I always thought the newer versions had these as an enhancement or improvement. While this is probably somewhat true, I've also seen older versions of the same models about the same age with and without them. In the early days, was this an experiment with Smith to see how well they'd be received? Could this be why the same models of the same age have them and some don't?

Red ramp inserts were available from the factory starting in the early 1950's (1953 I believe) but they had to be special ordered. Later on, as they became more popular, I think S&W began making up batches of particular guns with the RR on their own.

Some people like them and some don't. Most of the time plain black sights work best for me, but before tritium dot sights were available, the red ramp gave a slight advantage in low light conditions. I think they look cool too!

When I was first starting out I wanted them and bought a few with them. Even had one inlet on a custom 1917. Now days I am not hot for them and would rather have just black. Actualy, what I really, really like is a gold bead! I used to have one on another 1917, but dont now.

quote:

Originally posted by riptrack44:
I always thought the newer versions had these as an enhancement or improvement. While this is probably somewhat true, I've also seen older versions of the same models about the same age with and without them. In the early days, was this an experiment with Smith to see how well they'd be received? Could this be why the same models of the same age have them and some don't?

S&W always offered a variety of available sights on special order. The more common ones that come to mind are Plain Patridge, Patridge with red, gold, yellow or other insert, gold bead (McGivern or Call type), Baughman ramp on ramp base, plain serrated, red or yellow ramp, Low patridge on duty guns, high patridge for neck hold on 50 yard PPC course, both on appropriate base, etc., so the sight styles have been around for a long time.

The Baughman, for example, is named after an FBI agent named Frank Baughman who requested it, although a VERY similar sight was requested by an earlier customer as evidenced by drawings sent in by the customer. I assume the customer's name did not have the same advertising flair as Frank Baughman of the FBI, so the sight was named after Agent Baughman. There are similar stories for all of the "named" stuff and if interested you should read Jinks' books and join the S&WCA.

Most of those sights were invented and available well before WWII. There is just not too much new in guns. Even "night sights" were available way back around the turn of the century. Some of Walter Winans' revolvers had lighted sights.

Unless you go back and read Chauncey Thomas, alot of the old Outdoor Life articles, books by Winans and others (pre-dating Elmer Keith), you will never realize that everything our generation thinks of has been thought of before when it comes to guns, improvements, carry ideas and tactics.

I agree we have unmatched products now, but the ideas were all hatched by 1920 or 1930 or so, perhaps not as to power or caliber, but as to modifications, sights, etc. No doubt the early stuff has been improved, but the basic ideas were laid down by the time of Elmer Keith, and he and his contemporaries improved on them. For the most part, it is hard to see significant strides being made in handguns since the mid-50s or so.

The basic actions for revolvers were down by the late 1800s and the basic auto actions by 1911 or so (1935 if you think of elimination of the link as a separate invention and not an evolution), and if you think of the DA mechanism in an auto as something "new," then around that same time, unless you count the 1907 Roth-Steyr, which safe action method was basically improved by Glock, and if that is your standard, then auto actions were pretty well set by the early 1900s.