I have a very nice S&W Model 15-6 in .38 Special that certainly appears to be stainless, not blued. It came with a somewhat tattered S&W box, serial numbered to the gun. The box says blue finish and then notes a specials code of 2118, whatever that means. However, if the gun isn't stainless, it's one heck of a chrome or matt finish job. And there's light engraving (a sort of art deco pattern, mostly just intertwined lines but with a small area of bolder, deeper intertwining on each side of the action). Also came with a nice set of stag grips.

If this were marked as a 66, I'd understand what it was. I can't find anything on the internet that answers the question.

So, was the Model 15-6 ever offered in stainless?

Not that I know of. How long have you had it? Could it be that they stripped/polished off the bluing so that they could engrave it and then never refinished it? In .38 Special, the stainless version would be the 67.

Has to be nickel. Don't think any "un 6--number" were made in stainless.

What confuses me is that if it was stripped and polished, it was an absolutely masterful job. No blurring of the markings at all. I've had it about 10 years or so, so I have no history on it. The finish is more matt than polished. I'd expect a polished finish if it were chromed unless it were done after market and bead blasted first. If that's how it was done, the entire pistol was stripped to its component parts before the bluing removed and the aftermarket finish applied. Could it be a 67 with an incorrect stamp? It has blued rear sight and red insert in the front ramp.

Any way you could post a picture? I’d like to see it but my gut tells me it’s hard chromed. Some of APW’s matte or brushed hard chrome finishes look very similar to stainless. Is the hammer and trigger case colored or matte silver?

Maybe a nickel or electroless nickel finish?

That's the julian date of manufacture (or shipping, can't recall), the 118th day of 1992.

Does the front sight have a red insert?

It could be hard-chromed, which is a better finish than stainless ever was.

Front sight has a red insert.

I'll take some photos and e-mail them to anyone who has the capacity and the knowledge of how to post them. Send me an e-mail address via PM and I'll try to get it done tonight or tomorrow.

Rem