For 32 years—from 1954 until 1986—the best deal in the Smith & Wesson catalog was the Model 28, a revolver built on the N frame and chambered for the .357 Mag. cartridge.

The Triple Lock was the first Smith revolver built on what is now called the N-frame. S&W’s N-frames, like this early Hand Ejector (top) and a modern 329PD in .44 Mag., have defined the modern ...