[Guy B. Meredith]

A young member of THR paid a visit to our ICORE match in Richmond today and brought with him one of those beautiful blued 25s and a surprise--a pinned and recessed M66.

What is the story on the stainless steel pinned and recessed K-frames? This was the first I'd heard of such.

[BigG]

The magnums and rimfires had recesses for the cartridge case heads. The rimfires still do. The pins went out around 1988, IIRC.

[Mike Irwin]

P&R went the way of the dinosaur around 1982-83.

Any stainless Magnum revolver made before then will be P&R.

[colima]

I have a Model 66 that is probably a police trade in. I bought it from one of the ads in Shotgun News. When it came, it was recessed, but NOT pinned.

Just one data point.

JAF

[P95Carry]

Saxon Pig .... concise enough! Thanks .. that helped fill a few gaps in my S&W production history. .... helps me better appreciate why I love my M27-2.:)

[Guy B. Meredith]

Actually the surprise to me was that stainless steel models had been built that way. For some reason I made the assumption that only carbon steel/blued models were.

[BigG]

I had a Model 57 "41 MAGNUM" that was pinned but not recessed. There are scads of variations of S&Ws. I don't think there are collectors premiums for the variations. There are rare Smiths that go for the same as garden variety, in terms of numbers produced. If it was like coin collecting some of those odd balls would be worth mega bucks.

[Guy B. Meredith]

So is the M66 'collectable' or just another item? I had been suggesting that the owner might want set up for moonclips, but did a double take when he said it was P&R.

[Guy B. Meredith]

Personally, money value is secondary to me in determining how I use a revolver. The item of interest to me is to maintain 'history' even if I do shoot the revolver. In this instance if there is some historical interest to me I would find a more common version to hack at for moonclip conversion--my own M66 is going that way as soon as I am sure I still have a job to pay for it.

[munk]

Saxon, the pinned barrels were easier to put back in. So a smith could take it out (for whatever reason) and put it back. The new arrangement does not always allow a barrel to be put back, and often means a replacement barrel.

Hey- I think my 4" 57 might be pinned but not recessed. What do I look for? The cylinder does seem shorter and the gap at the rear larger.

munk

[munk]

No, Saxon. I said it might be pinned, but not recessed. I know it's not recessed. I'm not good enough to deserve a recessed Smith.Everyonelse has that class and elegance but not me. SNiff. I don't get one of the old ones. Sniff.

But how would I know if it was pinned?


munk

[QuarterBoreGunner]

How about a visual aid?

http://www.swedcom.com/test_images/M27_topstrap.jpg

'70s era 8 3/8th barrel M27 as seen from above.

Does this help?

[munk]

Geeze. that's so simple even I can tell. ONce tried getting a nickel plated 8" model 27 but they wanted over 400 for it.


Beautiful gun.



munk

[Gary H]

Hey Guy...

I'm hoping that the reference to "young" was with regards to my wife and not me. If it was in reference to me, then I thank you for fibbing....

:rolleyes:

[Guy B. Meredith]

Gary,

Neither of you will ever catch up to me. She just has more catching up to do than you.

I sure do love those blued N frames. I am so dangerous to them that I have to be satified appreciating others'. Thanks for the look-see.

[Phil in Seattle]

Hey- I think my 4" 57 might be pinned but not recessed. What do I look for? The cylinder does seem shorter and the gap at the rear larger.

Munk if you've got the pinned barrel for my recessed but not pinned 4" M57 (serial number N899XXX)! I want it back! :fire: :D