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You Smirh & Wesson Gurus

john carrjohn carr Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited March 2013 in Ask the Experts
A few months ago when I was looking for parts for my S&W M&P .38 Special I was surprised to learn that Numerich considers this model an L frame. I had always just assumed it was a K frame. I pretty much know what the difference is between the two but not much more. When did the first L frame appear in production? My M&P was made in 1941. Probably made for war time production. I don't have a digital micrometer to do the measuring to determine which one it is. Any comments? Thanks
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Comments

  • ruger41ruger41 Member Posts: 14,665 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Your gun is a K frame period. The L frame didn't appear until the 586/686 Series in the 1980's. The grip frame however is the same and grips are interchangeable between a K and L frame gun. Either Numrich is wrong or they have lumped K & L frame items like grips and maybe screws & springs together.
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  • john carrjohn carr Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the info, I rather thought it to be a K model, nice to know for sure.
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  • Riomouse911Riomouse911 Member Posts: 3,492 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Is there a difference in the internals between the K and L frames? I know the topstraps are beefier in the L, and the grip frames are the same, but I wonder if the lockwork will fit say a M-19 and a 586 interchangeably?
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  • TxsTxs Member Posts: 17,809 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    IIRC...with the exception of the hammer, the internals of these two frame sizes are the same.

    What you saw on Numrich possibly contained confusing wording due to this parts commonality, because the old M&P revolver was not built on S&W's L-frame. That design didn't come out until the very early 80's.
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  • 62fuelie62fuelie Member Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was under the impression that the geometry of the trigger/hammer interface was modified slightly in the L frame. IIRC they called the L frames the Distinguished Master series to appeal to the PPC shooters and touted the optimized geometry of the lock-work. The main spring will interchange for sure as will its strain screw.
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  • TxsTxs Member Posts: 17,809 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by john carr
    A few months ago when I was looking for parts for my S&W M&P .38 Special I was surprised to learn that Numerich considers this model an L frame.I believe I see the problem.

    Numrich lists their M&P revolver parts immediately following their L-Frame parts. You're possibly just missing that they're actually different categories.

    http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufacturers/SmithWesson-33495.htm

    EDIT:

    While you're there, eyeball the schematics for K frame and L frame guns and notice their internal's parts numbers.
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  • john carrjohn carr Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes I see what you mean and it looks like I was trying to read too fast, skipped over the whole line of L frame parts.
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