You are correct----not many targets made during this period. Jinks opines 2%, as opposed to the typical 8-10%---very likely due more to the war than to the rear sight (the "large screw spring up" rendition) which was not one of S&W's better ideas.

Actually, the sight was fine when they got the tempering right; it's just that didn't happen but about one out of three (based upon my statistically invalid sampling).

Ralph Tremaine