Smith & Wesson Centennial

Smith & Wesson Centennial
Smith & Wesson Centennial
	Concealment Smith & Wesson 642 with Crimson Trace grips
Type	Revolver
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Manufacturer	Smith & Wesson
Produced	1952
Variants	Models 40, 442 and 642
Specifications
Barrel length	2 in (51 mm), 3 in (76 mm)
Cartridge	.22 LR ; .22 Magnum ; .32 H&R Magnum ; .38 Special +P ; .357 Magnum ; .356 TSW ; 9×19mm
Action	Double Action Only (DAO) revolver, fully enclosed hammer
Feed system	cylinder
Sights	Fixed sights, front and rear

Last updated January 05, 2024

S&W Centennial is a family of revolvers made by Smith & Wesson on the "J-Frame". Depending upon caliber, the cylinder holds either 5 (9x19mm Parabellum, .38 Special +P, and .357 Magnum), 6 (.32 H&R Magnum), 7 (.22 Magnum), or 8 (.22 LR) cartridges. Centennials feature a fully enclosed (internal) hammer, which makes them Double Action Only (DAO) firearms. Like all other "J-frame" Smith & Wesson revolvers, they have a swing-out cylinder. Centennial models have been made in different versions like PD "Personal Defense", LS "Lady Smith", and M&P "Military & Police"

History

The original Centennial Model 40 was introduced in 1952, and was named for the company's 100th anniversary.^[1]

Models

Model 40 and 42

The Smith & Wesson Model 40 originally debuted as the Centennial in 1952 and was renamed the Model 40 in 1957. The Model 40 is chambered in .38 special and has a five-round capacity. It is a snub-nose revolver with a 1 7/8-inch barrel. It is built on Smith & Wesson's J-frame and weighs 21 oz. empty.^[2] The revolver was made with a grip safety as some shooters could not get used to the idea of firing a revolver without cocking the hammer.^[3]

Smith & Wesson reintroduced this model in 2007 as a collector's piece with some models featuring a case hardened finish by Doug Turnbull.^[4]

The Model 42 came out in 1952 as the Airweight Centennial but was changed in 1957 to the Model 42. The gun was the same design as the Model 40 except the frame was made of an aluminum alloy, resulting in a lower weight than the Model 40. The Model 42 was discontinued in 1974.^[1]

Model 640

The Model 640 revolver has been in production since 1990 and was chambered for .38 Special. It was fitted with a standard barrel of 1-7/8 inch length. The second model had a slightly heavier and longer barrel of 2-1/8 inch length. A 3" barreled version was offered until 1993, when it was dropped from production.^[5] In 1996 S&W began chambering the 640 in .357 Magnum. Because of the power of the .357 magnum cartridge, the frame is strengthened just in front of the cylinder release on those models.^[6]

Model 442 and 642

The 442 has an aluminum frame and blued carbon steel cylinder. The 642 has an aluminum frame and stainless steel cylinder. From 1993 through 1996, the 442 was made with a satin nickel finish.

Model 940

In 1991 S&W introduced the Model 940, similar in appearance to the 640, but chambered in 9mm Luger. Use of a moon clip is required to headspace and extract the rimless 9mm cartridges. The 940 could also chamber and extract the short-lived 9mm Federal (9x19mmR) rimmed cartridge. From 1991 to 1992, a 3-inch barreled version was available. In 1998, the 940 was dropped from production.^[6]

Model 340 and 342

In 2001 an aluminium alloy framed version was introduced in .357 Magnum designated as the Model 340. This revolver weighs 10.9 ounces.^[2] The model M&P 342 was introduced in 2001 as a special run of revolvers that are identical to a Model 340 but chambered only for .38 Special +P due to some police departments ammunition restrictions.^[2]

Design limitations (Scandium Versions)

Ammunition with bullet weight less than 120 grains (7.8 g) should not be used due to the risk of frame erosion from powder that is still burning after expulsion of the light projectile. Further, recoil may propel the cases of unfired rounds in the cylinder rearward, with enough force to unseat the bullets, causing the cylinder to jam. Accuracy is compromised in these ultra-light revolvers since the barrel is a steel sleeve liner rather than a single solid piece of steel.^[3]

Related Research Articles

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The .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum, .357 S&W Magnum, .357 Magnum, or 9×33mmR is a smokeless powder cartridge with a 0.357 in (9.07 mm) bullet diameter. It was created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, and Douglas B. Wesson of firearm manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Winchester. The .357 Magnum cartridge is notable for its highly effective terminal ballistics.

The Smith & Wesson Model 29 is a six-shot, double-action revolver chambered for the .44 Magnum cartridge and manufactured by the United States company Smith & Wesson.

The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a revolver produced by Smith & Wesson that was introduced in 1957 on its K-frame. The Model 19 is chambered for .357 Magnum. The K-frame is somewhat smaller and lighter than the original N-frame .357, usually known as the Smith & Wesson Model 27. A stainless steel variant of the Model 19, the Smith & Wesson Model 66, was introduced in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 10</span> Service revolver

The Smith & Wesson Model 10, previously known as the Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police or the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, is a K-frame revolver of worldwide popularity. In production since 1899, the Model 10 is a six-shot, .38 Special, double-action revolver with fixed sights. Over its long production run it has been available with barrel lengths of 2 in (51 mm), 3 in (76 mm), 4 in (100 mm), 5 in (130 mm), and 6 in (150 mm). Barrels of 2.5 inches (64 mm) are also known to have been made for special contracts. Some 6,000,000 of the type have been produced over the years, making it the most-produced handgun of the 20th century.

The Smith & Wesson Model 586, is a six- or seven-shot double-action revolver chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge; it will also chamber and fire .38 Special cartridges. The Model 586 has a carbon steel construction and is available in a blued or nickel finish; it is essentially the same firearm as the Model 686, which has stainless steel construction. It is also known as the Distinguished Combat Magnum.

The Smith & Wesson Model 686 is a six- or seven-shot double-action revolver manufactured by Smith & Wesson and chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge; it will also chamber and fire .38 Special cartridges. Smith & Wesson introduced the Model 686 in 1981. It is the stainless steel version of the Model 586, which featured a blued steel finish. They are available ported and unported with a choice of 6- or 7-round cylinders.

In American English, a pocket pistol is any small, pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol, and is suitable for concealed carry in a pocket or similar space.

The Smith & Wesson Model 17 is a six-shot double-action revolver chambered for .22 LR. It is built on Smith & Wesson's medium-sized K-frame.

A snubnosed revolver is a small, medium, or large frame revolver with a short barrel, generally less than 4 inches in length. Smaller such revolvers are often made with "bobbed" or "shrouded" hammers and there are also "hammerless" models ; the point is to allow the gun to be drawn with little risk of it snagging on clothing. Since the external movement of the mechanism is minimal or nil, shrouded and hammerless models may be fired from within clothing. The design of these revolvers compromises range and accuracy at a distance in favor of maneuverability and ease of carry and concealment.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruger SP101</span> Revolver

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruger Security-Six</span> American revolver

The Ruger Security-Six and its variants, the Service-Six and Speed-Six are a product line of double-action revolvers introduced in 1972 and manufactured until 1988 by Sturm, Ruger & Co. These revolvers were marketed to law enforcement duty issue, military, and civilian self-defense markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 52</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Smith & Wesson Model 52, sometimes referred to as the 38 Master, is a semi-automatic pistol developed by Smith & Wesson for Bullseye shooting. It was one of the first semiautomatic pistols chambered in .38 Special with flush-seated, full wadcutter bullets. The shape of the rimmed cartridge limited the magazine capacity to five rounds. A variant, known as the Model 952, in 9 mm Parabellum, is still produced in limited quantities by Smith & Wesson's Performance Center. The Model 52 was discontinued in 1993 when the machinery to manufacture the pistol broke down and it was deemed too costly to replace.

Smith & Wesson .38/44 identifies a series of 6-round cylinder, double-action, Smith & Wesson N-frame revolvers chambered for the .38 Special cartridge loaded to higher pressures than were considered appropriate for earlier revolvers chambered for that cartridge. High-pressure .38/44 loadings of the .38 Special cartridge represented a transition between conventional .38 Special ammunition and the new more powerful .357 Magnum ammo. Revolvers were manufactured from 1930 to 1941, and after World War II from 1946 to 1966 until competitively priced .357 Magnum revolvers became widely available.

References

1 2 Boorman, Dean K. (2002). The History of Smith & Wesson Firearms. Globe Pequot. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-58574-721-4.
1 2 3 Supica, Jim; Richard Nahas (2007). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (3 ed.). F+W Media, Inc. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-89689-293-4.
1 2 Ayoob, Massad (2007). The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery (6 ed.). Gun Digest Books. pp. 14–15. ISBN 978-0-89689-525-6.
↑ Ayoob, Massad (2008). The Gun Digest Book Of Concealed Carry. Gun Digest Books. pp. 37–38. ISBN 978-0-89689-611-6.
↑ Ayoob, Massad (2010). Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World. Gun Digest Books. pp. 218–220. ISBN 978-1-4402-0825-6.
1 2 Hartink, A.E. (2003). The Complete Encyclopedia of Pistols and Revolvers. Edison, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, Inc. pp. 225. ISBN 978-0-7858-1871-7.

External links

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[Boorman-1] 1 2 Boorman, Dean K. (2002). The History of Smith & Wesson Firearms. Globe Pequot. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-58574-721-4.

[supica-2] 1 2 3 Supica, Jim; Richard Nahas (2007). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (3 ed.). F+W Media, Inc. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-89689-293-4.

[handgunnery-3] 1 2 Ayoob, Massad (2007). The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery (6 ed.). Gun Digest Books. pp. 14–15. ISBN 978-0-89689-525-6.

[4] Ayoob, Massad (2008). The Gun Digest Book Of Concealed Carry. Gun Digest Books. pp. 37–38. ISBN 978-0-89689-611-6.

[Ayoobgreat-5] Ayoob, Massad (2010). Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World. Gun Digest Books. pp. 218–220. ISBN 978-1-4402-0825-6.

[EPR2003-6] 1 2 Hartink, A.E. (2003). The Complete Encyclopedia of Pistols and Revolvers. Edison, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, Inc. pp. 225. ISBN 978-0-7858-1871-7.

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