After looking at a lot of FW LC Smith frames and reading through Brody's Plans and Specifications book many times, I am of the opinion that all FW guns were made from the same frame forgings, but machined, ground and filed to the appropriate drawing dimensions for the various gauges. I also think that for a period of time both regular frame hammerless guns and hammer guns were built from the same forgings, which is why the tang extensions were necessary on hammerless guns during that same period.