On a 4 screw revolver, what was the trigger guard screw for? ie, what did it secure? Thanks in advance!
On 1955/56 pre 19, with trigger guard screw, and 3 side plate screwa.

It retains the cylinder stop plunger and spring. Those were loaded through the front of the frame and secured with that screw.

Note: Your question assumes a postwar 4 screw gun in either N or K frame size. K frames from before 1905 also had only four screws, but the cylinder stop plunger retaining screw wasn't one of them. In those days, all four screws were in the sideplate. In 1905, when that screw was added, they became 5 screw guns. That lasted until c. 1956, when the top sideplate screw was eliminated.

The sequence is different on the various frame sizes. N frames never had only four screws until c. 1956; always five. I frames are a completely different matter. But describing those is too complicated for me. Somewhere, Hondo44 has a detailed description of the I frame sequence. It might even be in the brown pages of the SCSW 4th Edition. But it is also here on the Forum, somewhere. I am totally incapable of using the search function. Sorry.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

I assume you are talking about later 4 screws and not the early ones that did not have the cylinder stop screw. That screw held in place a spring and plunger that put tension on the cylinder stop.

The Model 1902 did not have that feature, as it was introduced in 1905, so they were also 4 screw revolvers. Around 1955, the top screw in the sid plate was removed and that was also a 4 screw.

EDIT: I see that great minds think alike, right Jack?

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I have always believed that the cylinder stop spring coming in from the trigger guard is a better design than using the internal spring. But the latter design is undoubtedly cheaper to manufacture.