A question about a new model 29?

[41mag]

I was looking @ a new S&W Model 29 a couple of weeks ago.What struck me as odd was the presence of a screw on the RH side of the gun.It was right up near the top of the sideplate just below the sight.I looked @ the 629's on the S&W site-no screw. After I came home I checked my other Smiths.No xtra screw.
What's up with that?
Is the presence of that screw somehow related to the integral lock on the gun?

As the bluing wasn't terribly highly polished I asked the counter guy if it was maybe blued over stainless?Nope,carbon steel.[thinking that maybe it was a wierd metalurgy reason?]

Any idea as to why they added that extra screw & then took it back away?

BTW,I know that "vintage" Smiths had a screw there,but not new ones.

 

[Bullet Bob]

The frames used on the 29 you saw were leftovers from the run of "Heritage" revolvers S&W did a couple three years ago. They put the top sidescrew there to mimic the older revolvers.

 

[41mag]

Ahhh.Cosmetic "feature"

Swell,thanks for the heads up.

 

[Standing Wolf]

...the bluing wasn't terribly highly polished...

See? You knew there had to be a reason those guns cost so much extra, didn't you?