Positively foolish revolver question

[Shmackey]

Forgive me; I've never shot a revolver older than one from the '70s. What exactly is a hand-ejector model? The Internet was surprisingly unhelpful in answering this.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

Hand-ejector is when the cylinder swings out and you use your hand to push the ejector rod to empty the cartridge cases. A self-ejector is the type with the hinged frame that pushes the cartridges out whenever the gun is opened.

 

[Shmackey]

I KNEW it was something like that--something where ALL of the ones I've been using were hand-ejectors. Or something where they were an exotic thing from 1948. The former, apparently.

Sneaky...

 

[Shmackey]

Of course this begs the question: why was S&W trying to confuse me with a model from their Performance Center called the "Hand Ejector?" That's where things got confusing. Was this, at one point in time, a "feature?"

 

[Mike Irwin]

Shmackey,

Hand Ejector is a phrase Smith & Wesson adopted in 1896 to describe their new revovlers in advertising to distinguish them from the company's breaktop "automatic ejector" revolvers.

Colt had come out with a swing-cylinder revolver a number of years before, but it was S&W that adopted the name Hand Ejector to describe all of its solid frame swing cylinder designs.

hand ejector, small letters, describes any revolver with a swing cylinder design.

Hand Ejector, capital letters, describes Smith & Wesson manufactured revolvers with swing cylinders.

 

[jar]

When Smith brought out the HE line (frame size comparable to the K frame) they were also making the top bread Double Action line. The top break models automatically ejected the cartridges when opened. The new models had a stronger frame since there was no hinged section, but you lost the auto eject feature of the DA.

here's a model 3 38DA for comparison.


and open

 

[Mike Irwin]

Jar,

Which came first, the proto-J frame or the proto-K frame?

The answer may surprise you...

The proto-J frame, in 1896.

Beat the proto-K frame by nearly 3 years.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Let me think Mike...

(click... click... click...)

The proto J frame? Did I guess right?

 

[seeker_two]

The "proto-J" frame was called the I-Frame. That's what the small .38S&W, .32S&W, & .22LR pocket revolvers were made on. The J-Frame wasn't made until the 1950's for the .38SPL.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Seeker,

Duh. Don't know why I typed in J frame when I know damned well what the drill is on them. Brain fart, I guess.

Trivia question for YOU.

What frame was even smaller than the I-frame?

 

[Johnny Guest]

Okay, I'll bite - - -

What frame was even smaller than the I-frame?

I don't know the letter designation, but I imagine you're referring to the original-issue Ladysmith .22.


Johnny

 

[Marshall]

Bet it falls between A and H

 

[Mike Irwin]

Johnny,

You're right, but you don't get credit for NOT knowing the answer to the question.

Marshall, sorry, but you're wrong.

'Twas the M frame.