Alphabet Soup (Revolver Frames)

[Nightcrawler]

Okay, I'm now familliar with Smith & Wesson's four main frame sizes, though the myriad of models in each size still boggles me.

J-Frame = Snubby, often 5-shot, (6-shot when in .32 or less).

K-Frame = 6-shot .38/.357

L-Frame = Larger, sturdier than K-Frame. 6 or 7 shot in .38/.357, 5-shot in .44 Special

N-Frame = Large Frame. 6-shot .44, .41, .45 caliber. 6 shot .357s out there, as are eight shots.

X-Frame = Smith's new frame, 5-shot in .500S&W. Trying to compete in the VERY big revolver market, which the uber strong Ruger Super Redhawks hold a big chunk of.

Am I doing alright so far?

Okay, I've heard reference to an "I-Frame" S&W that was supposedly smaller than the J-Frame.

Then you get into the Colts. I'll admit to being patently unfamiliar with Colt Revolvers, and I've only seen one a couple of times. Colt has a "D-Frame" and I've also heard about an "I-Frame".

My question is this. CAn anyone explain the Colts to me? And how come S&W started with "J" for their smallest. Why not "A"?

 

[Mike Irwin]

S&W's J frame ISN'T the smallest. Not by a long shot.

The I frame is older, and smaller. There's also a transitional version, called the improved I frame, which was larger, and a step between the I frame and J frame. The improved I frame introduced the coil mainspring.

But, the smallest S&W frame of all is the M frame -- a series of three distinct Hand Ejector variations made from 1902 to 1922. They were 7-shot .22 S&Ws (a proprietary .22 cartridge using the .22 Long case and a different bullet, apparently).

 

[dfariswheel]

Colt post-war revolvers are ID'd by a letter.
From the smallest:

The "D" frame is used for the Detective Special, Cobra, and Diamondback.

The SV-VI was the stainless steel replacement for the "D" frame in the late 90's and was used on the SF-VI, DSII, and Magnum Carry.

The "E" and later "I" frame is the Official Police, Officer's Model Match, .357, Trooper, and Python.

The "J" frame was the Trooper Mark III, Lawman, Metropolitan Police, Official Police Mark III, and a VERY few Officer's Model Match Mark III's.

The "V" frame was used on the Trooper Mark V, and the Peacekeeper. This was just a slightly modified "J" frame.

The "AA" frame was a "V" frame made of stainless steel used on the King Cobra.

The "MM" frame is the Anaconda.

If you're looking for a logical progression or recognizable system to revolver frame sizes........Forget it.

 

[Nightcrawler]

So, does anybody own or have pictures of a S&W I frame or I Frame improved? What about the M frame?

 

[gold_cup]

dfariswheel,
did a great job on the Colts. There are a couple more and they are some my favorites.

P-frame
Single Action Army

O-frame
Government, Commander, Gold Cup, etc.

There are more, I just cant think of them at the moment

 

[Jim March]

Some of us on TFL/THR use the term "-class" to refer to a gun that's similar enough to a given S&W frame size that it uses the same speedloader and is approximately the same size.

By that standard, the Charter Undercover 38, Taurus 85 and similar are "J-Class" guns. The Ruger Service/Security Six series are "K-class", the Ruger GP100 is an L-class, the Ruger Redhawk is an N-class, etc.

Ruger in particular often produces guns that are oversize from their equivelent S&W size, but eat out of the smaller gun's speedloaders. So the SP101 is "barely a J-class" and the SuperRedHawk is "barely an N-class". Taurus often doesn't even try and maintain speedloader compatibility so the whole "Raging" series are bigger than Ns and aren't speedloader compatible, so in that case the "-class" designation doesn't apply...with other Taurus models, they're in a -class equivelent.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I have an I-frame, and there were pictures of an M-frame posted here a few weeks ago.

 

[popeye]

About a year ago I bought a mod 32. I soon sold it, but I remember it had orig box marked .38 Terrier. Terrier should be I frame but this gun was definatley J frame. Crane was stamped mod 32 and was .38 not .38 spec.. Would you consider this a transition model?

 

[CMcDermott]

popeye, if it was stamped Mod 32, then it was an improved I-frame, the J-frame started with the 32-1 design change.

 

[Jim K]

The M frame was the original "Ladysmith"; there were three variations, all on the same frame. The chambering was the standard .22 Long (not Long Rifle). No other guns were ever built on the M frame.

The I frame was the .32 frame. Guns made on that frame were the .32 Hand Ejectors, the .38 Regulation Police, .the .38 Terrier (both 5-shot in .38 S&W, not .38 Special), the .22/32 Target and the .22/32 Kit Gun.

Jim

 

[Mike Irwin]

Popeye,

Terriers/Model 32s were made until 1974, or well after the frame had been switched from I to I Improved to J, which started in 1961.