Make: Smith & Wesson

Model: 520, .357 Magnum Military & Police, Special Production

Serial Number: N557703

Year of Manufacture: 1980

Caliber: .357 Magnum

Action Type: 6-Shot, Single And Double Action Revolver with Swing-Out Fluted Cylinder

Barrel Length: 4"

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated, ramped blade integral to a rise in the barrel rib. The rear sight is a square notch integral to the topstrap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered Magna-style walnut with S&W medallions. The inside of the right panel is stamped "558661" (also in the 520 serial range). The grips have no notable wear or damage, only light handling marks. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Excellent condition. Note: while the grip serial marking doesn't match the frame, it is in the 520 serial range and production of this model was decidedly non-standard. See Our Assessment.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion, this bore rates 10 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 98% of its metal finish. There are a few tiny marks on the left of the ejector housing. There is a thin, faint turn line on the cylinder. Otherwise, there are only light handling marks. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this handgun rates in Excellent condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes in a two-piece cardboard S&W box with serial-matching label, factory paperwork not including manual, cleaning rod and bore brush, original sales receipt and S&W factory records letter.

Our Assessment: The Smith & Wesson Model 520 is a name that is not all that popular and has been used on two totally different revolvers. The original 520 started life in 1979 as a traditional six-shot .357 M&P revolver at the request of the New York State Police. Fast forward 25 years and at the 2005 Annual NRA Meeting, S&W introduced a .357 Magnum 7-Shot L-Frame Smith & Wesson dubbed the model 520 "The Model of 2005 .357 Magnum". The original was a Square butt N-Frame, packed six rounds in a steel cylinder, and was made for only the one year in a more limited quantity. Smith & Wesson had designed and begun production of the 520 order of 3,100 revolvers when the NYSP changed their mind and decided to just purchase standard production Model 28 revolvers. Smith & Wesson nevertheless finished production of the order and decided to sell the revolvers on the commercial market in 1980. While they later changed their mind and used the model designation for a completely different revolver, at the time they insisted it would not be a cataloged item or become a standard production model.

For this reason, the Model 520 is rare and, maybe, it contributed to some irregularities in the records. For instance, the original order was for 3,100 revolvers, both S&W Historian Roy Jinks and the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson insist that 3,000 were produced, and the serial range for these revolvers covers 3,111 numbers. In fact, this particular specimen has serial N557703, some 47 before the beginning of the 520 serial range recorded as N557750, though the factory records do indicate that this serial number is for a Model 520 Special Production revolver shipped June 19, 1980 to Jones Equipment Co. in Hollywood, Florida. Stranger still, the revolver comes with a July 12, 1980 dated sales receipt from The Gun Shop in Miami Shores, FL (it is possible that The Gun Shop was owned or partnered with Jones Equipment Co., but we have not verified any connection between the two). Just to round out this revolver's idiosyncrasies, the grip is marked with a non-matching serial number that is in the serial range for the Model 520. Given the scarcity of this model, it seems more likely that this was a factory error than a random happenstance of a replaced grip. Any 520 would make a prized addition to a Smith & Wesson collection, but this particular example has some very interesting history and documentation that puts the cherry on top. Please see our pictures and good luck!