Here are the styles on my revolvers. There are three distinct styles here. One style is on both PC and non-PC guns. Two distinct styles are on my two PC 66-4 revolvers, same model, same revision number, and within 23 serial numbers.


This is a PC 66-4 F-comp




This is a 686-CS1 3". The 4" I have has the same latch.




This is another PC 66-4 F-comp with a lower serial number than number 1.




This is a PC 629-5 Vcomp. My 610-3 has the same type of thumb latch.

Here are the styles on my revolvers. There are three distinct styles here. One style is on both PC and non-PC guns. Two distinct styles are on my two PC 66-4 revolvers, same model, same revision number, and within 23 serial numbers.


This is a PC 66-4 F-comp




This is a 686-CS1 3". The 4" I have has the same latch.




This is another PC 66-4 F-comp with a lower serial number than number 1.




This is a PC 629-5 Vcomp. My 610-3 has the same type of thumb latch.

WOW, I never knew!
Peter.

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Need 1/2 moon Chiefs special

Anyone have any info on the different styles? What are the designations? Why is one used over another? The slanted relieved cut seems to be the "standard" one. I see it more often than the others.

I believe the bottom is cut off of them to allow easier use of speed loaders
Although I don't have any trouble with the big latches that all my S&W Wheelies seem to have except my 342Ti..
Gary/Hk

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MightShowYouHisSmith&Wesson

The curious one is the first latch.

The second one looks like the older "standard" latch with the last two being the newer "relieved" latch. The second one looks like the ones on the older blued guns as well.

So, I'm wondering about the first one. It' just looks like a smaller version of the "standard" latch.

Looks to me like the performance Center simply milled off the bottom of a standard latch to produce latch #1. I recall that there was some issue of the older style latchs gouging the thumb of some shooters during recoil. Perhaps this is an attempt to mitigate that. I am left handed so the latch never bothered me.
regards,
Ralph

You may be right. That had occurred to me as a possibility. I've never seen this style before though. I glanced through the SWSC and didn't see another example in any of the pictures although that's not exhaustive.

I've seen another example of the first latch on a Performance Center 629 3". The SO indicates 1994 for what that's worth.

mod57 is correct...the standard 1st generation stainless release has been milled on the bottom...for whatever reason.

Personally, I like the 2nd gen. release...it works more ergonomically for me...and my carry guns wear it exclusively.

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Cert. Armorer: AR-15/10/M16/M4

The first latch is a standard with the bottom milled flat to give the appearence of a standard while trying to prevent the thumb from being gouged. A lot of people including me, didn't care for the looks or feel of the "new" style of latch, but we didn't like getting the hide knocked off our thumbs from recoil. I could be wrong but I believe S&W tried to go back to the original with the one like #1, then changed their minds, since they already had so much inventory of the newer style.

The one like Ten Man has in PIC#1 was made by Ron Powers first (I think) and used on the PPC guns he made. Then Smith started to use it on PC guns.

So the second photo is the standard, the third is the "new style" or "second gen" latch and the first is the attempt to compromise between the two with the look of the first gen but the "thumb saving" quality of the "second gen"? Is that a fair assessment?

Can you buy the "hybrid" latch anywhere? Would S&W have them? Just curious.