s&W revolvers

[hedghog23]

when did smith & wesson start installing hammer blocks?

 

[Oro]

Late 1943 or early 1944 I believe. So all post-WWII guns have them, and all previous revolvers do not. You will obviously find WWII Victories with them, and some without. Some of those were also retrofitted.

 

[ArkieVol]

Due to dirt or grease causing a malfunction of the hammer block then in use during WW II, a dropped K frame .38 revolver fired and killed a sailor. A "new style" hammer block was introduced in Dec. 1944 at serial #V769,000 (Victory model M&P).

In June 1946 the N frame .44 Hand Ejector Third Model incorporated the new style hammer block when production of the .44 HE resumed after WW II.

J frames resumed production in June 1949 with the new style hammer block.