1KPerDay
Member
Nice wheelgun. Your wife sounds cool 
I tried to ignore this, but darn it, somebody had to buy it...
- Thread starter CajunBass
- Start date
Excellent pickup, especially for that price! I spent about that much on a post war model that's not in as good of shape a couple of years ago. They're excellent service revolvers. Mine rings the 10" steel plate all day every day at 50 yards. I couldn't ask much more of an 80 year old revolver.
tightgroup tiger
Member
That's a beautiful 38. It looks like you have Rennaissance wax on it. It looks good. I love that stuff.
JTHunter
Member
Thanks for the compliment but I only clean it annually and leave a light trace of oil on it - no wax. Once I found out the "book value" several years ago, it became a safe queen.
Not cool. Too much time together. Mine is wore down and knows to " just say no " so I shop on my own and long as I want. Make my own decisions. Real manly sounding except at this point I always have a good trade. Even up and no tax is bestNice wheelgun. Your wife sounds cool
tark
Member
JT, I've drooled on the picture of the beauty ever since you first posted it. Pre- model 10 K frame Smiths in that condition are rare and most of them are .38 specials. The 32-20 chambering is a bit more difficult to find and it makes the gun that much more valuable. I was going to PM you with a nice four figure offer...until the tax Nazi's bit me in the butt.
I'm not a revolver guy in the slightest, but even I have to say: Congratulations on a very cool score!
Armorer 101
Member
You never know what fate will bring right to your lap. Was a Sunday morning at a show where I was setup. Another dealer came by, Man I just need $300 cash to close a deal and spent all my cash, would you give my $300 for this. The this item was a M-19 six inch. My first thought was, you must be kidding, fake ivory grips, etc. Then I opened the cylinder, it had recessed chambers, early 5 T gun too boot, that someone had parkerized then blued, when it was new. Ok, so took a chance it would shoot and shoot it does. Loves 162 grain RCBS with 16.2 grains
of H-110. I left it just like I bought it over 10 years ago.
Had Mountain Rose Leather make me a hand tooled flap holster for it, as a tractor carry gun. Actually it is a Why not, Smith 19.
of H-110. I left it just like I bought it over 10 years ago.Had Mountain Rose Leather make me a hand tooled flap holster for it, as a tractor carry gun. Actually it is a Why not, Smith 19.
Rockrivr1
Member
Wow! Nice find and it looks to be in great condition. If it hasn't been reblued at some point it was definitely a safe queen. I'd have swooped that up as well.
Riomouse911
Member
Thats a keeper, @CajunBass 
. I loaded up a bunch of Eggleston coated 146 gr RNL bullets with 3.5 gr Unique as a soft shooting tribute to the old loads of yesteryear for my M&P, Colt and other older guns.
Can’t wait to read how it shoots when you get it out there.
Stay safe.
. I loaded up a bunch of Eggleston coated 146 gr RNL bullets with 3.5 gr Unique as a soft shooting tribute to the old loads of yesteryear for my M&P, Colt and other older guns. Can’t wait to read how it shoots when you get it out there.
Stay safe.
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CajunBass
Member
Well, it's not a range report, but it's a follow up. I got it out of layaway yesterday and bought it home, and got to really examine it carefully. It's far from pristine. It's got a few scratches, some flecking, and some rust under the the grips. Still not too bad for a gun that's 108 years old or so. It locks up as tight as a new one though. The trigger is a smooth one. We'd call it a "combat trigger" today. I don't know if it's original or not. (edited to add: I have since found out the smooth trigger is original, or at least they were shipped with smooth triggers.) There is a lot of color case left on the hammer and trigger. The stocks number to the gun, and all the other numbers match. D/A is about nine pounds I'm guessing. It breaks just after my cheap Wheeler scale reaches it's peak of 8 pounds. S/A breaks at 3.5 consistently. Beautiful. There is a star on the butt next to the S/N which indicates that it went back to the factory for some reason, in June of 1916. That's the date stamped on the left side of the grp frame, under the stocks. I thought when I first saw the star that it had been refinished, but I doubt that's the case if it was made in 1916 and sent back in 1916. Maybe for a trigger job? I suppose a letter might reveal something, but I'm not that curious.
I gave it a very light Flitzing to get rid of the flecking, the applied a couple of coats of Ren Wax, after a shot or two of gunscrubber, and a little oil here and there, and it's ready for it's first range trip, either today or tomorrow. It will see nothing but wadcutters and not a lot of them. That's about all I shoot in 38's these days and I've got other guns to shoot.
I gave it a very light Flitzing to get rid of the flecking, the applied a couple of coats of Ren Wax, after a shot or two of gunscrubber, and a little oil here and there, and it's ready for it's first range trip, either today or tomorrow. It will see nothing but wadcutters and not a lot of them. That's about all I shoot in 38's these days and I've got other guns to shoot.
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ThomasT
Member
I think it looks great. I wouldn't have had to think twice about buying that gun. I like the old Classic look they have. I have a 6" model 10 probably made in the 1970s that we call "Grampa" because of its old timey look. Its surprisingly accurate at 50 yards. I love shooting it and would like to have a skinny barrel 4" model 10 to go with it.
IIRC one of the early 38 Special duty loads was 3.5grs of Bullseye under a 158gr RN lead bullet. I have a new Lee mold that cast a 158gr RN bullet I have never used. I have my casting stuff still set up up from my last casting round so I can cast some more 44 240gr bullets. Maybe I need to run a second mold and cast some of those 158gr bullets. Round nose bullet loads just look cool.
IIRC one of the early 38 Special duty loads was 3.5grs of Bullseye under a 158gr RN lead bullet. I have a new Lee mold that cast a 158gr RN bullet I have never used. I have my casting stuff still set up up from my last casting round so I can cast some more 44 240gr bullets. Maybe I need to run a second mold and cast some of those 158gr bullets. Round nose bullet loads just look cool.
bigpower491
Member
Looks good. Can't wait to hear how it shoots
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CajunBass
Member
I forgot to mention. When I pulled the stocks, I noticed the letters RJ SJ on the inside in pencil (along with the S/N). I assume they are some inspectors initials. Probably two of them actually. What makes that special to me is those happen to be my intials (RJ) and my wife's (SJ). I guess I'd looked at them three or four times before I realized that. I showed it to her and she said "See I told you to get that gun. It was marked as "ours" already."
I passed on a pre model 10 M&P in 38 Special a few weeks ago at an Estate Sale. It had a 5" barrel. There had been a lot of surface rust at one point but it had been cleaned up and well oiled. The finish was smooth, but badly speckled. It appeared to be fine mechanically. Price was $450 OTD in a FTF transaction. Some Estate sales make you go through a local Gunshop to do the paperwork, but this was a family run sale.
I just don't know enough about these old guns to judge value. I took the "phone a friend" option and called the gunsmith I use. He said $450 was a "fair" price, but not a deal on one in that condition.
I just don't know enough about these old guns to judge value. I took the "phone a friend" option and called the gunsmith I use. He said $450 was a "fair" price, but not a deal on one in that condition.
Alfred Mitchell
Member
- Joined
- May 29, 2017
- Messages
- 14
I did not think SMITH put the large side plate emblem on the guns until much later than 1916. Mine from 1921 does not have that. I don’t know for sure and would like to hear from knowledgable collectors of that era. i wonder if something done when it was refinished ? Nice piece in any case
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CajunBass
Member
Oh, they went back and forth on the sideplate markings. I've got a 1920 "eye" (I) frame that has the small one on the left side, right side is clean. Before WW1 it was on the right. Dropped it during the war and picked it up on the right again sometime after the war. I forget when, but it's gone back and forth over the years.
I don't believe this gun has been refinished now after handling it for a time at home. It's just well preserved. I hope to shoot it later today.
I don't believe this gun has been refinished now after handling it for a time at home. It's just well preserved. I hope to shoot it later today.
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CajunBass
Member
Follow up. I took it to the range yesterday. It shot just fine with wadcutters, but started to bind up after a few rounds, then the action locked up. The cylinder would open but that's about it. Took it back to the dealer, they had their gunsmith look at it. He said he saw nothing wrong that jumped out at him, but would need to do a teardown to look for the real problem. They gave me a choice. I could leave it for him to work on, or they'd give me a full refund. I took the refund as a store credit. I'm sure I'll find something else I just can't live without. I got no emotional attachment to this one.
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