Generations, Models, and other designations

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Over the lifespans of some of our favorite firearms, they have gone through various descriptors that tell us, more or less, when they were made.  Some of these designations are officially recognized by the people that made them, others are terms created by the collector market or that somehow developed organically over time.   Sometimes, some of these designations can be further broken down into sub categories.  Perhaps the most well known ones are the following....

Colt Single Action Army.
First Generation  --  Can be further broken down to the so called, "Black Powder" and "Smokeless" frames.  

Second Generation
Third Generation  --  Can further be broken down as "early" and "late" variants depending on if the cylinder bushing is removable or not.   (And you can order one with a Black Powder frame.   There is NO 4th generation, in spite of various points in the 3rd generation have been proposed to be the start of the 4th, but Colt does not give them credence.

Winchester 1894.
Pre-64

Post-64

These are the most common designators.   But Post-64s can be broken down as follows...
Pre-83

Post-83
These designations basically mark the change from top to angle eject.

Miroku is used for the current Japanese made guns.

 

Smith & Wesson Schofield
1st Model
2nd Model
And then there are ones that S&W made from 2000 to 2003.   I am not sure what the "official" designation is.   Since it is not really the same as the vintage ones, "3rd Model" would make sense, but as far as I know, Smith & Wesson never called them that.  The only think on the pistols themselves that could be considered a model designation is how the right side of the front sight is stamped "Model 3 Schofield 1875," and the left side is stamped "Performance Center 2000."   They "Letter" as a "Smith & Wesson manufactured replica of the Model 3 Schofield First Model."  Your guess is as good as mine as to what they should be referred to as.   I guess 3rd Model Schofield is as convenient a designator as any.

So...   Are there any other guns of our era of interest that have different designations that are used primarily to identify when they were made?   They may or not be on common usage, whatever that means.

If you include Wild Bunch era guns, I suppose you could say M1911 and M1911A1 could broadly count, as could Government Model, Series 70 and Series 80.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 7 by H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619

[Nickle]

With Winchester you could add pre war. I used to hear this expression but not anymore I guess.  The prewar 94s had rounded receiver's, slightly different lifter and bolt. 

Been so many wars that pre war I guess could mean different things to different people 

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

There were several models of Winchester '73, First, Second, etc.  and I could look up the details because I don't know them but maybe no dust cover, thumb print dust cover, newer dust cover, etc.

[Griff]

And then there are a number of variants of the mdl 94 Winchester that were given their own model designation, the mdl 55, 64 and 64A come immediately to mind.  Not to mention the "flat band" carbines of the post WWII era.  And there's my favorite revolver...  Colt's "Belt Model", otherwise known as the 1851, with a number of variants possessing unique features to that issue.  And like the SAA, not all subtle changes realized a unique model designation.

[Nickle]

12 minutes ago, Griff said:

And then there are a number of variants of the mdl 94 Winchester that were given their own model designation, the mdl 55, 64 and 64A come immediately to mind.  Not to mention the "flat band" carbines of the post WWII era.  And there's my favorite revolver...  Colt's "Belt Model", otherwise known as the 1851, with a number of variants possessing unique features to that issue.  And like the SAA, not all subtle changes realized a unique model designation.

61 navy=51 navy with round barrel and 60 loading lever