One of my buddies at work brought in a K frame today. It is 38 Special. I was surprised to see it because usually if someone has something it is the most common model in bad shape. This gun is not though. After looking at it really hard I am convinced it has been reblued but very skillfully. It has adjustable sights and is in pretty good shape. The cylinder binds though. The ejector rod seems straight. I took the side plate off hoping to find a dirt dauber nest or something causing the trouble but there was nothing in there. The cylinder doesn't bind if you turn the cylinder backwards though. Odd.

What do you all think of this gun? It doesn't say "Made in USA" on it. I wonder if the "X" under the grips mean it is a factory reblue? What is this gun exactly? It's pretty cool if it didn't bind. Pics aren't the greatest because I used my phone with bad light. I could take it home and get better pics if it would be helpful.

That is a M&P Target from 1922 or before, when the factory started stamping the frame with the "Made in U.S.A." marking.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Early 20s Military and Police target.

The target variation adds quite a bit to the rarity and value, but the re-blue, nice though it may be, keeps it solidly in the shooter grade category.

It looks.tome like a pre-War K-38?? Smooth ribbed sight and barrel without rib... I think it is properly called a Military & Police Target Model.

Froggie

PS I type slowly on my Nook!

It's an M&P target model, likely shipped in mid-1921, just before the "Made in U.S.A." stamping began. I can't say for sure, but it has that soft appearance which indicates it may have been re-blued at some time.

Nice old target .38. Anybody who has one of those can have a really good day at the range with a few boxes of 146 gr wadcutter target ammo. The low pressure loads won't stress the older steel and can be amazingly accurate.

Binding: does the cylinder spin freely and without drag when the crane is open? If not, you should probably unscrew the ejector rod, pull the center pin and springs, and give everything a good solvent cleaning before reassembly. In any event, make sure the ejctor rod is screwed all the way in. If you can open the crane without difficulty, it probably is all the way in, but it doesn't hurt to make sure it's tight.

If the cylinder only binds when the yoke is closed, check to make sure the cylinder stop moves up and down under proper tension as the action is cycled. Also, look to see if the hand is retreating completely.

I can't imagine there is contact between the cylinder face and breech end of the barrel if the cylinder rotates one way but not the other.

Does the cylinder bind when you pull the hammer back for single action operation, or does it bind only in double action operation?

I have a late-'20s M&P that could be cocked, but could not be made to cycle in double action. Turned out that the hammer arm that engaged with with the trigger arms was about a thousandth of an inch too high on top and would bind on the underside of the top trigger arm. When you pulled the hammer back, everything was fine. When you pushed it back by pulling the trigger -- jamville. The tolerances are that close. It works now.

Lots of shots in the dark here. I'm just trying to get a sense of what actually happens when the cylinder stops turning.

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David Wilson

I agree it has been re-blued, not quite up to S&W standards with the polish before the re-blue, but the bluing was nicely done. I still think this would be worth in the $300 to $350 range as a shooter (provided the binding can be fixed).

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

The gun is from about 1921. It definitely looks refinished, to me.

Mike Priwer