4th change

[jim 44-40]

What does this mean? what did they change

 

[opoefc]

Jim 44-40, Welcome to the Forum. If you are referring to Smith & Wessons, the label of "4th change" has been applied to several models of older revolvers for the reason that some engineering change was made in the way the gun was manufactured. This happens often when a gun has a long history of being manufactured and new designs or techniques are developed over time and then applied to the manufacturing processes. Changes usually are in numerical order - 1st change, then 2nd change, etc, up to whatever is the latest change, before the gun is dropped from production. The M&P Model of 1905 is the model you see most often referred to as a Model 1905, 4th change. In that case, the change was mostly minor internal changes, as opposed to the Model 1905, 3rd change. When S&W changed over to using the Model number to designate a gun, in 1957, changes thereafter are indicated by a dash number after the Model number, such as Model 10 - 3, etc. Ed.

 

[Hondo44]

Hi Jim,

Welcome to the forum. The "change #" designations are collector terms. The factory didn't make these distinctions when selling their guns, rather wanting them to be transparent to customers. When a major change was made a model was designated with a new model #.

For example the 32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903 (which was the 2nd Model 32 HE) went thru 5 changes, then in 1917 it was designated the 32 HE Third Model. After WW II collectors referred to it as the 32 HE post war, then the 32 HE Improved model when it's leaf main spring was changed to a coil spring.

With the major changes of the new model 32 HE in 1953 it became the 32 HE Model of 1953, an official S&W name printed on boxes, etc. Then in 1957, the official model #s began and it was the Model 30 followed with dash numbers.