School Me...S&W revolvers

[iefstath]

I am trying to sort through all of the information on S&W revolvers, I have owned several 686's but I find myself looking for new toys and coming across alot of different models. Sticking to stainless...I've seen 66's 686's 61's...all with - indicating modifications/ advancements from -1 to -6. Aside from the basic grip shape and frame size, k l round, square...what are the real differences?? Any charts/tables illustrating the actual difference, is it lug length? # of chambers, type of sight???

 

[Jose]

The answers you seek cover quite a broad range.

Buy this:

And all will be revealed

 

[hankster]

A model 61 is a little 22 semi auto . And follow Jose's recommendation . Also pm'd ya. Hope it help's.

 

[Keystone]

The crazy combo of numbers generally indicates caliber and the material the gun is made from, but there are so many variations I can never keep it straight. The book Jose recommended is where you want to go, there's also a pair of very active S&W forums out there (google is your friend), head on over to one of them and ogle the shinies.

It gets a BIT easier once you get to the era of 3 digit model numbers...the 3xx guns are airlites, 6xx are stainless steel, 4xx are the airweights, 5xx are blue steel...but those numbers get broken with the X-Frames. In N-frames, x27 is .357, x29 is .44mag, x25 is .45, x57 is .41mag...

I seem to recall, in older guns, the primary difference between two models could be fixed or target sights, but I'm fuzzy on that.

So, to answer your question...the differences in model could be anything!

Also, everything I just said could be totally wrong, I'm a wheel gun newb, owning only a single revolver - but I like them, and the infection is spreading...

 

[JimB]

The answers you seek cover quite a broad range.

Buy this:

And all will be revealed

what he said, i have one.

 

[Karl]

Does that tell dates? I own a few S&W wheel guns I'd love to know more about. I've always been a Colt guy at heart.