An Old Hand Ejector .38 Special

shootn99 · #1 10-23-2015, 12:10 PM

I got a call from my barber this week, one of his clients wanted him to sell an old S&W revolver for him. He sent me a picture and off I went to acquire my 2nd old S&W revolver. Upon inspection, I noted that the revolver had seen much use due to all the dings in the grips, loose lock works and the damaged forcing cone. I also noted that the top part of the trigger guard on the left side had been cut or filed away(maybe to allow faster access to the trigger for a lefty?) I can't help but to think this was a old police officer's gun due to the amount of use and holster wear that is evident on the revolver. The action is smooth and the timing is pretty good for a revolver this old. I took the grips off, cleaned off the evident rust and looked for any additional numbers but none were found under the grips. The bore looks good and the cylinder cleaned up nicely so it appears to be safe to shoot. I'm looking for date of manufacture and any additional information you guys can provide.

DWalt · #2 10-23-2015, 12:19 PM

The SN would suggest it is a Military and Police (M&P) model shipping during the 1931-1934 period. It's not possible to get more precise from the SN alone. The grips on it are from the post-WWII period and are therefore not original. In that condition, it probably wouldn't sell for much more than $200-$250, assuming it is in good mechanical condition, which this one may not be. Could well be a cop gun, but no way to tell for sure. Not many here would be interested in it at any price, except possibly for its parts value.

policerevolvercollector · #3 10-23-2015, 09:42 PM

That damage to the trigger guard was caused by being carried in an Audley Safety Holster which was an early attempt at what would now be called a "security" holster. It provided better weapon retention. A lot of agencies used that rig.

DWalt · #4 10-23-2015, 11:17 PM

I have one Audley (for an N-frame), but I don't really know much about their history. I always associated them with a time period considerably earlier than the 1930s.

Absalom · #5 10-24-2015, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWalt

I have one Audley (for an N-frame), but I don't really know much about their history. I always associated them with a time period considerably earlier than the 1930s.

Frank Audley died in 1916, but Folsom Arms on Broadway took over his business and patents and continued to produce his holster design for several decades.

Below is a catalog page from 1938.

The latest Folsom catalog reprint which Cornell Publications offers is from 1941, and it still lists the "Folsom Audley Holsters".

shootn99 · #6 10-25-2015, 11:09 AM

Wow, talk about learning something new everyday! I've been in law enforcement for over 36 years and never heard of such a rig. I've carried a number of different pistols and revolvers over the years in a number of rigs but never something that would damage the frame. What was the retention method?

Absalom · #7 10-25-2015, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shootn99

.....What was the retention method?

A spring-loaded metal button that protruded into the trigger guard.

DWalt · #8 10-25-2015, 01:47 PM

The metal trigger guard retainer not really very springy. I'd say that the leather actually gives way as the revolver is pushed into the holster. You sort of twist the grip outward to pull it from the holster. At least that's how mine operates. I think mine is from the pre-WWI period. As I earlier said, I know what an Audley holster is, and not much else about them. I'd think that lots of inserting and removing of a revolver from an Audley holster could indeed produce wear as shown on the trigger guard.

jmace57 · #9 10-25-2015, 07:25 PM

I learned something too. I have a 1920s M&P that has exactly the same wear on the trigger guard. I couldn't figure out why someone would have intentionally done that, but this makes perfect sense.

DWalt · #10 10-26-2015, 12:47 AM

Here's a picture of my Audley holster for an N-frame. I always thought this one was probably from before WWI. Maybe someone can date it for me. Are those three rivets in the bottom original?

digi-shots · #11 10-26-2015, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by policerevolvercollector

That damage to the trigger guard was caused by being carried in an Audley Safety Holster which was an early attempt at what would now be called a "security" holster. It provided better weapon retention. A lot of agencies used that rig.

Policerevolvercollector, good call! You beat me to it..!

I was looking for some photos I had of a similar instance..

Here are a couple of photos of an Audley with a Victory in it. In the second photo, the "white" area around the trigger is actually the highly polished steel spring clip. In order to "draw" you had to place your finger through the triggerguard and pull upward... The arrangement also prevented the bad guys from drawing an officer's weapon.

From what I understand quite a few agencies had some problems with "negligent discharges" and discontinued the holster. I wonder why!

Here's a close up of this Victory that shows some light scratches and dings in the same area that an "Audley" could and would produce.

Also interesting is that this Victory lettered to the US NAVY, Rosslyn, Virginia. In my opinion, there's a good chance this Victory was carried in an Audley holster.