M&P Ejector Rods

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oldcitizen

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Does anybody know, approximately, what year S&W M&P's switched from the Big Button ejector rods the the somewhat smaller rod buttons, and when they changed to the completely straight rod ends... ??? thanks for any info....
 
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The changes in ejector rod knobs happened a few times. The first knob was actually on the Model 1896 and Model 1899, before the barrel locking lug was added. When the Model 1902 was introduced, the mushroom shaped knob was used. The actual change to the barrel shape knob occurred around late-1927-1928 timeframe when it replaced the mushroom knob. Actually it was a documented change order issued on 1/22/27. That knob ran until around 1947 when the knob disappeared and a knurled rod tip was introduced.
 
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The mushroom shaped knob was changed to the barrel shaped knob in 1928. The straight knob replaced the barrel shaped knob over a transition period in the late 1940's following WWII. Someone probably knows the exact dates the change order was issued. However, it usually took S&W some time to actually implement the orders.
 
1928 and 1947.

The “big button” is called mushroom-shaped ejector rod knob, or MSERK.

The “somewhat smaller” is the barrel-shaped ejector rod knob, or BSERK.

The “completely straight” is the knurled ejector rod tip or KERT.

Others may have different favorite terms :D

PS: In all fairness, I need to mention the LERK, which you’ll come across more often than my other abbreviations. It stands for large ejector rod knob. But I don’t like it because both MSERK and BSERK are large and all too many times here people confuse the two when they use LERK.
 
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oldcitizen, most of the above info is captured in the Standard Catalog of S&W, 4th Edition in the Change Dates and Markings appendix. I highly recommend purchasing a copy even if you are not inclined to collect S&W handguns or paraphernalia because it is fascinating reading. The digital version is about $15 and you can put it on your desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone. I have it on all my computers and smartphone and it is invaluable at a gun show.


BTW, the SCSW says the straight rod was implemented in Oct. 1946 for 4", 5" and 6" guns. But we know this did not happen immediately and guns shipped late into the 1940's with the barrel shaped knob. Fun stuff!
 
Absalom said:
The “somewhat smaller” is the barrel-shaped ejector rod knob, or BSERK.
Click to expand...
That's BERSERK! :D

The change order to eliminate the extractor rod knob and change to a knurled end of the rod was issued on October 4, 1946. The new configuration shows up on the M&P at about serial number S874xxx, on guns shipping in February, 1947. Apparently, there were lots of old extractor rods to use up before the supply was depleted.

Incidentally, the change reduced time and cost of production because the knurled rod end eliminated the need to machine a relief slot on the underside of the barrel.

Also, it should be noted that the knurled end made its first appearance more than a decade earlier, on the 2" barreled M&P.
 
Jack, wasn't the triple lock's ejector rod straight with a knurled end? The later Model 1926 had a barrel shaped knob. It's really too bad some of our older threads have lost all their pictures.
 
I guess that was just too lazy to go look at my triple lock. It's almost straight.

But this thread was originally about M&P ejector rods.
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Guy
 
Guy
I assumed you were right and then saw the picture. Nice. A fact I didn't know, since I have never owned a Triple Lock. While I have a few N frames, I'm not an N frame collector. A TL would be nice to have, but I've never sought one out. It just doesn't fit my addiction. Although, I did once own a .455 Brit gun. It is now in the collection of my dear friend, Wayne Anthony Ross.
 
The OP asked about M&Ps which were all K frames, not every S&W frame size. So I did not want to further confuse the OP, unlike the acronymists out there! :D
 
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glowe said:
The OP asked about M&Ps which were all K frames, not every S&W frame size. So I did not want to further confuse the OP, unlike the acronymists out there! :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, but how can you have any fun with a thread where the correct answer to the actual OP’s question (what year?) are just two numbers? No entertainment value at all :D
 
The pre-war M&P snubbies also had the KERT. Not too many of those were made. I believe I coined that acronym here about 10 years ago.
 
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Someone was once making replica 1899 extractor rod tips. Unless any of those are still being made or are still around, finding an original 1899 rod tip as a replacement will be very difficult.
 
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