In response to some of the above posts, I think that much of this has been covered elsewhere in this thread, but.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by wiskerchew
I need to get some pictures up. I have a evolution set consisting of:
16xx Moon - early flat latch, I frame
19xx Moon - early flat latch, I frame
109xx smooth ramp - early flat latch, I frame
118xx smooth ramp - early flati latch, I frame
355xx serrated ramp - early flat latch, I frame
2424xx serrated ramp - flared flat latch J frame
Yeah, I got it BAD!!!!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HeyJoe
if they are 38 specials then they are all J frames
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Leatherhead23
Negative.
Baby Chief's are improved I frame. Hence the name.
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Well......
Hondo44 has the most definitive explanation of the Baby Chiefs, but I'll take a stab at it. The very first Chiefs Special does indeed have the grip of the Inproved I frame (at least the one which was being used at the time the Chiefs was introduced) so in that respect it appears much as the Improved I, but it is still a "J" frame, as the cylinder window has been lengthened to accommodate the longer cylinder necessary to use the longer .38 Special cartridge. So HeyJoe is correct, if they are 38 Specials, they are J frames.
Leatherhead23 is partly correct in that the Baby Chiefs are similar to the Improved I frame, in that they have the smaller grip section. If you put an early fifties Terrier (38 S&W CTG) alongside a Baby Chiefs (38 Special CTG) you will see that while the grip area is identical, the frame is slightly longer to accommodate the longer cylinder.
Here are two Terriers, both on the Improved I frame, top one is from April 1952, and the bottom from September of 1954:
Here is my smooth ramp Baby Chief from May of 1952:
So if you look at the top Terrier, and the Chiefs Special, they were shipped within a month of each other. Note the longer cylinder of the Chiefs Special. But, they have the same length of grip profile. One is an Improved I, and the other a "baby' J. If you look at the two Terriers together, though, you will see that the bottom has a longer grip area that the top!!
Please see Hondo44's thread on this confusing subject, or if you have the
Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson, 4th ed., You can read some of his information under his name, Jim Carter. He has a wealth of data on these fascinating little gems.
Best Regards, Les