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What does "pinned" mean?
- Thread starter moredes
- Start date
The barrel is threaded into the frame, then pinned to prevent it from turning. It allows for less tension/torque to be applied to the barrel to hold it in place. Pinned barrels and recessed chambers on the cylinder, used to fully enclose the case rims, usually go hand in hand, hence the P&R (pinned and recessed) comments that are sometimes used to describe older Smith and Wessons.
Look at the picture Mr. Dobbs posted and you can see the pin in the frame:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=146899
Look at the picture Mr. Dobbs posted and you can see the pin in the frame:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=146899
Pinned?
Up until the 1980's Smith & Wesson barrels were pinned. The barrel is threaded into the frame, then pinned to prevent it from turning. I have used hot loads in some of the un-pinned S&W revolvers and caused the barrel to turn and the frame to stress. A pinned barrel is "better".
Up until the 1980's Smith & Wesson barrels were pinned. The barrel is threaded into the frame, then pinned to prevent it from turning. I have used hot loads in some of the un-pinned S&W revolvers and caused the barrel to turn and the frame to stress. A pinned barrel is "better".
I've had pinned barrels rattle loose with factory loads. So what! Does it mean something scientific? Can I make an assumption from my observations? Doesn't mean Jack! Same goes for the assumption the other way around.
If pinned barrels are so great, why don't custom makers that charge a million dollars for their hand made guns incorporate pinned barrels? If they are more accurate, why don't the best competitors in the world use pinned barrels. If they are so sought after, why don't other mainstream manufactures use the pinned process? Can it possibly be that modern technology allows a modern barrel to be screwed in to a frame without any ill effects?
Pinned guns are beautifully crafted guns from a long gone era. Sought after by many that enjoy the time period in which these guns were made. Not enough of old guns to satisfy the appetite of those looking for them. Not enough people interested in P&R to reproduce the craft. Nothing more. Nothing less.
If pinned barrels are so great, why don't custom makers that charge a million dollars for their hand made guns incorporate pinned barrels? If they are more accurate, why don't the best competitors in the world use pinned barrels. If they are so sought after, why don't other mainstream manufactures use the pinned process? Can it possibly be that modern technology allows a modern barrel to be screwed in to a frame without any ill effects?
Pinned guns are beautifully crafted guns from a long gone era. Sought after by many that enjoy the time period in which these guns were made. Not enough of old guns to satisfy the appetite of those looking for them. Not enough people interested in P&R to reproduce the craft. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Pinned barrels didn't need to be screwed into the frame nearly as tightly, which reduced stress both on the barrel shank and on the frame.
It's not uncommon to see an S&W revolver with a bore that exhibits a compression ring from being cranked into the frame.
Supposedly handguns from the first couple of years were also prone to cracking around the frame boss where the barrel screwed into the frame, but I've never seen this.
Dropping the pinned barrel is really no different than many of the other engineering changes that have been made to S&W revolvers over the years, except that it's a lot more noticable, and it can lead to occasional problems.
As for shooting a pinned barrel loose, yes, it's certainly possible, just as it's possible to shoot an unpinned barrel loose.
It's not uncommon to see an S&W revolver with a bore that exhibits a compression ring from being cranked into the frame.
Supposedly handguns from the first couple of years were also prone to cracking around the frame boss where the barrel screwed into the frame, but I've never seen this.
Dropping the pinned barrel is really no different than many of the other engineering changes that have been made to S&W revolvers over the years, except that it's a lot more noticable, and it can lead to occasional problems.
As for shooting a pinned barrel loose, yes, it's certainly possible, just as it's possible to shoot an unpinned barrel loose.