Michael Tinker Pearce
Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2016
- Messages
- 1,578
Linda and I picked up a pair of Astra Police .38 revolvers recently. These are police trade-ins from Spain. The PMV stamped on the sides stands for 'Policia Municipal de Vitoria.' These L-frame sized guns were made in 1985-86 with 3" Barrels, fixed sights, and were made in .38 Special and .357 Magnum. They are surprisingly high-quality and have several innovative features. One is the large screw in front of the trigger-guard- this is actually a button that when depressed releases the crane and cylinder from the frame; handy for cleaning or even changing calibers. Another is in the handle- the mainspring terminates in a circular assembly with four different depth holes- this makes the weight of the trigger pull/strike user-adjustable.
Both of these guns have moderate holster wear but are very well fitted and finished. The trigger on mine (with the bobbed hammer) is very good, and on Linda's gun it is exceptional. These guns are typically provided with the factory grip(slightly damaged) and a Hogue Monogrip- which isn't a great fit but works. These are quite robust for .38 Special, and were typically issued with Super-Vel +P ammunition; sort of a latter-day .38-44. There was never any doubt that Linda's gun will get a custom grip in some lovely wood. For mine I reworked the factory grip, with very satisfactory results-
Very nice guns to shoot- quite accurate and well-balanced. Currently they are selling for around $259 if you can find one, and are a bargain at that price- though proper-fitting grips can be an issue.