eeb: Are there any major differences between the lifters and the fishtails other than the lockups?
Also, I just registered over in Parker land so I can educate myself a little more. I guess it takes a while to be allowed entry?
The two generations share the same typical lock systems but entirely different opening systems. Also, the differentiation should be lifter vs top lever. The fishtail lever is a variation found on some top levers, believed to have been made to allow some of the larger guns to be opened with the hammers cocked. They apparently made more than needed, as the fishtail is also found on models that don't really require them.
The hammer guns are really admired by a lot of collectors, and there are 5 major generations of design, along with many changeover models seen between the generations. During some periods, different lock styles were used, depending on grade.
