S&W 38s: The Old and New

[PRM]

Perfected Model .38 S&W that dates to 1914

Model 36-1 1978 edition.

A good Smith & Wesson .38 is hard to beat...

 

[Cornhusker77]

Them's purdy

 

[Remllez]

Excellent example of hand fitted beauty!! The craftsmanship is representative of an era never to be seen again.

Thanks for sharing !!

 

[bannockburn]

A couple of nice Smiths there, especially the one coming up on the century mark. Great looking grips on both of them too!

 

[PRM]

The Perfected is a S&W Classic. I bought it in 1982. I carried it as a back-up pistol when I was a Deputy Sheriff throughout the 80s and 90s. It still goes with me as a off duty gun at times. They are some of the best top breaks that Smith put out. In early 2000, I had a high end restoration/reblue done on it. The grips are Sambar Stag from the mid 80s. Its still one of my all time favorites. Locks up like a bank vault and has a pristine bore and chambers. My daughter just started her career as an LEO. Guess she will one day wind up with it. Although, I doubt she will ever carry it - this younger generation are caught up in the current polymer offerings.

 

[exdetsgt]

Beautiful guns, PRM. I'm a former deputy sheriff, too. Started out with a Model 10 6" duty weapon. After I made detective it was a Model 36. However, like your 36-1 I had never seen one with a 3" barrel until I walked in a LGS recently and there was one with a square butt (and I'd never seen one with a square butt before, either), so I bought it. Our armorer (I'm currently an Arizona Ranger) looked at it and said it had been infrequently carried (virtually no holster shine) and perhaps never fired (no rotation marks on the cylinder), so I'm happy. I put a pair of rosewood grips on it just for the heck of it.

 

[richardKatts]

1988 Model 37 S&W



Purchased for $200.00

 

[exdetsgt]

Fine looking Model 37, Richard. I neglected to mention that my Model 36-1 is 1981 and came with the original grips, like yours. Although the rosewoods are handsome, they're longer and therefore print more if you're wearing an untucked shirt. So I went back to the standard grips that came with it and added a Tyler T.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Looks abused but really only very very used. Model 38

 

[BYJO4]

A really nice pair of Smiths.

 

[Flint Ridge]

Don't you mean really old and old? I don't see a new Smith in that picture. Love the old one's myself.

 

[PRM]

LOL...Guess some terms are relative.