“Heavy Barrel” in descriptions?

[Model29-26.5]

On some items I’m checking out , I’m seeing “Heavy Barrel” as part of the description.
Were there different choices in barrel weight with some of these models, or are these just descriptions of the models in general?
Thanks

 

[glenwolde]

Sometimes they produced both options at the same time. In post #2 you can see they produced both at the same time with the model 10.

Model 10 Production by Type

 

[cd228]

I'm tracking that a heavy barrel is a barrel has the same diameter throughout and has a correspondingly heavier weight.

Conversely a Taper or "Pencil Barrel" starts thick towards the forcing cone and tapers down toward the muzzle and is lighter.

I'm sure that I over simplified it and there are several other characteristics and barrel types, not to mention underlugs I failed to mention.

 

[robvious]

you pretty much nailed it...

 

[Model29-26.5]

I'm tracking that a heavy barrel is a barrel has the same diameter throughout and has a correspondingly heavier weight.

Conversely a Taper or "Pencil Barrel" starts thick towards the forcing cone and tapers down toward the muzzle and is lighter.

I'm sure that I over simplified it and there are several other characteristics and barrel types, not to mention underlugs I failed to mention.

Would a taper on, say a Model 29 6 inch be barely noticeable? I haven’t noticed and differences in models I’d usually see and items described as “Heavy Barrel”. So it’s just a hair of a taper?
There would be a 29-2 8 3/8 that would be standard and a 29-2 8 3/8 that would not taper so much and be a “heavy barrel” yet not really be noticeable to the naked eye? I haven’t looked too closely.

 

[spin132]

The letter for the K-38 shown below states it shipped with a "heavy barrel". In fact it refers to the revolver as a K-38 Heavy Masterpiece. Not certain if they shipped with both tapered and heavy barrels in this era?

Mike

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[Hair Trigger]

Would a taper on, say a Model 29 6 inch be barely noticeable? I haven’t noticed and differences in models I’d usually see and items described as “Heavy Barrel”. So it’s just a hair of a taper?
There would be a 29-2 8 3/8 that would be standard and a 29-2 8 3/8 that would not taper so much and be a “heavy barrel” yet not really be noticeable to the naked eye? I haven’t looked too closely.

M29-2 was only a heavy barrel. Until the Mountain Gun (dash-8) was released all M29's have been heavy barrels.

A tapered barrel is easily distinguished from a heavy barrel, regardless of the model.

 

[Model29-26.5]

M29-2 was only a heavy barrel. Until the Mountain Gun (dash-8) was released all M29's have been heavy barrels.

A tapered barrel is easily distinguished from a heavy barrel, regardless of the model.

Ok. I think I understand. The descriptions are of the model in general.

 

[ColbyBruce]

Perhaps this helps, a 10-5 and a 10-6.

 

[cd228]

With the shrouded extractor of the model 29, it makes it a little hard to really see the dimensions of the barrel. But, I believe Hair trigger answered your question.

I've got a 28 and my father had a 28 and 29, but I'm not an expert on N frames

 

[Engine49guy]

It depends on the Model and era,
The early post war K Masterpiece revolvers had a narrow rib until abt 1950 when the weight matched versions with wider ribs were introduced, The name "Heavy" was added to the K38 Masterpiece with wide rib to distinguish it from the narrow rib version which was still offered till around 54 ish.
The model 10 and 64 had a smaller diameter barrel and heavy barrel versions,
There was a four inch Model 14-2 HB offered in the 60's that used the Model 10HB,
Years later the 14-5 or 6 and 17-6 were changed to a full underlug barrel but don't think those were referred to as HB.
The Model 29/629 were introduced with a wide rib barrel where the Model 24/624 had lighter narrow rib barrels until the 29/629 Mountain revolver/gun series which had the lighter narrow rib barrels, there are also full underlug 29/629 "Classic" versions.
Full underlug barrels were standard on the 686 series until the Mountain gun versions,
Conversely the Model 19/66 had the wide rib with shrouded half lug barrel until a full underlug version was offered in the K/F carry comp series . Lots of other examples like the Model 36 vs 36-1 HB and various other PC heavy barrels, V comps etc.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Interestingly, my 1942 Colt OP has "Heavy Barrel" factory stamped right on the gun.

 

[TheTinMan]

Here is a 5-screw .44 Magnum with a heavy barrel:

This is a 4-screw .357 Combat Magnum. The barrel is straight, without a bolster where it leaves the frame, but I’m not sure that I would call it a “heavy” barrel. You can see that the rib is taller than the .44 Magnum, indicating a smaller diameter barrel.

This is a 5-screw .357 Magnum with a tapered barrel. You can clearly see the bolster where the barrel meets the frame:

Interestingly, my 1942 Colt OP has "Heavy Barrel" factory stamped right on the gun.

That was a feature demanded by target shooters during the 1930s. A Colt Officers Model .38 - Heavy Barrel was one of my first collectibles and still is a favorite.

Chip

 

[D Brown]

M29-2 was only a heavy barrel. Until the Mountain Gun (dash-8) was released all M29's have been heavy barrels.

A tapered barrel is easily distinguished from a heavy barrel, regardless of the model.

The tapered barrel on some models can be quite subtle. An example of this would be this 2" Model 64-2. This tapered barrel certainly doesn't jump out at you.

 

[444 Magnum]

Model 10's

Left to right: tapered 4", heavy 4", snubby.

 

[Engine49guy]

The word "Heavy" was first applied to the wider rib weight matched K38 and K32 Masterpiece revolvers, their ribs were widened to bring their barrel weight closer to the K22 which weighed more due to its smaller bore.

The .44 Magnum and Combat Magnum are a different story, both appear around 1955 and were introduced with wide rib barrels and shrouded ejector rods to add weight and help tame recoil,
Since there were no lighter barrel versions preceding them there was no need to apply the "Heavy Barrel" moniker.

The Model 10, 14, 64, 36 etc had lighter barrel versions that either preceded them or were offered simultaneously, the Heavy barrel term made sure you were getting the right version if you ordered one or 100 from the factory. Btw the frames are usually finished differently at the top where they meet the barrel so putting a HB on a frame originally used for a tapered barrel will thread in but won't look right cosmetically.

Years later lighter tapered narrow rib 29/629 686, etc were introduced and called "Mountain gun" to distinguish from previous heavier wide rib versions.
S&W kinda made up the rules and broke them as they went along but there is a sorta logic to it if you follow their Model line through its evolutionary changes from 1930 to today.

 

[cd228]

This is why I love this site! Ask a question and you get answers, historical references and pictures.

 

[Engine49guy]

Keep in mind that while some Heavy barrel variants got their own revision like the 36-1 HB many other models did not get a seperate revision to identify the HB variant.

 

[Mstorm]

Please take this as information from a relative "newbie" but you owe it to yourself to see "in real life" a heavy barrel say on a model 10 versus the pencil barrel --the visual is IMO quite dramatic and breathtaking. I'm told by some that the heavier barreled variants are more "balanced" and reduce muzzle flip but just the "look" of the heavy barrel was enough to sell me. As another example find yourself an example of a Model 13 in 3" (the 13 only came in heavy barrel version) or a Model 64 and tell me if that's not the greatest looking revolver you've ever seen.

 

[Pantherclass2004]

Certain models just look better with a heavy barrel