s&w 38 long ctg

[blueboy]

I have what looks like a k-frame s&w revolver 6 shot old m&p. S&W emblem on grips, Spanish writing on the barrel & left side plate. What does the 38 long ctg mean? I can find info on 38 long colt & 38 special but none on 38 long ctg. Thanks!

 

[Starter52]

".38 Long" ?

If the gun is a Smith & Wesson and not a Spanish copy... well, no company likes to advertise for its biggest competitor.

That's why S&W would put ".38 Long" rather than ".38 Long Colt" on the gun.

 

[SDC]

Well, "looks like" and "is" are two completely different things; you MAY have a genuine S&W revolver chambered for 38 Long Colt, but you may also have a Spanish COPY of a S&W revolver chambered for 38 Long Colt. If the latter, I'm not so sure you'd want to fire it anyway, and certainly not before having it checked out by a gunsmith. If you post some pictures (especially of the markings), it'll be easier to identify.

 

[Jim K]

Someone may have put S&W grips on that gun, but take another look; I will bet they don't really say "S&W".

S&W NEVER marked a barrel with the legend ".38 LONG" anything. They did mark some early M&P's "For .38 S&W Special and U.S. Service Cartridge." The "U.S. Service Cartridge" is what we call the .38 Long Colt, but the S&W guns did not say that. Other than that, they never made a gun specifically for the .38 Colt cartridge, short or long.

That gun is almost certainly a Spanish copy of the S&W on the outside but with a different mechanism. They were imported by the ton in the 1920's and 1930's. Some were of fair quality, but most were made of cheap cast iron ("pot metal"). I have seen several blown up with normal loads.

I strongly recommend against shooting the gun before having it inspected by a gunsmith or some knowledgeable person.

Value of one of those Spanish guns is negligible except maybe for a deactivated display. One dealer in the area decided to convert a couple into blank guns for starter pistols for the local high school. One blew on the first shot with a blank; the school declined to use the other.

If you can copy the Spanish markings, we can probably translate them.

Jim

 

[Dirk]

Jim Keenan's Wonderful World of Firearms

Jim, Your knowledge of firearms of all types, is savant like !
Dirk
Thanks in advance for any additional info on my 9m/m Flobert(rimfire) the proof marks aren't quite like you discribed but I'm leaning towards Belgian made.