model 57

2beagles

I want to buy a S&W model 57. Can some call or email me and "set me straight" about pinned and recessed barrels and cylinders? Doug 609-927-7513 beaglestoo@gmail.com

charliemeyer007

Back in the day all the barrels were pinned in place, now they are a crush fit. Magnum cylinder's had the rims the recessed in, looking at the side of the cylinder you couldn't tell if the chambers were loaded.

I think there are more or less specific dates and or -# for the changes.

As a shooter, I don't care either way, compared to the fitting of the rest of the parts.

reload999

What Charlie said, plus I believe the pinned & recessed was discontinued around 1980. Opinions vary regarding whether this made them "better," but personally I prefer the older ones not only for these features, but because I think these extra steps were representative of overall better quality and workmanship...I think the bluing on the older ones was better, too. As far as just shooting, either way is just fine. JMO

tsr1965

The time frame was in the early 1980's, when the bean counter's at S&W, decided it was better to eliminate the Pinned barrels, and recessed chamber rims, in the cylinder. The P&R guns, bring more as collector's, but for shooter's, there is no significant difference. Lets not forget that they also made the newer revisions without the P&R, in stainless, too, as the model 657.

If you are not dead set on a S&W, Ruger also made the Redhawk, in 41 Magnum.

Now, about the 41 Magnum, while not as popular as the 357, or 44 Magnums, it is like comparing a 6.5mm, to a 30 caliber. Even though it is a tad bit smaller, it can and will do the same thing, with less recoil, than the 44 Magnum. I know this has been a debate for years, and aside from the big bears of the North West, it is very true. If I were in an area where those critters existed, I would be packing my 500 S&W anyway.

Best

beantownshootah

As the name suggests, pinned barrels are screwed into place then held in place with a pin that goes through the barrel into the frame. This costs more to build, but makes it possible to replace a barrel. Note that in practice the lockwork typically wears out long before barrels do. . .and virtually nobody but high volume competitive shooters ever wear out their revolvers, anyway. Probably well over 99.999% of revolvers never need a barrel replaced; chances of you needing this are virtually nil.

The recessed cylinders have counterbores on the end of the cylinder so that the cartridge heads are completely flush with the end of the cylinder when inserted.

This is a sort of asthetic/manufacturing leftover from the old days of "balloon head" black powder cartridges with hollow heads. Since modern cartridge heads are solid brass, encasing the rims with steel adds no functional advantage.

In fact, many believe recessed rims are a DISADVANTAGE because with the non-recessed rims, you can tell with a glance at the side of the cylinder if there is brass in there or not. Plus the recesses themselves make the gun a bit harder to clean and may attract dirt.

In terms of FUNCTION, I'd say 99.9% of shooters will never notice ANY functional difference between the P&R and current manufacture guns.

The biggest "advantage" of the older guns, I'd say isn't that they are P&R, its that they were built in a long-gone era of American craftsmanship when each gun was assembled, then tuned by a gunsmith. Its a case of "they don't make them like THAT anymore", and they're never going to. From a COLLECTORS and nostalgia standpoint, these are better.

On 41 magnum, the round itself is fairly analogous to the "10mm" of the 1960s.

IMO its not at all unreasonable to think of this as "44 magnum lite". Its a bit less powerful, lower recoiling, and a bit easier to shoot. On the other hand, ammo is harder to find, available in a lower variety of loads, and not any cheaper on the shelves. You can buy low power 44 special loads; maybe they exist, but I've never seen the equivalent of a "41 special".

Yes, you can create your own low recoil 41 magnum loads if you're loading yourself, but then again, you can do the same with 44.

Bottom line is, anything you can do with a 41 you can with a 44, but the converse isn't true. There are both MORE and LESS powerful .44 magnum compatible rounds available commercially, and if you're interested in doing so, you can push the envelope a bit further with .44 magnum. You're also much more likely to find 44 magnums on the shelf of your local Wal-mart or other sporting good store.

On its own merits, 41 is a great round, especially for handgun hunting, but there are reasons its effectively a "niche" round most popular amongst gun "nuts" rather than the public at large.

CapnMidnight

The 57-3 was the last model 57 made pinned and recessed.
W.D.