How rare was the Bug Screw?

[Modified]

I bought this a long time ago at a gunshow with the intention of carrying it. Thanks to the standard catalog it eventually dawned on me that I had something a bit special, between the pin which disables the safety still present and the bug screw I must have my hands on an oddity.

I don't know that I've seen another for sale since. Any idea how rare they were? I find it hard to wrap my head around this era of J-Frames.

 

[murphydog]

I suspect no one knows how many JA (J alloy) frame revolvers had this feature, except they are mostly seen in very early production guns. Mr. Jinks calls the upper sideplate screw the "bug", so this would be the "bug locking screw"? Others differ on this name. Enjoy!

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

I would not call them rare,Maybe scarce?

 

[rck281]

About 35 years ago, I saw one with a locking screw on the yoke screw as well as the upper sideplate screw. Only time I have ever seen that configuration. I tried to buy the gun but it wasn't for sale. I just can't remember what model it was -- too many years.

 

[Hondo44]

Not rare, but not common and in the condition of yours with grip safety pin and high horn grips, too, I agree I would not carry it. But I'd shoot it a bit.

 

[DWalt]

Both types of the upper side plate screws can correctly be called Bug Screws. Maybe little bug and big bug? This has been hashed over several times here. I believe the little bug locking screws were used only on alloy-frame revolvers, but I am not sure all those with alloy frames had them.

 

[Modified]

Not rare, but not common and in the condition of yours with grip safety pin and high horn grips, too, I agree I would not carry it. But I'd shoot it a bit.

I must admit, I can't really do a very good job with it. I need a little more to hold on to when I am shooting a J-Frame, and this one didn't work well for me the one time I took it to the range.

It is a neat little gun though.

Thanks for the replies guys, I expect I'll start seeing bug lock screwed guns under ever rock I flip over from this point forward (sort of like Baby Chiefs, it seems like everyone has one these days!)

 

[hanken]

I have been in and around machine shops for over 40 years. We always called the small locking screw a "Dutchman"

 

[JSR III]

I have asked current and former S&W employees and there is still no definitive answer. Some say the upper sideplate screw is the bug screw and some say it is the very tiny locking screw on airweights.

I have also heard two explanations as to the name, regardless of which screw it happens to be.

The first one was that since it was a small screw, it was a "bugger" to install, so hence the name bug screw. This would definitely give creedence to the small locking screw that locked the upper sideplate screw.

The second explanation was that the touch hole on old blackpowder cannons was prone to bugs getting in and needed to be cleared or the cannon wouldn't fire. Hence the term bughole. Not sure how this transfers to the revolver but it's what I was told.

There is also the possibility that the term did not originate at the factory and we may never know how it started and therefore what screw it applies to.

 

[inventorguy]

Here's another possibility. Military Mauser rifles had a locking screw for the trigger guard screws. They were informally termed Back Up Guard screws.

Dave

 

[wheelgun610]

.... There is also the possibility that the term did not originate at the factory and we may never know how it started and therefore what screw it applies to.

I actually first heard the term "bug screw" in reference to the small locking screws seen on some older, higher end shotguns and double rifles.

When I worked in firearms manufacturing, I worked with three or four former S&W employees, two of whom had worked in customer service. The bug screw topic never came up in any conversations we had. That said, in the context of S&W's, I'd never heard the term used for anything except the locking screws on Airweights - until recently in a previous discussion.

And with that said, there are nicknames for lots of things inside a gun factory that outsiders never hear....

Mark

 

[JSR III]

They were informally termed Back Up Guard screws.

Well there you have a third explanation. Back Up Guard

I personally lean toward the locking screw on airweights as the bug screw and the above definitely bears that out.

 

[cbvanb]

And with that said, there are nicknames for lots of things inside a gun factory that outsiders never hear....

Mark

There could be a great article or book in that information!

 

[Hondo44]

An old gunsmith nick name for the locking screw is bug screw.
Roy says at the factory, the top sideplate screw was called the bug screw.

So there you have it, they are both correct. In affect that's a bug screw locking the bug screw.