S&W names....slap my forehead..

[rwsmith]

I just realized that many Smith models DON'T have names or designations aside from 'Airweight', 'Ladysmith' or "Highway Patrol" I have a 686 and that's all it is. An S&W model 686. No, Red , Detective, birds, snakes or appointed officials.

What kind of Smith do you have?

I have a model 19!

I have a model 10!

I have a "Third Gen"

Anybody else notice this?

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My favorite was "The Bodyguard". It became the 49 and the lightweight version became the 38. My EDC is a 49 (no-dash). I think part of my preference for them stems from, at my wedding my bride was walked down the isle by her dad, with a Nickel Bodyguard tucked in his cummerbund! (they both shined bright that day!)

My 28-2 says Highway Patrolman on the barrel years after they went to Model numbers. Some things are too important to forget!

Ivan

 

[gman51]

S&W and Glock are very much alike in the numbers for names.
That might be because S&W has made so many models it could not think of that many names let alone remember what that name was. Like my dad with six kids, he had a problem getting names straight sometimes. Imagine having fifty kids names to remember.

 

[Fishslayer]

There's the Dirty Harry and the Sonny Crockett...

 

[BUFF]

Actually, your Model 686 has a name. It's a "Stainless Distinguished Combat Magnum."

More have names but it seems easier to remember them and discuss them by model number.

 

[retiredbadge8091]

Let's see, there's a Chief's Special that's a .38 Special snubnosed, J frame revolver and there's a Chief's Special that's a .45 ACP compact, stainless "3 Gen" semi-auto. S&W's identification system makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

What was the I-frame 38 S&W snubby called? I always thought they were the best looking pocket revolver!

Ivan

And yes, it seems S&W is recycling names (again) . There are 3 Bodyguards, several Lady Smiths, at least 2 Chief's Specials and the biggest repeat; Military and Police, M&P, M&P-15, M&P-22.

 

[Old Corp]

Hated when they called the latest .22 auto pistol a 'Victory'.
That's just wrong.

 

[Arik]

S&W and Glock are very much alike in the numbers for names.
That might be because S&W has made so many models it could not think of that many names let alone remember what that name was. Like my dad with six kids, he had a problem getting names straight sometimes. Imagine having fifty kids names to remember.

Sig is similar. 220, 228, 229, 250, 320, 290....etc

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[steamloco76]

M&P now M&P 2.0, then they will update a feature and make it a 2.1. Sounds like MAC operating systems.

Only a true S&W junkie would get this pile of digits. Models 10, 12, 14, 36, 48, 49, 329 PD, 422, 586, 622, 629, 642, CS9, 1006, 4056, 4566, 5906, 6913, SW380, HIKE!

Colt did go a bit overboard with the snake names after the success of the Python. Cobra, Diamondback, Anaconda; I truly expected the Gov't Model 380 to be called the Garter Snake and one of the AR platform rifles the Black Mamba.

 

[PatriotX]

I miss the 'old' names.

"Combat Masterpiece" sounds better than "15" IMO....

 

[Absalom]

I just realized that many Smith models DON'T have names or designations aside from 'Airweight', 'Ladysmith' or "Highway Patrol" I have a 686 and that's all it is. An S&W model 686. No, Red , Detective, birds, snakes or appointed officials.

What kind of Smith do you have?

I have a model 19!

I have a model 10!

I have a "Third Gen"

Anybody else notice this?

I think the revolver models all had names if they originated before the introduction of model numbers, although scarcely any actually had that name on them; the early Regulation Police comes to mind as an exception.

After model numbers in 1957, well-known names like the Combat Magnum, Bodyguard and Centennial stayed around, likely for their marketing value due to name recognition. I remember those back in the 70s/80s being used more than the numbers in conversations and such.

I don't think pistols generally ever had names, since with the exception of the odd Model 1913, those didn't show up until after 1957. The above-mentioned "Victory" pistol is more of an annoying aberration (and should just go away; it creates a lot of annoying chaff for my auction searches for REAL Smith & Wesson Victory models )

 

[crazyphil]

Your 19 is the Combat Magnum and you can call your
model 10 the Military & Police if you want to. That's
what it is until they put a number on it.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

What was the I-frame 38 S&W snubby called? I always thought they were the best looking pocket revolver!

The Terrier

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Thanks, Tow-bit Cowboy! I always thought the proportions were just perfect! Add a little 380-200 Brit ammo and you had a man stopper (well almost!)

Ivan

 

[susieqz]

as far as i'm concerned, my 15-4 is a combat masterpiece .
period.

 

[gman51]

Can someone tell how S&W decided on the numbers used for each model? I know many ran in a number sequence suck as a model 10 then model 11 and so on. But how did they come up with a 640 or 686 or other numbered models?

 

[rwsmith]

You see in an ad......

I think the revolver models all had names if they originated before the introduction of model numbers, although scarcely any actually had that name on them; the early Regulation Police comes to mind as an exception.

After model numbers in 1957, well-known names like the Combat Magnum, Bodyguard and Centennial stayed around, likely for their marketing value due to name recognition. I remember those back in the 70s/80s being used more than the numbers in conversations and such.

I don't think pistols generally ever had names, since with the exception of the odd Model 1913, those didn't show up until after 1957. The above-mentioned "Victory" pistol is more of an annoying aberration (and should just go away; it creates a lot of annoying chaff for my auction searches for REAL Smith & Wesson Victory models )

You see an ad, "Smith and Wesson Victory Model in good condition" and curse as your computer slowly brings up the appropriate page...."

"Aw MAN!!!"

I must say, my stomach turned when I heard they were calling them that.

 

[rwsmith]

I can tell you.....

Can someone tell how S&W decided on the numbers used for each model? I know many ran in a number sequence suck as a model 10 then model 11 and so on. But how did they come up with a 640 or 686 or other numbered models?

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha......

Sorry I couldn't type but I had tears in my eyes. They've attempted to get some consistency in name, but poorly executed. In third gen semi autos their code actually made sense telling caliber, type of mag, action , frame size and material...

Generally any gun starting with a 6 is a stainless steel version of a carbon steel gun, but please don't hold me to any of this

5 can be a carbon steel anything, usually

ex. My 686 is a stainless version of a steel 586

My 5904, the 4 means the frame is alloy, but then the slide is stainless?

MOST newer J frame revolvers, if they start with a 6, they are stainless.

If all this doesn't make sense before you buy anything, look it up to see what you are getting because you sure can't tell from the model number.

 

[Lt JL]

Hey, half the fun in being a S&W guy is trying to figure out what, let alone how or why, S&W does/did what it does/did. It's sort of like talking to someone with schizophrenia: there may be some sort of private logic going on, but it is beyond my comprehension.