When did S&W quit making I frame guns?

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Saw a well known sharp seller on the well known gun selling forum advertising a 1957 vintage Model 35 on the rare I frame. Aside from the fact that the pictures clearly show a J frame (maybe a modified I but I doubt it as the gun is 1957 vintage), I ask myself how such blatant misrepresentation is tolerated. Mu understanding is that the I frame ceased production at the war and that post war was the introduction of the improved I followed closely by the J frame to accommodate the longer .38 special cartridge. If I am wrong please correct me.

 

[handejector]

All the small frame guns switched to the J frame in 1960 according to Jinks's History of.

 

[paplinker]

At one time I owned three Model 35s.
All three shipped in 1959 and were in the 40xxx range.
The grip area of the frame was J sized but still had the smaller trigger guard area and shorter cylinder.

I still own one and enjoy it but fitting aftermarket target grips can be a real pain as many J or I grips do not fit well. Mostly in the trigger guard area.

 

[Hondo44]

CAJUNLAWYER,

If the gun is truly 1957 vintage, the adv is correct, except the New I frame is not rare at all. The Pre Model 35 22/32 Target was not made in the volume of other New I frames thru out it's production run until discontinued in the mid '70s due to slow sales. But not rare or even scarce, for that matter.

The Model of 1953 New I frame (pre Model #s and with Model #s) is often mistaken for the J frame: it introduced the longer grip frame, and larger egg shaped trigger guard at the same time the J frames received those changes.

However the I frame, cyl window, and cyl were not extended until the late 1960s as Lee posted, to make it a J frame.

More detail here: click on Expert Commentaries above and choose Post War I Frame Evolution.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Well kiss my prairie chickens I done learned something today!!!!!

 

[Hondo44]

At one time I owned three Model 35s.
All three shipped in 1959 and were in the 40xxx range.
The grip area of the frame was J sized but still had the smaller trigger guard area and shorter cylinder.

I still own one and enjoy it but fitting aftermarket target grips can be a real pain as many J or I grips do not fit well. Mostly in the trigger guard area.

Bravo, they are sweet guns!

I never really wanted the 6" Pre or Model 35. But if I found one priced right I'd get it. I have Kit guns in 2", 3 1/2" (custom), and 4" but no 6". I have the "father", the 22/32 Heavy Frame target and pre war Kit Gun, so there's a hole in my collection.

I and J grip frames and grips are always the same size for the same vintage.

So I and J (Baby) frames before 1953 are the same size and same as pre war I frames back to 1896.

After 1953 again I and J frames are the same size, 1/8" longer than the pre 1953 rd butts and the new sq grip frame. So a New I frame takes I/J frame grips. And the New J frame takes I/J frame grips.

But grips were still hand fitted in the 1950's and until the late 1970's. Therefore any grip swap in that period can have fit problems, not like current grips. And why they're no longer serial numbered to the gun.

 

[paplinker]

Bravo, they are sweet guns!

I never really wanted the 6" Pre or Model 35. But if I found one priced right I'd get it. I have Kit guns in 2", 3 1/2" (custom), and 4" but no 6". I have the "father", the 22/32 Heavy Frame target and pre war Kit Gun, so there's a hole in my collection.

I and J grip frames and grips are always the same size for the same vintage.

So I and J (Baby) frames before 1953 are the same size and same as pre war I frames back to 1896.

After 1953 again I and J frames are the same size, 1/8" longer than the pre 1953 rd butts and the new sq grip frame. So a New I frame takes I/J frame grips. And the New J frame takes I/J frame grips.

But grips were still hand fitted in the 1950's and until the late 1970's. Therefore any grip swap in that period can have fit problems, not like current grips. And why they're no longer serial numbered to the gun.

The commonly seen J frame target grip I found will not fit on any of my M35s. They all have trigger guard clearance issues.

BUT the older J target grips that are made from the very plain wood with the larger checking fit my 35 perfectly. Its a shame the real early ones are so plain. I swear they used pallet wood to make them.

 

[Hondo44]

The commonly seen J frame target grip I found will not fit on any of my M35s. They all have trigger guard clearance issues.

BUT the older J target grips that are made from the very plain wood with the larger checking fit my 35 perfectly. Its a shame the real early ones are so plain. I swear they used pallet wood to make them.

You're so right, pallet wood. I've acquired a few exceptions with decent wood but as you say most are not. The other problem with the more current I/J Target grips is the wood is a little stingy at the upper rear; they fall short of the backstrap 'hump' behind the hammer!

Newer style short of the 'hump' and the top photo shows the poor fit (too short) to the trigger guard:

Photo by SDH

Photo courtesy of bronco45

All Target grips fitting the hump: