
The barrel flat at 6 O’Clock remained on the Combat Magnum, to allow room for the yoke to swing into the gun, as it did on the earlier.

38 Special that the K-Frame had originally been designed around). 357 Magnum cartridge (37,800 psi, SAAMI maximum-more than twice the limit of the. In order to make the combination work, they had to heat treat the barrel extension, and the svelte, K-Frame cylinder and frame to handle the greater pressures generated by the powerful. Hellstrom and S&W made good on the deal, introducing the Combat Magnum in 1955. 357 Magnum had only been chambered in the much larger, N-Frame revolvers by Smith & Wesson, and it was Jordan’s wish to combine the cartridge’s legendary energy with the smaller and lighter K-Frame, to develop a powerful, yet compact, duty revolver. 357 Magnum cartridge during the Camp Perry, Ohio, National Matches in the summer of 1954. We previously discussed in these pages how the legendary Border Patrolman, Bill Jordan, encouraged then-S&W President Carl Hellstrom to produce a K-Frame revolver chambered in the. Without the flat, there would be insufficient room for the cylinder to close. The minimal clearance between the gas ring / yoke and the barrel flat is evident on this Model 19-3. The barrel flat is evident on this K-Frame Model 13. 38 Special +P round (21,500 psi maximum). 38 Special (which began its life as a blackpowder round, and only produced a SAAMI-spec, 18,300 psi maximum pressure), nor the later (1970s era). This milled flat reduced the wall thickness of the barrel extension a slight amount, but did not create a structural problem at the low pressures of the. 32 caliber), the barrel extension that poked through the frame and formed the forcing cone was slightly relieved at the 6 O’Clock position to make room for the swinging yoke and cylinder to close. 38 S&W Special guns (“K-Frame,” in factory parlance, as opposed to the smaller “I-Frame,” designed around the. 38 Hand Ejector went through several minor changes and eventually morphed into the legendary Model 10, in 1957, following a change to the hammer block mechanism in December of 1944, and the incorporation of a new “short action” hammer throw in February of 1948. 32 Hand Ejector, which barely preceded it). 38 Hand Ejector Model, which was the second of the solid frame, swinging cylinder guns produced by Smith & Wesson (the first being the. The beginning of our story starts with the early. We’ve covered a bit of the L-Frame’s history before in the pages of RevolverGuy, but it’s time to take a deeper look at how this revolver design came about, and pay tribute to its creator, Mr.

Some of those favorites have come and gone from the Smith & Wesson catalog over the years, but the ever-popular L-Frame family of revolvers remains, and continues to sell strong for the team from Springfield, Massachusetts. Ideal for medium and game hunting and longer-range target shooting.With a company history that dates back to 1852, Smith & Wesson has seen a lot of milestones and has delivered a host of classic designs to the shooting public. It is frequently used for hunting larger game and for target shooting at longer ranges.Ī versatile and highly reliable longstanding American cartridge that can be used all terrains and weather conditions. It has become one of the most preferred cartridges of choice for both deer hunting and other small game.ĭesigned for accuracy at stability in flight, this round offers a lighter felt recoil, flatter projectile trajectory and less wind deflection. It is also a standardized round for NATO service rifles.Ī popular sporting rifle cartridge, this ammunition is smaller with a higher velocity muzzle velocity, resulting in a flat shooting round. This small caliber cartridge features light recoil and is popular for all-around utility and small and medium game hunting. Ideal for range practice and training, the 22 LR is used in a vast array of rifles, pistols, and revolvers and has become the most commonly used ammunition in the world today. 22 Long Rifle, this ammunition offers reliability and recreational shooting at a reasonable price.
