Category Archives: Firearms

Collectors of firearms tend to specialize in a only a few firearms of interest. Ofttimes only one. My interests are a bit more eclectic than most, however. For instance, I have an interest in tip-barrel Berettas, Beretta Cheetahs, PP-series and P99 AS-type Walthers, Sig Sauer P22(x) variants, “Old” 1st Issue Ruger Bearcats and Super Bearcats, Model 1911 Colts, and a few other odds-and-ends — a trio of Russian Mosins, a couple of Swiss K-31 straight-pull bolt-action rifles, and some Old West-style shootin’ irons. But in 2019 I got bit by the classic Smith and Wesson revolver bug, starting with a very rare prewar K-22 “Outdoorsman” I found at the local Cabelas listed for a small fraction of its actual value. I suspected immediately it was a prewar variant because it sported a tapered “pencil” barrel. I did some quick research, identified it as an “Outdoorsman” rather than a postwar “Masterpiece,” and immediately headed back to Cabelas to snatch it up.

Since that first acquisition I’ve added five, as you can see above, and I have an eye toward acquiring a few more if the opportunities arise and the prices are right. As an example of what would entice me, I have S&W Model 10-5 revolvers in both the common 4-inch/102mm and uncommon 6-inch/152mm barrel lengths. It would be nice to acquire three more Model 10 “dash fives” with 2-inch, 3-inch, and 5-inch barrels for a complete set. At any rate, the Smith and Wessons that most interest me are “pinned” and, in some cases “recessed” versions. That means I’m pretty much limited to S&W revolvers built before 1982 (or 1983 a few models).

So… what do I mean by “pinned” and “recessed?” And while we’re at it, let’s throw in a couple other S&W collector terms — “dash” and “no-dash.” But first let’s look at the firearms featured in today’s article. You might want to pay attention if you wish to participate in the quiz at the end. Answers to that quiz will be featured on this week’s Fun Firearm Friday. For now, let’s take another look at that above photo, but this time with the revolvers identified:

Today’s Roster of Smith & Wesson Revolvers (hyperlinks below go to articles I wrote on the specific firearm pictured above):

1. Model 10-5 with uncommon 6-inch barrel from 1969 or ’70; . .38 S&W Special
2. Model K-22 “Outdoorsman” shipped from the factory on 1 September 1938; .22 LR
3. A no-dash Model 57 from 1968 or ’69; .41 Magnum (yep, you read that correctly; .41 Magnum)
4. WWII “Victory” Model M&P (Military and Police) circa mid-1944; .38 S&W Special
5. Model 10-5 with common 4-inch barrel from 1966 or ’67; . .38 S&W Special
6. Model 60-7 “Ladysmith” made in late 1994(?); .38 S&W Special

First, let’s start with “Dash” versus “No-Dash” Smith and Wessons:

• You’ll notice that the Model 57 above is a “No-Dash,” which means it is the first variant of that particular model. In the case of the Model 57, that would include all examples made from its introduction in 1962 until 1982 (remember that last date; it’ll come in handy in a moment).
• The two Model 10 revolvers listed above are 10-5 variants, meaning they represent the fifth engineering change of the Model 10. That would encompass standard “pencil” barrel Model 10s made from 1962 until it was superseded by the Model 10-7. The Model 10-6 and subsequent 10-8 would be for the concurrently produced heavy barrel variant.
• The Model 60-7 would be the seventh engineering change of the Model 60, which would date this variant between 1990 and 1996. This, and the concurrently manufacture Model 60-8 (made for the NYPD) were the last Model 60s chambered solely for .38 S&W Special. Subsequent variants were designed to handle .357 Magnum (which means they would also accept .38 S&W Special).

So, now that you know Dash from No-Dash, let’s move on to “pinned.” But first a brief primer on how Colt, Smith and Wesson, and many other manufacturers attach a barrel to a revolver frame. Believe it or not, the male-threaded barrel is mated into the female-threaded frame by simply screwing it in. But if the front sight is an integral non-removable part of the barrel that can pose a problem. If the barrel stops too soon, the front blade will be canted to the right. Too late and it gets canted left. Both situations will throw off the aim — left of target in the former case, and right of target in the latter. There’s also a remote possibility of a barrel coming loose, although that’s an exceedingly rare occurrence. But there is a solution, one which only Smith and Wesson ever used beginning in 1905 and stretching until 1982 (told you that date would come in handy later). S&W revolvers made during that span had a notch cut across the barrel screw threads. The barrel would then get screwed into the frame until that notch aligned with two holes drilled into the frame. At that point, a pin was inserted through the holes and across the barrel notch, giving your this:

Pinning a barrel to a revolver frame is not cheap, which is probably why only Smith & Wesson, as far as I know, did this. By 1982 S&W began phasing this out, completing the transition to a strictly torqued barrel by sometime in 1983 for all models.

“Recessed” refers to something else entirely. It defines how Smith and Wesson made some of their revolver cylinders beginning in 1931, with the .22 LR K-22, and 1935 for their “Registered Magnum,” which was chambered for the then new .357 Magnum cartridge. And here’s where that gets confusing because while all recessed Smith and Wessons will sport a pinned barrel, but not all pinned S&W revolvers have a recessed cylinder.

Just to illistrate how confusing this situation can be, I once had a gun store owner say to me, “This Smith has a pinned barrel, but the cylinder is not recessed.” I then told him why, and now I’m going to tell you: It was because the gun was chambered for .38 S&W Special. I’ll explain that in a moment.

In a recessed cylinder, the chambers are counterbored so that the rim of the cartridge lies flush with the rear of the cylinder (see above). A cartridge rim on a nonrecessed cylinder will protrude from the chamber.

There’s a lot that goes into recessing a cylinder, for much must be changed to accommodate this feature. For instance, the ejector for a recess cylinder must also be recessed:

Which is more expensive to manufacture than a simple nonrecessed ejector:

Even the cylinder-to-frame fit must be modified. On a recessed cylinder, the rear lies almost flush with the recoil plate:

Whereas a nonrecessed cylinder must have a space between the rear of the cylinder and the recoil plate to accommodate the protruding rim of the cartridge:

So, why did Smith and Wesson recess the cylinders on some of their pinned revolvers, but not others? It has to do with caliber, and here I’m going to do some educated speculating on the reasoning. The only cylinders S&W recessed were for weapons chambered in .22 LR or for certain high-pressure rounds — .357 Magnum (Maximum SAAMI pressure 35,000 psi/240 MPa), .41 Magnum (Maximum SAAMI pressure 36,000 psi/250 MPa), and .44 Magnum (Maximum SAAMI pressure 36,000 psi/250 MPa).

For .22 LR it kind of makes sense. Recessing a rimfire cartridge mitigates the possibility that the rim will snag on something, which could potentially ignite the primer imbedded inside the rim and set off the cartridge. But if the frame behind the cylinder is properly made, there should be nothing there to snag that rim.

On Magnum revolvers I’m assuming it had to do with concern over power never before seen in a pistol. Elmer Keith developed the .357 Magnum in 1935, overtaking Colt’s .38 Super +P in sheer power (539 ft. lbs. for a 158gr Magnum bullet vs 426 ft. lbs. for a 130gr .38 Super bullet), but not quite in pure pressure (Maximum .38 Super SAAMI pressure 36,500 psi/251.66 MPa). If a cartridge case ruptures, especially at these pressures, the resulting explosion would be devastating to the weapon and potentially catastrophic for the shooter’s health and well-being. Fully enclosing the cartride all the way to the rim was probably a means of easing reluctance on the part of those transitioning from weaker cartridges, such as the .38 S&W Special, to the .357 Magnum. This “danger” was overblown, however. As long as a Magnum cartridge isn’t overloaded with powder, and the casing is enclosed to the rim, there is almost zero chance of such a rupture occurring. And in 1982 S&W made the decision to decrease manufacturing costs to eliminate this feature along with the pinned barrel.

So, are pre-1982 Smith and Wesson revolvers better that post-1983 revolvers? Probably not much, if any. Nevertheless, pinned-barrel Smiths are sought after by collectors because they represent craftsmanship and an attention to detail that is no longer a priority with many of today’s revolver manufacturers. I know that I have a special place in my heart for such revolvers.

Now for that promised quiz, the answers to which will appear on this week’s Fun Firearm Friday.

Below is a list of the revolvers featured in today’s article. Below each revolver listing choose whether that particular Smith and Wesson feature a pinned barrel, a recessed cylinder, both, or neither. No fair clicking on the images above to blow up the photo, either; you should have enough information from the descriptions in the quiz to figure it out. Please leave a comment to let me know how you did. Good luck!

1. Model 10-5 with uncommon 6-inch barrel; .38 S&W Special; 1969 or ’70
   a. Pinned Barrel
   b. Recessed Cylinder
   c. Both
   d. Neither
   
2. Model K-22 “Outdoorsman”; .22 LR; 1938
   a. Pinned Barrel
   b. Recessed Cylinder
   c. Both
   d. Neither
   
3. A no-dash Model 57; .41 Magnum; 1968 or ’69
   a. Pinned Barrel
   b. Recessed Cylinder
   c. Both
   d. Neither
   
4. WWII “Victory” Model M&P; .38 Special; 1944
   a. Pinned Barrel
   b. Recessed Cylinder
   c. Both
   d. Neither
   
5. Model 10-5 with common 4-inch barrel; .38 S&W Special; 1966 or ’67
   a. Pinned Barrel
   b. Recessed Cylinder
   c. Both
   d. Neither
   
6. Model 60-7 “Ladysmith”; .38 S&W Special; 1994
   a. Pinned Barrel
   b. Recessed Cylinder
   c. Both
   d. Neither
   

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