PWC
Member
Very basic question; I see a lot of discussion about handguns with alpha designations and I don't understand the differences. What is the difference/purpose of J, K, L...
They connect I with M in the series.... What is the difference/purpose of J, K, L...
For blues guns:
J frame S&W revolvers have model numbers in the 30's such as Mod 34 and Mod 36.
K frame are in the 10's, Model 10, Model 14 etc.
N frame are usually in the 20's. Model 25, Model 29.
Unless they are stainless, they they start with a 6.
IIRC, the G17 name is a coincidence, and Glock models numbers were (at least in the early days), assigned according to their design or drawing numbers.Heard a guy ages ago in a gun shop say that they stuck the 6 on there "cause it's the number that looks like an S".
Smith's lettering made sense because as the sizes went up the letters progressed the frames got larger.
Glock on the other hand...... Other than the 17 taking 17 rounds in the mag, the other model numbers don't seem to make any logical connection to the gun to which they're referring to my brain.
The Colt 1903 was an "M" frame while the 1908 Vest Pocket was an "N" frame.Colt has also used letter designations at times. The vintage Python is an I-frame, the Mk3s are J-frames, and the Det. Spl. And Diamondback are D-frames, etc....
Heard a guy ages ago in a gun shop say that they stuck the 6 on there "cause it's the number that looks like an S".
Smith's lettering made sense because as the sizes went up the letters progressed the frames got larger.
Glock on the other hand...... Other than the 17 taking 17 rounds in the mag, the other model numbers don't seem to make any logical connection to the gun to which they're referring to my brain.
IIRC, the G17 name is a coincidence, and Glock models numbers were (at least in the early days), assigned according to their design or drawing numbers.
If I had been in charge the 17 would be a model 9 with the 19 becoming the Model 9 compact and the 26 the Model 9 Subcompact.Smaller versions of the 22 are the 23 & 27. Smaller 20 is the 29. Smaller 21 is the 30 and smaller yet is the 36. I wont get into the newest ones. They've gone off the rails with those. (lol)
Dave
It may not make sense but they (Glock) were pretty consistent about it for a while.
Smaller versions of the 22 are the 23 & 27. Smaller 20 is the 29. Smaller 21 is the 30 and smaller yet is the 36. I wont get into the newest ones. They've gone off the rails with those. (lol)
I always wondered about the Glock 17 that I did about WD40. In Glock's case what happened to 1 through 16.Glock is still numbering their guns exactly the way they always have. They are all in chronological order. The G17 was the 1st gun introduced, the G18 is the full auto version of the 17, the 19 is the compact.
I miss the days when car names were decipherable......an SL560 was an S class coupe with a 5.6L, a Ferrari 328 was a 3.2L 8 cylinder, a 325i was a 3 series with an injected 2.5l, etc.....If I had been in charge the 17 would be a model 9 with the 19 becoming the Model 9 compact and the 26 the Model 9 Subcompact.
It's a super head-scratcher to me that there's one digit between 17 and 19 (18) and 6 between 19 and 26. Two digits up from 19 is 21 and that's a 10mm. Perhaps I'm channeling my inner Spock, but that's just too dang illogical.
The difference is size of the frames on S&W revolvers.
J is currently the smallest (they had an I frame at one time that was smaller I believe).
K & L are medium frames and usually chambered in 38/357, and some 44's.
They had some issues with the K frames in the stouter calibers and beefed things up a little with the L frames.
The N frames are the large frames and span the 38's through 45acp.
I believe they are calling the frames on the 500's an X frame, but Im not positve there.
Good to know. Always wondered about this!