Dilemma--To buy or not to buy Colt New Service in .38 Special

[40-82]

@40-82, You are a far better shot than I am if you are popping off squirrels with 44's and 45's and having pot meat from it. I recently bought the .32 S&W's simply to have a quieter small game getter and target shooter without the heavier trigger/hammer springs on a .22 LR or WMR rimfire. You can reload them pretty cheap and easy too.

My absolute favorite small game handgun is a .22 with CB caps that way if I miss high the squirrel doesn't even know he's being shot at, and I don't alert the world of my presence. The problem is that I don't normally carry something this light unless I am specifically going after small game.

I've done a lot of shooting for a lot of years, but I doubt I'm as good a shot as you are, given your extensive knowledge of small arms.

 

[PapaG]

Why are you asking us. BUY!!!

 

[40-82]

I have read up on some of the ends justifies the means things and it forced about 15,000 or so people out of their homes while political players bought up the land that would not be flooded for a song. But, on the other hand, that massive power was needed for the Manhattan Project which helped win WWII and save a lot of lives. I always regret though that the sacrifices are usually made by the ordinary Joes when these things go forth.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington had a hint of that in the movie based on tales from the TVA and Columbia River projects.

Yeah, we needed the power, and as much as it has been abused, Eminent Domain is a necessary government power, but we, as a nation, can do better in the way we treat those who lose their property.

 

[boom boom]

Why are you asking us. BUY!!!

Don't worry, I did, pictures up top. They were kind enough to take half now, half by end of month.

 

[boom boom]

I've done a lot of shooting for a lot of years, but I doubt I'm as good a shot as you are, given your extensive knowledge of small arms.

Thanks for the kind words but I don't watch much TV and I enjoy reading and working with firearms. I would imagine that you are a very good shot as those .22 CBs mean precise shot placement for the kill. In my case, I simply enjoy the old milsurps and have been accumulating revolvers over the years because I learned on them and I like them. I shoot semi-autos about as well but the plastic fantastics remind me quite a bit of cookware. That being said, due to capacity and some medical issues, I am giving up my beloved j frame for a single stack semi auto because certain hand and wrist motions have become difficult.

 

[40-82]

Thanks for the kind words but I don't watch much TV and I enjoy reading and working with firearms. I would imagine that you are a very good shot as those .22 CBs mean precise shot placement for the kill. In my case, I simply enjoy the old milsurps and have been accumulating revolvers over the years because I learned on them and I like them. I shoot semi-autos about as well but the plastic fantastics remind me quite a bit of cookware. That being said, due to capacity and some medical issues, I am giving up my beloved j frame for a single stack semi auto because certain hand and wrist motions have become difficult.

I agree with you about the older military guns. Somehow an inspector's mark on a New Service makes it special. I know nothing about the new plastic guns, and if I had to defend myself, I'd want something I understood because I grew up with it.

It's tough getting older. My vision and my hand strength fade as well. Gone are the shooting sessions and reloading sessions that just go for hours. I pace myself a bit more, and I don't like it.

 

[Tallball]

Congratulations! That is a wonderful old revolver at a very good price.

 

[Gordon]

Thanks. @Gordon Is that SWC the same as Lyman # 358429?

I'm way down in Mexico this month with limited computer connection but it is the classic Keith SWC gas checked (which only needed on hot ..357) heavy bullet, I think that is the number. I have a six cavity mold for it and it really shows you what .38 special can do in a heavy gram gun with 4" or longer barrel. You should be able to get safely 1100 fps with it but I would stay sub Sonic, around 950 fps which gives tremdous pe etration and great accuracy.

 

[czhen]

boom boom
After open your thumb pics, honestly I don't see the dilemma.
You did great congrats.

CZhen

 

[WestKentucky]

I grew up on and in the Kentucky and Barkley lakes, hunted and hiked all over LBL, and had family displaced by the building of the dams. I would have paid the price for that revolver just to have a piece of regional and cultural history that ties to family history.

I have only ever seen 1 with any ties to TVA, and it had been heavily monkeyed with including a barrel chop and a pisspoor front sight attempt, and trash grips. It went up for auction and even at that it went for more than it was worth.

Please, if you ever sell it, list it on THR first, and if you do I hope I see it before it’s gone. I know of others who also would be interested in it for similar reasons.

 

[boom boom]

I grew up on and in the Kentucky and Barkley lakes, hunted and hiked all over LBL, and had family displaced by the building of the dams. I would have paid the price for that revolver just to have a piece of regional and cultural history that ties to family history.

I have only ever seen 1 with any ties to TVA, and it had been heavily monkeyed with including a barrel chop and a pisspoor front sight attempt, and trash grips. It went up for auction and even at that it went for more than it was worth.

Please, if you ever sell it, list it on THR first, and if you do I hope I see it before it’s gone. I know of others who also would be interested in it for similar reasons.

Will do. Probably going to get it lettered as well.

 

[boom boom]

I'm way down in Mexico this month with limited computer connection but it is the classic Keith SWC gas checked (which only needed on hot ..357) heavy bullet, I think that is the number. I have a six cavity mold for it and it really shows you what .38 special can do in a heavy gram gun with 4" or longer barrel. You should be able to get safely 1100 fps with it but I would stay sub Sonic, around 950 fps which gives tremdous pe etration and great accuracy.

Thanks!

 

[earplug]

Save for a Officer Match. Get the Target Model Colt and be done with it.

 

[Coyote3855]

I gave a lot more than that for 1906 New Service in .45 Colt, not nearly the condition of yours. You did great. I have no other revolver that locks up as smooth and tight as the New Service.

 

[Walkalong]

Update,
Got it.

Sweet! I'm jealous. Enjoy.

 

[boom boom]

Okay, I have the beast at home, it is thoroughly cleaned inside the cylinder and barrel, has been appropriately oiled, and checked for any mechanical difficulties. No pitting nor deformities in the barrel nor cylinder. There is holster wear along the sides of the barrel with some scratches.

The crane was difficult to get out due to sludgy oil buildup and incredible tightness--after cleaning and removing the old sludge, went back in without a problem. Took off grips, all appeared to be fine there and you can see why the Old New Service does not exhibit nearly as much stacking as the Police Positive or the Official Police. Due to the size of the revolver, the v main spring is nearly straight on in geometry versus the greater angle that the smaller revolvers require due to smaller size. There is just a hint of stacking versus the more substantial stacking of the small Police Positive with the OP falling between the two.

There are a couple of places of freckling that was taken care of and the backstrap and butt have little bluing left with a darkening of age and probably hand oil over the years.

I have taken a picture of the apparent TVA markings that appear to be crudely etched on the backstrap. The apparent rack number is also crudely scratched on the revolver butt which matches the backstrap number. The lack of bluing wear on the inside of the frame between the butt and trigger guard seems to indicate this weapon was mainly carried versus being shot. The bit of trigger guard wear is far forward that may indicate some sort of holster allowing access to the trigger in the holster which was common in those day. It is a 5 inch barrel model and the date of the mid thirties by Colt Serial Number indicates appropriate age for possible TVA use. It is known that the TVA bought .38 Special Colt New Service Revolvers in the 1930's with a 5 inch barrel.

From Paul Scarlatta's article in the Shooting Times on the New Service,
"The New Service in .38 Special was popular with police and was used by the Texas Dept. of Public Safety, U.S. Border Patrol, Pennsylvania State Police, Kansas Highway Patrol, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and San Antonio and Richmond police departments. The New Hampshire State Police bought some in .357 Mag."
https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/handgun_reviews_st_coltnewservice_200905/100072

From Bob Murphy's booklet on the Colt New Service via Gunboards,
https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?68061-Colt-New-Service-which-PDs-used-them

Murphy lists the TVA as purchasing .38 Specials with a five inch barrel (see Doughboy 1953 post midway in the forum postings) https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?68061-Colt-New-Service-which-PDs-used-them

Thus, the TVA bought and used .38 Special New Service Revolvers. Holster wear patterns and also little internal wear indicates a weapon that was carried more than shot. The markings themselves are crudely done which detracts from the TVA use possibility slightly. That mystery will have to wait until I can try getting a letter for it and I will update with a range report. I'll try 158gr. lead SWC's first and some 148 gr. wadcutters for accuracy testing.

Some additional pictures attached.

 

[Jim Watson]

By the time I started at TVA in 1964, those were long gone and Public Safety was carrying S&W M15s.
The gun closet at the Muscle Shoals Public Safety office had an amazing variety of weapons, M97 Trench Gun, M12 Riot Gun, Thompson, and Reising. I went by one day and the area instructor was loading Thompson magazines with WWII vintage steel cased .45s. Also lever action rifles, 73, 92, 94. The dam, power house, steam plant, and chemical plant were thought to be targets for saboteurs in WWII and Korea; therefore fences and armed guards. They also had a number of sporting guns confiscated from hunters encroaching on the undeveloped areas of the 1200 acre government reservation.

Then one fine day, standardization struck and they loaded all the old guns up and traded them in on Remington 870s and Ruger AC556s. The instructor said the latter was a mistake, the Ruger did not hold up well in full auto. But M16s would have cost $50 more. I later saw a TVA Reising gun in a store. Prices had not yet taken off, I should have bought it.

 

[Pat Riot]

That is a fine revolver and it’s cool that it has a little history. Looking forward to a range report.

 

[boom boom]

By the time I started at TVA in 1964, those were long gone and Public Safety was carrying S&W M15s.
The gun closet at the Muscle Shoals Public Safety office had an amazing variety of weapons, M97 Trench Gun, M12 Riot Gun, Thompson, and Reising. I went by one day and the area instructor was loading Thompson magazines with WWII vintage steel cased .45s. Also lever action rifles, 73, 92, 94. The dam, power house, steam plant, and chemical plant were thought to be targets for saboteurs in WWII and Korea; therefore fences and armed guards. They also had a number of sporting guns confiscated from hunters encroaching on the undeveloped areas of the 1200 acre government reservation.

Then one fine day, standardization struck and they loaded all the old guns up and traded them in on Remington 870s and Ruger AC556s. The instructor said the latter was a mistake, the Ruger did not hold up well in full auto. But M16s would have cost $50 more. I later saw a TVA Reising gun in a store. Prices had not yet taken off, I should have bought it.

Did they have crude markings or stamped if you can remember? Been fishing around for images of TVA markings but no dice as of yet.

 

[Jim Watson]

TVA designation was typically electro-penciled freehand, not neatly stamped like a lot of other agency guns.
This one is more scrawled than the ones I saw, but not a lot worse.