Question from a Colt Guy

[huskerbob]

Until recently my interest had centered on Colt S.A.A.'s. Beginning to explore the Smith & Wesson world and have a question for you S&W experts.

Is there a 'method to the madness' of the S&W Model designations. For example: Model 27-2, 27-4, 27-9, etc.???

What, if any, significance does the "second number", ie: -2, -4, -9. have??

From what I've seen most if not all of the revolvers carry a second digit.

Just trying to learn something today.

Thanks!!

[OldChief]

The dash numbers indicate an engineering and production change.
As an example the model 629 is a stainless steel model 29. The 629-1 Eliminated counter boring the cylinder and pinning the barrel and there was a slight change in the cylinder length. The 629-2 brought a new yoke retention system and some other changes and so on. I believe they're now up to 629-8 which signifies the introduction of the slab side barrel.

[Pine_Worker]

Get yourself a copy of the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson, latest edition (4th I think). It will provide lots of info for this.

[huskerbob]

Got it!! Thank you gents for the responses!

[m657]

OP:
as a previous Colt-only guy myself (some decades back) be prepared for the exciting and semi-rational model ID system S&W continues to use.



It's a bit like Esperanto, in that some terms are intuitively identifiable and mostly rational, yet has roots in a nuanced language system that takes longer to understand.


One perplexing example, which if you come to understand the mass of information carried by these few symbols, is the model "M357PD". When you can recognize this as a blessing of clarity and specific model identification, despite what you might think it means this early in your introduction to the lingo, you will have moved into a More Serious S&W cognescenti.

[jframejoey]

HuskerBob, kinda like a MK (Mark) designation for Colts. MKIII Trooper etc. Indicats changes. Most of the early ones were internal on dash numbers like yoke changes, gas ring changes. If you use the SEARCH function in the upper right coner on the page you can look up old posts about the different DASH changes.

[357-RevolverGuy]

The dashes and numbers that follow the model numbers also help to date a revolver.

[huskerbob]

Thank you all !!!

[murphydog]

Ditto on the recommendation for getting a copy of the SCSW 4th edition.

When model numbers were assigned in the late 1950s, in general the 10-19 series were K or medium frame, 20s were N or large frame, and 30s were I/J or small frames (with one exception, the model 39 9 mm). After those the numbering system went to heck - 40s were small revolvers, medium revolvers and semiautomatic pistols and similarly for the 50s except large revolvers are in the mix also. The last group tends to be guns first made after 1958.

Any model starting with a 6 is stainless steel, but some are revolvers and some autos. Clear as mud.

[Krogen]

Originally Posted by murphydog

Ditto on the recommendation for getting a copy of the SCSW 4th edition.

When model numbers were assigned in the late 1950s, in general the 10-19 series were K or medium frame, 20s were N or large frame, and 30s were I/J or small frames (with one exception, the model 39 9 mm). After those the numbering system went to heck - 40s were small revolvers, medium revolvers and semiautomatic pistols and similarly for the 50s except large revolvers are in the mix also. The last group tends to be guns first made after 1958.

Any model starting with a 6 is stainless steel, but some are revolvers and some autos. Clear as mud.

Yep! And then they went to 3 digits... and 4.... It can make the head spin.