One of my favorite "H" frames

[SmithNut]

Love many of the famous H frames, here's one of my fav's....

I'll post a few more in a bit....

Let's see yours.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I never heard of an H frame. What is that? N frame, maybe?

 

[SmithNut]

I never heard of an H frame. What is that? N frame, maybe?

No, that's a M686....

 

[redglare]

I never heard of an H frame. What is that? N frame, maybe?

After decades of following S&W revolvers, I only learned of this recently:

J-small frame carbon
E-small frame stainless
K-medium frame carbon
F-medium frame stainless
L-medium frame carbon
H-medium frame stainless
N-large frame carbon
G-large frame stainless

 

[SmithNut]

After decades of following S&W revolvers, I only learned of this recently:

J-small frame carbon
E-small frame stainless
K-medium frame carbon
F-medium frame stainless
L-medium frame carbon
H-medium frame stainless
N-large frame carbon
G-large frame stainless

Nice,
That was fast, these designations for Stainless frames rarely are exposed here. They are what the factory uses to distinguish between the two materials used in the frames.

Here's a question for the board:

There's only one (to my knowledge) revolver that has a reference to the stainless aspect of this in the actual name of that specific model... What model is it?

 

[ken158]

Thinking that has to be the model 60?

 

[SmithNut]

Thinking that has to be the model 60?

What name are you thinking of on the M60?

I'm not aware of a M60 name that has a leading "E" in it....

Not the one I'm thinking of, but I am willing to learn..

 

[Protocall_Design]

That's weird - I never knew about the E, F, H, and G. I've been doing S&W revos for almost 50 years now. Thanks for the info, guys.

 

[RWJ]

Could it be

F-comp, by any chance?

 

[ralph7]

No, that's a M686....

When did this change? I was always under the impression the 686 was an L frame.

 

[SmithNut]

F-comp, by any chance?

You got it....

 

[SmithNut]

When did this change? I was always under the impression the 686 was an L frame.

It never changed, if you read my note above, this is the designation that the factory uses - internally - to designate the material used in the construction within a given "size". The L and the H are the same physical size frame, but just made from different materials (carbon steel versus stainless steel).....sooo, it's just easier to call them both "L" frames to the outside world.. Makes it less confusing....

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Thinking that has to be the model 60?

Also correct.

1993 E-Comp Model 60-7 (although I've seen one E-Comp 60-4), PCQ and PCR serial numbers, total production: 325.

 

[SmithNut]

Also correct.

1993 E-Comp Model 60-7 (although I've seen one E-Comp 60-4), PCQ and PCR serial numbers, total production: 325.

Very interesting, and cool....

That's not a model I can remember seeing, was there a brochure showing the E-Comp designation? Wow, just looked it up and it was a Lew Horton special, noted in the SCS&W as a M60-ET (E frame Target)

Thanks, Soo... there's two...

 

[Drm50]

Learned something today, never herd of H frame before. Outside of my interest anyway.

 

[j38]

How come there are 2 medium frame stainless models? What's to distinguish one from the other?

 

[SmithNut]

How come there are 2 medium frame stainless models? What's to distinguish one from the other?

In a word - size...

As noted, the two "Mediums" are the K frame size (K & F) and the L frame size (L&H).

For some reason the L frames were considered medium frame, maybe they should just call it the Medium Plus size...?

At the time the L /H models were introduced they were the M581, M586, M681 and M686..... These are noticeably heaver/beefier than traditional K/F models of the time - examples are M13, M15, M19, M64, M65, M66, etc.

For additional clarification one would have to talk to S&W about their choice of terminology back when they invented the L (and H) frame models.