I'm with you, can't see them heat treating different for each cal., 1st. it take to much time, 2nd. easy to miss up frame. I say no way, they all get the same heat treatment from the "J" frame to the "X" frame if I was going to guess. The ruger is 1/3 larger than the "N" frame so it has more meat on the bones. But who wants to carry that for the little bit of power, if you want that buy a 460 and laught at the ruger that can't touch it. Smith is #1 and ruger is trying harder .

I used to keep up with a guy who worked at S&W when I spent a lot of time in/around the factory. I asked about this once and was told that the HT is different for different models within the same frame family. It surprised me a lot because I assumed that it would be more efficient to just have a single process. I was told otherwise.

IMHO anything the .45 Colt +P can kill will be just as dead when shot with a standard pressure (NOT Cowboy) factory load........

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

I also doubt the N frames are different. S&W would be opening themselves up to all kinds of liability problems. Suppose they mixed frames up and built a M629 using a "weak/soft" M625 frame. We already know this happens - people have posted questions here before asking about "mismarked" frames.