That's an interesting point-----"thus producing a rather large quantity of frames prior to 1899." Is that in fact what happened, or is the fact all #3's are deemed to be antiques (as defined by whichever of the myriad laws) the result of "ATF" agreeing with a position put forth by S&W (in the person of Mr. Jinks)? I ask because the latter makes the most sense---and the latter is what I've heard tell of---somewhere---sometime---a looooong time ago.

That which makes less sense is a venture for profit, such as a firearms manufacturer, deciding to invest time/money stocking up on a particular part on the off chance they might need some someday. It strikes me, given the need for more frames someday, one could drag out the old forging dies and commence the whammity-bamming required to make them. That's the way I'd do it---but that's just me.

And I reckon the reason I'm just now objecting to what I deem to be improper terminology is because I ran out of patience---perhaps also because my very limited knowledge/interest in these guns got a new lease on life when this 38-40 NM #3 Target came along. (That would be the one (#3914) numbered within the NM #3 Target series.) Before that, I had exactly three of them---two NM #3 Targets, one 32-44, one 38-44, and one NM #3 with target sights, a .44 Russian. I figured that covered the topic quite nicely---certainly nice enough for me. As an aside, that .44 Russian is #30261 and was shipped October 18, 1896. And more to the point, the only reason I had them was because I collect target guns (from beginning to end)---and the NM #3's are the beginning---or so I'm told. And perhaps to start a new war, the end is the Model 52 series. There are no more after that---or so I say.

Ralph Tremaine