A "3-screw" will have three screws in the side-plate on the right side of the frame - two at the bottom and one at the rear top under the right grip panel.
A "4-screw" will have those same 3 screws in the side-plate plus one under the front of the trigger guard. 4th screw.jpg
A "5-screw" is a "4-screw" with an additional screw in the top front of the side-plate. 5 screw.JPG
The 5th screw was discontinued in the 1955-1957 time period, and the 4th screw was discontinued 1962 with the Model 29-2.
A five screw .44 Mag will have a large sideplate screw just below the rear sight on the right side of the frame. A four screw will lack the large sideplate screw, but will still have the screw on the front of the triggerguard where it meets the frame. A three screw will have none of the above.
There's a lot more to evaluating a .44 Magnum than counting the screws. The accessories, the finish, the barrel length, the revision level, the overall condition and the grips can have a tremendous effect on value.
Thank you for the info. I will be visiting the gun on Wednesday and will use the resources provided to evaluate it. If all goes well I will have open up a bragging thread. Wish me luck.
The 'fifth' screw is at the top of the side plate , just below the rear sight on the lower revolver. This was the first screw eliminated , resulting in a so-called 4-screw.
The 'fourth' screw is in the front of the trigger guard , rev on right. This was eliminated resulting in a 3-screw. The third screw on both is hidden by the grip.
help identifying a 3 screw?
Linear Mode
