My BIL recently gave me his FIL's 38 safety hammerless. After research, it is a 4th mod w serial #189xxx. Serial numbers match at all locations but grips do not have one and may be non-original or repros as they dont fit well. It is nickeled but appears to have been re-nickeled as the trigger frame has been nickeled-which it shouldn't be blue. Obviously not a high dollar gun. 3 questions for you experts. Would you shoot it? (I'd like to). If so, what type ammo (load)? Finally, cylinder indexes ok when trigger is pulled but it will rotate in the opposite direction w little effort-is this a problem? Thanks in advance for insight. Photo incl.

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If it locks up well and everything looks good I would fire it. Standard factory ammunition should be safe; it is designed to be fired in old guns, many of which are lower quality than these guns. The reverse rotation being possible with slight pressure on the trigger is normal; all of my guns of this type do it.

Ammunition- standard ammunition is a 147gr. Round-nose lead. These are fine, but do not shoot Buffalo Bore loads through this gun; these are hot loads designed for solid-frame guns or Webleys. It won't blow up your gun (probably) but it will accelerate wear.

The 38 Safety Hammerless is a great gun for plinking at the range. There were over a quarter-millon made. Your revolver would have shipped somewhere around 1906.

I have shot all my 38 S&W Safety revolvers with standard manufactured ammunition. Your gun was made in the smokeless era and likely always shot smokeless,. so that is not an issue. The standard loading was 146 gr RN with 15 grains of BP before the turn of the 20th Century. It was a fairly weak caliber, but the manufacture of the gun did not change for its production run, so I keep loads just under 700 fps when reloading.

The counter-rotation can be a problem. When the trigger is at rest, the cylinder stop should lock the cylinder securely in place. One of two issues may be the culprit. First, when you take the stocks off, your can see the bottom of the cylinder stop spring inside the front of the butt-frame. It could be missing or broken. Replacements may be hard to find, but eventually you will run across one on ebay or post for a spring on this Forum. The other problem is the cylinder stop may be bent or worn. The stop on a 4th & 5th Model is a long slender part that is easily bent from use or improper handling. To check if there is spring tension, open the action, take a small pin punch and push down on the stop. If it rebounds easily, the spring is probable working. If it is not at full height, it is bent or the internals are worn.

Looking at the revolver, it must have been used enough to wear off the original finish. Often the checkering on the original stocks will be worn almost totally off, so many refinished guns had a new set of stocks installed. From looking at the escutcheon, they appear to be factory ones, but all stocks had to be hand fitted when being assembled at the factory. Vintage S&Ws had enough differences that another set of stocks will rarely fit perfectly.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I did not mean to say that my guns rotate backwards, merely that a slight pressure on the trigger will sometimes allow them to be manually rotated backwards.

If your gun remains in battery when the trigger is at rest, the stop is not the problem. Rather, it is likely the hand, hand spring, or ratchet is the problem. As the trigger is pulled on any S&W revolver, the hand engages the ratchet and the cylinder cannot be turned backwards. That would be a problem if you have loaded cylinders on the left side and empty casings on the right, as the weight could pull the cylinder backwards without the hand stopping it.

The problem there could be weak or broken hand-spring, broken or shortened hand, or binding of the hand on the frame. The other issue could be a tooth or two on the ratchet worn and the hand not catching it?? Again, inspecting the internals should identify the problem. Also, check to make sure there is no binding, dirt, dried oils, or improper installation of any parts. Last resort would be a good gunsmith who is qualified to work on S&W top-breaks.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Thanks for the feedback. Most helpful. Planning to take it to range and shoot a few just to see how it does.

Newbie here with a question for the experts on the Safety Hammerless, can I post it here or should I start a new thread? Forgive my ignorance.

04gtofan, it is best to start a new thread. That way people don't get confused with the answers. Hit the Back Arrow and go to the start of the Antique section. There is an orange button near the top left titled: NEW THREAD. That will get you started in the Antique section.

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Mike Maher #283