1Aspenhill

Sometimes, even when you look at guns a lot, there are things that you don’t see. I had determined that between S68327 and S68348, the 38/44 Heavy Duty went to a straight ejector rod, rolling the top of the barrel with patent dates and address information was stopped and Smith & Wesson began stamping the frame with a four line address. Looking at 4 inch Transition Heavy Duties from S68348 to S75604 this assumption is correct (4 inch guns did not have the patent dates and address information...

Within the last couple of years, a new variation of 38/44 Heavy Duty has come to light. I received an email in October 2009 from one of our members, telling me he had what appeared to be a Heavy Duty with an unusual barrel. He attached pictures and the gun had no ejector rod shroud and yet the barrel was serial numbered to the gun.

I didn’t think a Model 10 barrel could be fitted to an N-Frame gun, but I’m not a gunsmith....

4” NICKEL PRE WAR HEAVY DUTY
By Bill Patteson
One of the most elusive variations of pre-war Heavy Duties is the 4 inch Nickel variation. I am not in possession of how many 4 inch Heavy Duties were made with a Nickel finish, but based on some rough calculations I would put the estimated number of 4 inch Nickel Pre-War Heavy Duties manufactured at 12. We do know that the factory manufactured 100 ea 4 inch Heavy Duty barrels and that nickel Heavy Duties made up about 12% of all Heavy...

I RECENTLY ASKED ROY JINKS IF HE HAD EVER SEEN A PARTS LIST FOR THE POST WAR TRANSITION 38/44 HEAVY DUTIES. HE REPLIED THAT HE HAD NOT. I DON'T KNOW WHY S&W DID NOT PRINT A MODEL 20 PARTS BROUCHURE LIKE THEY DID FOR THE MODEL 23, SO I'M ATTACHING A COUPLE THAT I HAVE THAT COVER THE POST WAR 38/44 HEAVY DUTY AND OUTDOORSMAN.




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I RECENTLY ACQUIRED A REMINGTON 38-44 AMMO SHIPPING BOX. IT ORIGINALY CONTAINED 5 BOXES OF 50 ROUNDS, R264 WHICH IS THE 158GR METAL POINT BULLET. THIS IS THE FIRST ONE OF THESE PREWAR SHIPPING BOXES I HAVE SEEN. A VERY INTERESTING PIECE OF HISTORY!



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