Barrel locking bolt lug?

[Trebor Snave]

I don't know what to call it, but it's that little lug that contains the locking bolt, spring and pin on the bottom of the barrel. How in the heck was that thing machined on there? And half or full underlugs on the newer revolvers? I've wondered for years, does anyone know?

 

[Muley Gil]

I don't know what to call it, but it's that little lug that contains the locking bolt, spring and pin on the bottom of the barrel. How in the heck was that thing machined on there? And half or full underlugs on the newer revolvers? I've wondered for years, does anyone know?

Very carefully.

 

[glowe]

It was forged with the barrel.

 

[StrawHat]

As Gary mentioned, the lug is forged as an integral part of the barrel (so is the shroud and the full lug). Then the rough forging is machined to accept the sliding pin, spring and retaining pin. They have been doing it that way for over a century!

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

Gary,

The image did not show when I typed my reply. Is that your display? Really neat! Would love to have that or one like it.

Kevin

 

[glowe]

At one time, I believe in the 1950s, this hung in the S&W factory. As I recall, Roy posted this some time ago. Wish it was higher resolution.

 

[StrawHat]

Thank you.

Maybe we can get Roy to update the image.

Kevin

 

[Hondo44]

I don't know what to call it, but it's that little lug that contains the locking bolt, spring and pin on the bottom of the barrel. How in the heck was that thing machined on there? And half or full underlugs on the newer revolvers? I've wondered for years, does anyone know?

Think about this: fixed sight guns use a 1/2 round front side blade pinned into an integral front sight base. So the barrel had a protuberance on both the top and bottom of the barrel to machine around to finish the barrel.

 

[Mbrgr1]

It was forged with the barrel.

The same way they made Hans Solo!

 

[wheelgun610]

... fixed sight guns use a 1/2 round front side blade pinned into an integral front sight base..

The blades on fixed sighted guns are actually part of the forging. For target sighted guns, they milled off the forged blade, milled a slot and drilled a hole for the retaining pin.

Mark

 

[StrawHat]

…fixed sight guns use a 1/2 round front side blade pinned into an integral front sight base.

The blades on fixed sighted guns are actually part of the forging. For target sighted guns, they milled off the forged blade, milled a slot and drilled a hole for the retaining pin.

Mark

Jim and Mark,

You are both correct. Here is an image that shows fixed sighted revolvers and Target revolvers with pinned blades and integral blades.

The top two revolvers are S&W Model 22-4s with pinned blades. The S&W Model 625 is a pinned blade in a target base. The bottom two revolvers nave integral blades in the front sight base, a S&W Model 28-2 and a S&W Model 1917.

Kevin

 

[glowe]

Do they all letter with pinned blades in those barrel lengths? I doubt that the factory would have removed the forged blade only to put a pinned blade in place?? The display was meant to represent non-ribbed guns, mostly pre-WWII and early post-WWII guns. Masterpiece revolvers and N frame targets had entire front sight, base and blade, pinned on some and just blades pinned on others.

It is very easy for a good gunsmith to install a pinned blade on a non-ribbed forged front sight. Just remove the forged blade, mill a slot using a .50" x .10" bit and done. Front sights can get damaged, survive owner attacks with a file, and I am sure other reasons, but guns leave the factory with the proper height forged blade.

Your revolvers show, from the bottom up, what looks like a post-factory front sight with a cut barrel, two ribbed barrel factory style pinned front sights, and my guess is post-factory installed pinned blades. The top two look like maybe cut barrels???