts, but i am no MIM snob, but it has all the strength upgrades. I think best of the bunch. Picked up in Dec for $900.

Pic thread

Attached File

Sharp looking gun.

Got a couple of older, 6" 629's ( a -2 and a -3)

Ohio has a 5" minimum for hunting and, at the time, a 5" wasn't an option so the 6" was it.

I have always wanted a 4" but was never in a position to pick up a no lock.

Now, of course, they bring a serious premium.

Last year I picked up a 610-3 (lock, MIM...) and I'm very impressed; fit, finish, timing and smoothness are every bit the equal of my older "N" frames (of course I wouldn't purchase a S&W sight unseen these days)

I don't have the negative feelings about MIM parts like others so, given the chance to inspect one, I have no doubt new production revolvers are a solid purchase.