Most of the info I have seen says no dash means there will be 4 screws am i missing something? I have the 3 side screws but no screw under front of trigger guard. The serial is 5K92xxx

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48threescrew.jpg (105.1 KB, 106 views)

Welcome to the forum.

This is an anomaly that's not uncommon: the frame was model # stamped before the -1 change which eliminated the 4th screw. But during the time it was in production, the -1 change was implemented and your gun didn't get the 4th screw.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

With a 5K92xxx serial number, that would make your revolver a 48-3 produced around 1974. Check the yoke frame and see if there is even enough room for a "-3" to be stamped. It is possible that the person stamping the model number started too far to the right and the -3 was left off because there was not enough room for it. It is also possible that an error was made and the -3 was missed. There is no way that your gun is a legitimate no dash with it's serial number.

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SWCA 3297 SWHF 583

I'm curious too. I have two that are 48-2's, 3Kxxx-6K56xx which shipped in 1976.
Welcome to the forum.

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Birds like shiny new toys too.

It looks like there might have been room, hmm

Attached Images

no dash.jpg (45.1 KB, 93 views)

I also have a 48 that according to serial # should be a dash 3 but is marked as a no dash. The 48's seem to have a lot of marking issues with the dash numbers.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

You can't go by serial # at all, they weren't produced in chronological order of the serial #s.

And the 48s do have more of a problem with dash #s like any slower selling models. They were in the production process longer and completed at a much slower rate. This allowed the Model and dash #s stamped on the frame early in the process to go "stale".

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Jim
S&WCA #819

The American Rifleman article I found stated this " Model 48-2, which changed the cylinder stop to eliminate the fourth screw at the front of the trigger guard (December 29, 1961); the Model 48-3 which changed the position of the rear sight leaf screw (December 14, 1967); and the Model 48-4 which moved the gas ring from the yoke to the cylinder (1977)"

so could this still be a 48-2 ? or not sure how to tell from the rear leaf screw or the -4 im not familair with a gas ring moved? How can I tell that?

If the screw for the rear sight leaf is over the barrel/cylinder gap, it is the older style. Given the serial number, I will guess you will find this type of rear sight and you have an earlier model 48 frame that wasn't made into a complete gun until later.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The gas ring attached to the yoke was moved back to cyl and sticks out of the front face. There's no dash # for originally moving it from the cyl to the yoke but most K frames were involved andit was moved back again within a very short time.


The 48-1 change you can tell if the extractor rod has left hand threads by the groove cut behind the checkered tip like this:

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Jim
S&WCA #819