Looking for S&W wizards

[Stubbie686]

Recently (this morning) picked up a nice little revolver, that I could use some help identifying. It's a S&W 2" bbl, chrome or nickle plated what I think to be a .38 Special. It has a 1/2 moon front sight and the V notched rear. The serial number that I found on the butt, barrel and cylinder is 7449XX. The ejector rod runs the length of the barrel. The only markings on the frame are the S&W emblem and "Made in the USA"

Thanks!
Brian

 

[Jim Watson]

How many shots?
Is it not marked for caliber on the barrel?
Does it have the latch lug on the bottom of the barrel to engage the extractor rod?

 

[Stubbie686]

Forgot that in my first post Jim...6 shot No caliber marked on the barrel.
I'm gonna go take a pic with my camera phone to help answer the other question...I'm still learning what all the parts are called.

-Brian

 

[FPrice]

It sounds like you might have a pre-WWII revolver there. Is there any letter prefix to the serial number? The fact that the ejector rod runs the length of the barrel tells me that this is not the original barrel length. Also, the lack of caliber marking on the right hand side of the barrel says the same thing. A good picture will help tremendously.

A good source of information to help figure out what you have would be the Smith-Wesson forum,

http://www.smith-wessonforum.com

 

[Jim Watson]

Y'know, I missed that part.
If the extractor rod runs the full length of the barrel with no lug and latch, it is most likely WW II surplus sawn off to a cheap "snubnose" and plated for flash.
If you are unlucky it will be a British lend-lease gun in .38-200 (same as US .38 S&W) and if you are real unlucky it will have been reamed out to take .38 Specials which will bulge badly when fired.

 

[Stubbie686]

Y'know, I missed that part.
If the extractor rod runs the full length of the barrel with no lug and latch, it is most likely WW II surplus sawn off to a cheap "snubnose" and plated for flash.
If you are unlucky it will be a British lend-lease gun in .38-200 (same as US .38 S&W) and if you are real unlucky it will have been reamed out to take .38 Specials which will bulge badly when fired.

Eeek...well, here's some pictures. Thanks for everyone's help!

-Brian

 

[Jim Watson]

Yup, that's what it looks like. Surplus tarted up to sell in the private eye adventure era; Bubba's uncle, as it were.
Well, if it were British procurement, it would likely have their proof marks. Have you tried a .38 Special in it? If so, does it chamber freely or *sloppy*?

 

[FPrice]

This looks a lot like another such beast that turned up about a month or two ago. I just can't remember exactly where I saw it, either here or the smith-wessonforum.

 

[Stubbie686]

So...the general thought is that it's crap?

The serial number doesn't give it away? There aren't any letters in it at all, just 6 numbers 7449XX. The numbers match on the butt, barrel and cylinder, and there is another number on the cylinder swing arm 80256

Good thing is, I got it from a friend, and they will give the money back if it's what has been suspected.

-Brian

 

[FPrice]

So...the general thought is that it's crap?

Maybe not crap. If it was done well and actually chambers a cartridge and shoots safely (and accurately) then it might be a good gun.

 

[Brian Williams]

I might be crap but only if the chambers are butchered. See if a 38 spec fits nice. If not then it might be still chambered in 38 S&W which is a fun round to shoot and with a 178gr or 200 gr slug a decent stopper with good shot placement.
Look in the cylinder for a ring that marks the end of the chamber and put a dowel or unsharpened pencil in to find the depth.

 

[Old Fuff]

The serial number places it to just before the Second World War started, and S&W was building revolvers chambered in .38 S&W (not .38 Special.) for the British. They were also making 2" barrels in .38 Special, but "Smith & Wesson; 38 S&W Special Ctg" was stamped on the left side of the barrel in small letters in two rows and the barrel did have an ejector rod lug.

Following the war, many if not most of these revolvers were rechambered to .38 Special, which made them easier to sell, but was a bad idea. This left a 2-step chamber that was oversized at the back, and sometimes cases would split when they were fired. The bore diameter was also .360 (on average) rather then .358" which was the standard for .38 Special.

When in their original condition they are becoming valuable as collector's items. When cut down and rechambered their value is substantially diminished. As a shooter it will probably be a bust unless it is fitted with a new cylinder and barrel (4 inches or longer to match the ejector rod), but this can be expensive.

If you can get your money back I would, unless you want to make a project out of it.

Edit to add: S&W never made a snub-nose .38 Special revolver that didn't have a lug on the bottom of the barrel to lock the ejector rod. Therefore any revolvers you find that doesn't have a lug have barrels that were cut down from a longer length. Part of the reason for the nickel/chrome finish was to hide the solder job when the front sight was put back on.

 

[Stubbie686]

Thanks!

You guys have been an awesome help! I brought it home and cleaned it all up. Got the micrometer out, and this cylinder isn't even CLOSE to spec. About .390 in the back and .362 in the front. My .38 SPL cases are sloppy in there as mentioned before as well. One more thing you were right on about was the split cases. There were 4 live rounds and one spent in the cylinder when given to me this morning, and on closer inspection, the neck is split on the spent round.

Thanks for helping out a novice anxious to get his wife her own heater. We've been sharing my 686+ and she has become a good enough shot to warrant her own piece very soon. There's a gun show coming up this Sunday...

I'll be getting my money back on this one

-Brian

 

[Jim Watson]

Take her to the gun show and let HER pick. Get her something nice.

 

[Stubbie686]

Take her to the gun show and let HER pick. Get her something nice.

That's the plan Jim. She was involved with this one too, I just got a little too excited about the S&W logo to know what I was looking at. Thanks again for setting me straight

We've been thinking Ruger SP101. She really likes the .38 rounds

 

[Jim K]

A bit late, but I will remark that the barrel is probably the original 4-5" barrel cut off and a sight attached. The S&W design intends that the cylinder base pin be supported at both ends and this one is supported only at the rear, not good. Plus, of course, the reamed cylinder and split cases. Any collector value, even if the barrel were replaced, went west when the gun was polished all to heck and plated, and the fake horn grips installed.

Jim