Need basic ed on terms..."pinned...etc"

[Canuck-IL]

I'm quite unfamiliar with revolvers and have been looking at a few S&W 14s...could someone please contriubte to my education re the terms pinned, recessed and "4 screw".

What they each refer to and why they are apparently desirable features that have been phased out in more recent revolver models.

TIA
/Bryan

 

[Standing Wolf]

"Pinned" refers to a pin that used to prevent the barrel from being rotated in the frame. It went through the frame somewhat forward of the throat.

"Recessed" refers to the rear face of the cylinder and extractor, which were counter-bored so the rim of the cartridge case was wholly enclosed.

Smith & Wesson frames are referred to as "five-screw," "four-screw," and "three-screw" depending—believe it or not!—on the number of screws that penetrate the frame. The fifth screw was the first lost. It was located on the front of the trigger guard immediately below the frame. The fourth screw was at the top of the side plate.

Realistically speaking, none of the above features actually made the guns any better. I believe they're really indicators: a little at a time, Smith & Wesson discovered ways to reduce the costs of manufacturing revolvers. Some of the cost savings were trivial; others were more significant.

Pinning barrels isn't significant; shipping defective barrels, however, is.

 

[Canuck-IL]

Standing Wolf
Thanks for the help. The only reference I'd found had said that recessed was only on magnums...I've since found that's not the case.
Appreciate the help.
/B

 

[BluesBear]

Nearly correct.

The fifth screw (the first to be dispensed with) was the large screw at the top of the sideplate.

The 4th screw (the second to be dropped) was on the bottom of the frame in front of the triggerguard. It contained the spring for the locking bolt.

Magnum cylinders had recessed chambers from 1935 until 1983. Rimfire revolvers still have them. Standard centerfire cylinders were not recessed.

I created this poster to help identify various features of S&W revolvers.

 

[Canuck-IL]

Nice poster...a picture is worth a thousand.

Standard centerfire cylinders were not recessed.

So, if I'm considering a 14-3 [38Spc] that the seller [long distance] asserts is
pinned and recessed, you're saying that's unlikely to be correct?

Thanks
/B

 

[BluesBear]

No, what I am saying it that he is wrong.

 

[Majic]

The M14-3 will be pinned, but not recessed.

 

[Canuck-IL]

Thanks all!
/B

 

[mete]

Recessed chamber means nothing for a centerfire cartridge but is a safety feature for rimfire cartridges.

 

[Canuck-IL]

It possibly means nothing for the gun but it told me something about the guy touting it as such!
/B

 

[newfalguy101]

kool poster BluesBear

 

[Hutch]

'Nuck, some people might think they know more than they actually do. "Pinnedandrecessed" is kind of a mantra for the pre-83 Smiths. If it is pinned (most likely), then a less-informed enthusiast might just not be aware of that little detail. As was stated, the only ones so equipped were rimfire and Magnums. If it's a 14 (not a 19), then the possibility of it being recessed is vanishingly remote. It would have been a factory error. Don't be too hard on the guy, unless he's being a jerk about it.

 

[Canuck-IL]

Thanks again...I don't hold the error against him, I just refuse to negotiate higher based on "Yeah, but it's pinned AND recessed...!!"

/Bryan