Lovesbeer99
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I saw a post where the user referred to a Smith as Pinned and recessed. What does this mean? What is it good for?
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Lovesbeer99
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Lovesbeer99
Pinned and Recessed?
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Dave Markowitz
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Pinned: The barrel is pinned into place after being screwed into the frame.
Recessed: Only applies to revolvers chambered in .357, .41 and .44 Magnum. The cylinder is milled so that when the rounds are chambered, the rims are flush with the back of the cylinder. Rimfires were also recessed. Non-magnums made before the cutoff date will be pinned, but not recessed.
S&W stopped making P&R revolvers around 1980-81, due to cost.
Recessed: Only applies to revolvers chambered in .357, .41 and .44 Magnum. The cylinder is milled so that when the rounds are chambered, the rims are flush with the back of the cylinder. Rimfires were also recessed. Non-magnums made before the cutoff date will be pinned, but not recessed.
S&W stopped making P&R revolvers around 1980-81, due to cost.
The Lone Haranguer
Member
The P&Rs are more desirable to collectors (like me
) because they go back to the days of precision machining and hand fitting instead of cost cutting.
) because they go back to the days of precision machining and hand fitting instead of cost cutting. CMcDermott
Member
I believe the rimfire guns still have recessed chambers. Its a safety feature to contain any brass shrapnel and help re-direct & spread the hot gases if the case rim ruptures when the round is fired.
I liked the pinned barrels because it was very unlikely that the barrel was ever going to unscrew.
That happened to a cop friend of mine. The barrel on his brand new cop issue M686 unscrewed.
He took it to his unit armorer and told him that he had taken the pistol down for cleaning, but now he could not get it back together. The armorer told him in a disgusted manner, “lets see the gun”. Friend pulls out of his paper bag the grips, the cylinder, the frame and the barrel! 
As for recessed cylinders. Un necessary protection against burst case heads and a feature I do not like. I much prefer to be able to look at the side of the cylinder and see either air space, or cartridge rims. With the recessed cylinders you had to either open the cylinder, or point the barrel at your forehead to see if the cylinders were loaded. I never liked the barrel pointing at my head part.
Most of my Smith’s are 1980’s or earlier, I do have a couple of new airweights and a M625-9. The machine work and fit is the best it has ever been. The old stuff, was great stuff in its day, and the best of it is still outstanding, but computer driven machine centers have created an era of precision machining that exceeds any period in history.
That happened to a cop friend of mine. The barrel on his brand new cop issue M686 unscrewed.
He took it to his unit armorer and told him that he had taken the pistol down for cleaning, but now he could not get it back together. The armorer told him in a disgusted manner, “lets see the gun”. Friend pulls out of his paper bag the grips, the cylinder, the frame and the barrel! As for recessed cylinders. Un necessary protection against burst case heads and a feature I do not like. I much prefer to be able to look at the side of the cylinder and see either air space, or cartridge rims. With the recessed cylinders you had to either open the cylinder, or point the barrel at your forehead to see if the cylinders were loaded. I never liked the barrel pointing at my head part.
Most of my Smith’s are 1980’s or earlier, I do have a couple of new airweights and a M625-9. The machine work and fit is the best it has ever been. The old stuff, was great stuff in its day, and the best of it is still outstanding, but computer driven machine centers have created an era of precision machining that exceeds any period in history.
Well, the Colts were never pinned or recessed and most people wouldn't call the Python crap.
The "P&R" features were nice touches that were eliminated in 1982 as a cost saving move and many older shooters saw it as degrading the revolvers. I have many S&Ws in calibers that were never recessed (like 38 and 44 Special) and these guns are just as nice as my Magnums. The barrel pin was generally unnecessary, anyway. But I am among those who lament the passing of the P&R features, just the same.
The "P&R" features were nice touches that were eliminated in 1982 as a cost saving move and many older shooters saw it as degrading the revolvers. I have many S&Ws in calibers that were never recessed (like 38 and 44 Special) and these guns are just as nice as my Magnums. The barrel pin was generally unnecessary, anyway. But I am among those who lament the passing of the P&R features, just the same.
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