Old revolvers not marked for ammo used.

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HisSoldier

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My gunsmith gave me 5 old revolvers the other day, two of which appear capable of shooting without modification.
The one in question is the Fryberg in .38 caliber, last patent 1903, which I understand was Andrew Fryberg's patent for a hammer safety which he couldn't even use on guns with his name on them as he'd sold the patent to Iver Johnson. Funny it seems to me that he could show a patent date for a patent not used in the gun so marked.
This revolver is still tight for it's age and I think I'd like to shoot it. The question is this, when did smokeless powders become standard for such rimmed rounds back then? Most of the revolvers are .32 but I'm not sure whether they are .32 S&W Short or S&W Long, in either case I'm thinking (Assuming I can get everything to work) black powder.
So would the caliber of the Fryberg be just .38 rimmed?

The length of the cylinder without the projecting ratchet is 1.213" I couldn't get THR to download my photos.
Thanks.
 
Some real experts will chime in soon.

FWIW, in my limited experience, most of the older cheaper revolvers are 32 S&W "short". I don't recall seeing many in 32 S&W long.
 
At first I was going to say 38 S&W but that short cylinder would cramp even a 38S&W that can be as long at 1.24 inches. If OP measurement is correct than if we add rim thickness it equates to 1.268 which is pretty tight on the cartridge. Usually they make the cylinder a bit longer than that compared to the cartridge.
 
Almost certainly .38 S&W, there weren't many if any American revolvers in .38 Colt besides Colts.

Smokeless ammo was AVAILABLE in 1901 and probably earlier. Whether a 1903 patent (guns only made up until 1907) "rates" it for smokeless, I don't know.
 
The iconic Winchester Model 1894 rifle was the first rifle chambered for the smokeless .30 WCF (.30-30) in 1895. The .38 Special was designed to be a black powder cartridge in 1898, and was on the market in 1899, but was changed to a smokeless powder cartrIdge within a couple of years. Sorry I cannot find that exact reference date. I am not a gunsmith, nor do I consider myself to be an expert. I would not be eager to shoot a revolver that old with smokeless cartridges even though it was manufactured well into the beginning of the smokeless powder era.
 
I went through that with an old S&W my dad had. In great shape, but no markings as to caliber.

Mic the bore, and measure the length of the cylinder, chambers, etc, and then start looking at likely cartridges that fit those numbers. A reloading manual or online spec sheets will give you the answer there.

Mine turned out the be a 32 S&W. Black powder era gun, so that's what I loaded it with.
 
Hi,
The gunsmith gave me as .38 S&W and a .38 S&W fired case, plus a .38 short Colt. The fired .38 S&W empty would not fit, which suggests that the chamber diameter is larger than .384" which is what I got from the factory loaded cartridge. It also may suggest it was fired in an oversized chamber I suppose.
The .38 short Colt, also a factory load, measures .375" and appears to have a heeled bullet. That heeled bullet is .378" right next to the case mouth, whereas the case itself measures .375 as I said. Oddly, the .38 S&W loaded case measures .384" but it's lead bullet measures .372".
All this makes me think the law that firearms must have the chambering ammo rolled somewhere is one case of a good idea!

I don't know how common once fired cases are but I'm thinking .38 short Colt, and will load to a minus side of the book's recommendations. (Note, I found no data in the book I had at hand on either)
Thanks for the input, it's nice to be able to bounce ideas around!
 
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