You have to remember that we each have our own interest and/or focus and what may apply to one type or model may not apply to another so doesn't fall into their area of interest. Some may not pay attention to rollstamps at all but look at many things that we would never even consider.
But, one of the great things about the S&WCA is that get a bunch of us together (like the meetings, etc.) and if ‘
I’ don’t know the answer, ‘
I’ can certainly find you someone there that does!
Doc44 wrote two excellent commentaries (
Part I Part II) on the ampersands used on N-frames.
Of course, like everything S&W, what is true for one model may not be true for another model and frame size.
The early “-3’s” are some of the most interesting to me because of the many changes to the rollstamps and ampersands. Just like it varies between different models, it can also differ in the same model number depending on barrel length and finish…
At least for the Model 19, the lazy ampersand on the frame seem to have been used until late 1971 and the mid-2K4xxxx range for the 4” and 6”. They were used until late ’71 on the 2.5” Model 19(-3) too but that was the mid-1K’s, below 1K5xxxx.
The ampersand on the left side of the barrel for a M19-3 went from a pretty modern looking upright ampersand to an “
8c” looking one around 1969 (K89...) and was used until ‘71 (2K4...). They went back to the modern one until a neat little “
ε” one showed up sporadically around the time the 2.5” M66 came out, 6K6xxxx. By about 1977 the neat little ampersands seemed to have been replaced by the modern upright one we see from then on.
(
Of course some of the revolvers with the lazy ampersand on the frame didn’t ship until much later and the “8c” and modern “&” are mixed there for awhile near the end but, you get the idea.
)
The ampersand that Allen has on his M17-3 I haven’t seen on a Model 19 since the K6’s, although I have seen two 4” M66’s in the high 4K’s that oddly enough have a similar ampersand.
Thanks for sharing!!
