I've been reading articles and threads from different forums, about the earliest hammer block mechanisms, and seem to find different timelines. I've read that it began with the 4th change, in 1915, and I read on another forum that it began in 1898.

I'm inquiring about a 3rd change that's for sale, a later one I believe, and the seller believes it does have the block, and that the pin is retracted when the trigger is not pulled.

Could some later 3rd change guns have had the block? Could the factory possibly have added the hammer block to a gun that may have been sent in for repair? The gun does have a star on the butt, indicating possible refinish or rework of some sort.

I'm looking at several guns from this time period, and am trying to make sure I know what I'm looking at before I purchase. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Josh P