Hello, I have been looking at wheel Pistols and in the discerption it says frame size k,L,j etc. Is one better than another.Is there a web site I can view and teach myself the different styles.Thank
Is the S&W model 28 .357 mag an N or L frame? The 28 was around before I personally ever heard the letter "L" used as a frame designation. And it was applied to the model 586 in the early 80's I believe. So is the model 28 an "M" frame then? Also I have heard the term "D" frame Colt applied to their small snubbies. What other letters are used by Colt?
It is an N frame gun. The first .357 Magnum police service guns were built on N frames. The K frame .357s came about because cops like Bill Jordan loved the .357 Magnum, but the N frame guns were beasts to cart around on your belt all day long. They talked S&W into chambering the M&P in .357, and thus was born the perfect gun
I happen to love the N-frame .357s. the 627-0 is hands down my favorite firearm. I like the 327 for carry though. Weighs very little, holds 8 rds of .357 mag, recoil doesn't kill you.
All correct for Smith & Wesson.....J frame is small frame, 2 and 3 inch barrel. L frame is 357/38 frame, N frame was S&W's heaviest frame for a long time. Now the heaviest is the X frame, which is for S&W 460 and 500 cartridges - lot of power if you want to carry a piece the size of a hockey stick. First N frame 357 was the Model 27, and the first one of those was presented to none other than J. Edgar Hoover...was the standard FBI weapon for a lot of years. Model 28 was service model of Model 27, same gun but without the deep blue finish. Model 28 is a great buy if you like 357s and can find one in good shape, Model 27s tend to be overpriced. Model 27/28 is a heavy piece and so S&W came up with the L frame Model 19, which didn't stand up well to a full time diet of full power 357 loads. So they went back to the drawing board and came up with the K frame, which is the Model 586/686 commonly available today - lighter than Model 27, a lot stronger than Model 19. Lots of police departments carried them over the years. 586 is blued, 686 is stainless. S&W is selling new Model 27s as part of their Classic series, meaning that they're nice guns but cost an arm and a leg.
The Ruger GP-100 would be similar to the L frame Smith. The SP-101 would be similar to the J frame although I think the SP is just slightly larger. N frame Smiths would be about the same size as Ruger Redhawk/Super Redhawk. There, now you have S&W, Colt and Ruger frame sizes. What's next, a reprot on Ruger single action grip frame sizes and designations? There have been books written on that subject.
D'oh (Homer Simpson moment)! You're right and thanks for the correction.Got your K frames and L frames backwards: The Model 10, 65, 19, 66 etc, are the mid-sized K frames, the 586, 686, 619, 620 are the larger sturdier L frames.
That'd be great! I love talking about revolvers. Isn't that what we're all here for, to talk about guns?There, now you have S&W, Colt and Ruger frame sizes. What's next, a reprot on Ruger single action grip frame sizes and designations? There have been books written on that subject.