Originally Posted by buckspen

Paladin - You should check out the european Bayard pistols. They predated the S&W 61 by a lot of years and there are a lot of design similarities. I would guess that S&W used the Bayard as a design basis. The Bayards were made in several calibers. I actually owned a Bayard .32 ACP pistol and a S&W 61 at the same time. The similarities are striking.
You probably can find some sources on the internet, but the old Book of Pistols and Revolvers by Smith (I think) had a page or two on the Bayards.
By the way, your photos are really excellent.

- - - Buckspen