Anyone heard of this? It is a tip up .38 S&W with 4 inch barrel and on left side of barrel is marked Secret Service Special. This is in REAL bad shape but curious if anyone knows anything about it. Tanks

Bob

its a cheap knock off not made by S&W. they put S&W in the name to try a fool buyers. classified as a Saturday night Special by many.

Dan

Yes, there have been several postings giving the history of the Secret Service Specials. Search the Forum for the details. These guns were sold by the Fred Biffer Co., Chicago. in the early 20th century. They are not Smith & Wessons, most were made by Iver Johnson and other manufactures to Biffer's order. Ed.

Lots of off-brand revolver manufacturers invented colorful names for their products. In fact there are collectors of them. I remember seeing somewhere a list of dozens of such names - "Blue Jacket," "Tramp's Terror," "Protector," etc., from mainly early in the 20th Century. Most were of inferior manufacture and materials. Some were OK. Many were made up for large retailers such as Sears Roebuck, and sold through mail order. Yesterday's name for Saturday Night Specials.

Thanks for the help. It does appear of being much more crudely made than S&W's and Colts in the same time period.