I wrote this a couple of years ago I think.
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Explanation of term âPinned and Recessedâ
There seems to have been a resurgence in revolvers and I have been asked several times recently about the term âpinned and recessed (P&R)â in reference to Smith and Wesson revolvers. I will define the term and give MY opinion, not as an expert, but simply based on what I have read, written by experts.
Pinned Barrel. This simply means that a pin is placed just in front of the cylinder and just above the barrel. Theoretically it was placed there to prevent the barrel from loosening and therefore would improve accuracy. Colt never used a âPinâ to secure the barrel, but S&W did, at least until 1982. S&Wâs need for a pinned barrel was eliminated in 1957, when they eliminated their âsoft fit departmentâ. But they continued to produce the pinned barrel until 1982, as nothing more than a nod to traditionalists. It really was unnecessary from a construction and safety standpoint.
Recessed Cylinder (or counter bored cylinder). This means that the cylinder was counter bored so that the round would be completely fit inside the cylinder and thus provide extra support for the case head. But with stronger brass formulas for the case, this was not needed This was only done for what was considered magnum rounds,.357, .41, and .44 and rim-fire rounds, .22. .45ACP and .45 Colt revolvers, by S&W, did not have the cylinders counter bored. Again, this procedure was discontinued for the magnum rounds in 1982, though some rim-fire guns are still counter bored. I find the recessed cylinders harder to clean, but hey that is just me.
Is a S&W revolver that is P&R more expensive than a non-P&R Smith revolver in the same model and like condition? In a word, YES! Why? Because for some it harkens back to a day when craftsmanship was more important than mass production and collectors love them. Is that true? Well, I think so, but there is no compelling reason to believe that those characteristics themselves made the guns any better than those made after P&R was discontinued. I like the guns that are P&R because I think they are cool and I think the fit and finish is better, but I donât kid myself into thinking that the P&R guns are a better firearm than those that are not P&R. S&W discontinued the P&R models as a cost cutting measure. Why make additional steps in the production process, when those steps were not necessary to the safety or accuracy of the gun. Not trying to justify S&W cutting those steps out, but S&W did say it saved them quite a bit in production costs.
Bottom line, if you are looking for a great shooter and are going to base your purchase on availability and price, go with a Smith that is not P&R. If you are looking for a Smith that is going to appreciate in value, look cool, have features not found in todayâs market, get a P&R Smith. No need to make anyone happy but yourself.
I by no means regard this writing as the know all and end all of P&R Smiths. Just wanted to answer the question that quite a few have asked me. I believe the information to be correct, and the dates to be correct, but heck, I could be wrong. I am sure that I will get hammered if I something is incorrect.
so I thought if you did you'd prolly like to shoot outside every once and a while
