Why didn't the C frame take off?

mesinge2

mesinge2

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Being in between the J & K I would imagine its about the size of a Colt Detective Special. I think that would have made a great carry piece.

Why didn't the C frame take off?
 
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Can't say as I've ever heard of a C frame.
Now I'm curious, does someone have one that they can post a pic?
What model numbers?
 
The incredibly rare Model 73. Only 20 are known to survive. I have only seen pictures.

Was the model number indicative of the fact they were made in 1973, or is it merely a coincidence?
 
I googled it and came up with this


The S&W Model 73 was a revolver manufactured by Smith & Wesson. It was made in only 5000 units in 1973. It was made in C-frame, the only model that featured this frame. It was a J-frame modified to take a 6-shot K-frame cylinder. It was S&W answer to the Colt Detective Special.

Most of these guns were destroyed and there are probably no more than 5 of these left in collectors ownership.
 
I just wonder why they were never made in larger numbers and why "Most of these guns were destroyed"
 
I wonder how much of the bottom of the forcing cone was ground off to get the charge holes of a K frame cylinder to meet up with a J frame barrel. Joe
 
model 73

i had never heard of them until a local shop called me to ask about one a guy was trying to sell, i found it in the s&w book, i left word for the guy that i would be interested but have never heard back from him.
 
The Model 73 made on the C Frame had the cylinder stop offset in the frame and the cylinder stop notches between the charge holes of the cylinder. Apparently this created assembly and testing problems which led to the project being scrapped.
 
Gosh, I wonder how Colt managed to make it work way back in the '20s . . . ;)

Glad to see another C-frame topic: I just mentioned it in a thread last week - it's nice to see esoterica being discussed.
 
civil1977 said:
The Model 73 made on the C Frame had the cylinder stop offset in the frame and the cylinder stop notches between the charge holes of the cylinder. Apparently this created assembly and testing problems which led to the project being scrapped.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information. I have always wondered why they were never made.
 
No problem. I pulled that explanation from the SCSW 3rd Edition.
 
For those of you pondering the worth of SWCA membership, there was a model 73 at a recent annual meeting. If you asked nicely, the person displaying it even let you handle it (carefully) :) .
 
I saw one at a CADA Gun Show several years ago. I think it was for sale in the $50,000-$75,000 range.
 
pharmer said:
I wonder how much of the bottom of the forcing cone was ground off to get the charge holes of a K frame cylinder to meet up with a J frame barrel. Joe
Click to expand...

Erich said:
Gosh, I wonder how Colt managed to make it work way back in the '20s . . . ;)
Click to expand...


It wasn't actually a K frame size cylinder. Although it was meant to be a 6 shooter in competition with the Colt Detective it was still meant to be smaller. Hence all the gyrations for getting the notches between the chambers like a 5 shot cylinder which necessitated offsetting the cylinder stop.

As civil1977 quoted from the SCSW, it was a production nightmare but in addition, those that made it thru production didn't do all that well in field testing. Timing issues and cylinder stop aperture failure, being so close the edge of the cylinder window, helped bring on its demise and destruction.

It was a 1973 product but not reported as being relevant to the Mod 73 designation, but it's a good guess. Interesting in that it had a coil spring for the hammer like all J frames and the last evolutions of the I frame, and a full lugged 2" H. barrel.
 
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