This should have been posted in the antiques area of the forum. Yours is post-1898, probably from the very early 1900s, and therefore falls under BATFE regulations. It won't hurt to fire it with current .38 S&W ammunition, which is mildly loaded. That ammunition can be difficult to find, depending upon where you live. Gun shops should be able to special order it for you if they don't stock it, expect a price of $30-40/box for new ammunition. It is also available from numerous internet sources.