Hello, I have a sad story to share here. My old friend who had inherited this revolver from his father, was shooting it one day some time ago. He said later that it didn't sound right but he kept shooting it..? I eventually bought the gun from him with a couple of "goose eggs" in the barrel near the ejector rod latching lug. I could tell something was stuck in the barrel by trying to insert a wooden dowel. I couldn't get the cylinder to open easily, but I sprayed it and kept trying. I did finally get it to open and found the barrel obstructed by 3 jacketed bullets... I drilled through them, and kept tapping on them to get them out, but the barrel is swelled in 2 places... Something is bent or tweaked as there is a lot of interference and the cylinder can't be swung into place.. I think probably because of the barrel's damaged condition. I remember telling him I was glad he still has all of his fingers... Does anyone here know of a reputable gunsmith I can take this to? I am working on putting up some pictures next. Thanks, Victor

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The less you know about a gun,
The more attention you must pay when you shoot it!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

there doesnt appear to be any thing special about this revolver....additional expense would not be advised...

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There's nowt so queer as folk

I think a barrel replacement is in order for this gun.

I guess the thing about this gun is the prior owner's father had this gun for many years, and just wouldn't part with it. The gun was passed down to my friend and he felt really ashamed of what he did to it, so he sold it to me. At least he doesn't have to be reminded of it every time he sees it... I really like it myself, even the way it is, because it tells a story... I do think fixing it would be something to consider. I found a barrel, but it is marked a little differently. I have no experience with changing revolver barrels. That is why I asked if anyone knew of a competent gunsmith. Thanks, Victor

No disrespect to your old friend, but this reminds me of the old Herman cartoon about the woman who drove home from the mall and told her husband there was something wrong with the car, and when he came back in and yelled that all four wheels had been stolen, she said "Well, I thought it felt lower...".

If you had that much trouble opening the cylinder, it's possible the frame, yoke, and/or ejector rod may have suffered some trauma too in the process, not just the barrel. So I'd agree that this gun may be beyond salvage.

PS: On the other hand, if you were the one who discovered the barrel obstruction, your friend obviously did not clean the gun after the last shooting session, and if that was long ago, there may just have been a lot of crud and likely some rust gumming things up. So I'd recommend cleaning and lubricating everything really well and seeing whether you can get the gun's mechanisms to function smoothly. Then find a local gunsmith to show the gun to. Sending it to a S&W specialist recommended by someone here on the forum would be overkill IMHO.

If the frame has been 'tweaked' a S&W specialist is what you need. They are factory trained in alignment of bent yokes, frames etc. You really may not need to change the barrel. Even though it has been "ringed" or bulged in two places, I've never heard of this affecting accuracy. But a bulge at the front locking lug of the extractor rod may be the cause of the difficulty of closing/opening the cyl/yoke.

I would contact S&W for the location of a S&W repair station nearest to you.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Without having it in hand, it would be difficult to determine exactly what the closure problem is. At a minimum, the barrel would need replacing, but that expense (if you have a gunsmith do it) would be justifiable only if the revolver has some sentimental value to you. FYI, it likely dates from sometime in the mid-1920s.

No claim of expertise as many folks who ply this Forum. But a bottom line man here. Concurring with what appears the minority view. I see a fairly straight forward prewar Smith 38 Special. Perhaps i'm missing something of particular significance concerning the gun, some historical perspective/family heritage matter or incorrect problem(s) diagnosis. Otherwise, a thorough qualified inspection and putting into shooting condition would seem to push the net value envelope. Even at such minimalist point, not speaking of restoration. Just a patch up' with attendant incremental value increase and that perhaps achieving the questionable status of 'throw down' piece.
To put it into a credible mechanically 'restored' condition, considering parts alone, would seem to exceed the value considering a mix-master result. Such a project seeming only economically feasible where written off as 'instructive' or labor of love.

I'd exclude heroic resuscitation efforts and perhaps let the old gal fade out as an 'organ donor'.
Just my take

The butt serial is 435976.

You should be able to find a barrel for a pretty good price on eBay. Andy Horvath would be my choice to make things right.

So based on the serial, late 1922/early 1923.

An additional thought, which you already alluded to: The alternatives are not just repairing and shooting it or burying it. Hondo44 is certainly correct that a certified S&W specialist would be the best diagnostician and surgeon, but for the ultimate cost, you could likely buy yourself another comparable shooter (M&P's from that period are not rare or pricey) and keep this gun as is, with the three bullets in a little ziplock bag tied to it, as an interesting memento and artefact with a cool story.

Im not starting a fire storm, but you knew about this condition prior to your acquisition? Did you pay money for this parts gun or just take it on as a project? There is no criticism here, Lord I have done it before. Dad must have had some really old loads or bad reloads out in the garage. Its your gun and money, have fun. Best

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

The front end of the ejector rod is shiny from rubbing hard on the barrel lug. That is where the closing problem is I believe. The cylinder and yoke swing smoothly and freely up to the point where the end of the ejector rod starts to bear against the lug, instead of clearing it. The barrel must have been shortened by the bulging, as would a piece of string being slightly curved instead of straight. There went the clearance that was built in originally. Just my observation here.

VERY unlikely that the frame or yoke was hurt by the bulging.

The hard opening is probably because-

The barrel is stronger on the bottom because it is thicker at the barrel flat above the ejector rod and it has the forward locking lug.
When a barrel is bulged in this vicinity, it usually expands more on top where it is not reinforced. The unequal bulging can bend the barrel ever so slightly downward, and the forward lug binds against the ejector rod.

As others said, you can probably get a used barrel for low money. Fitting it to the frame is simple. Any good gunsmith should be able to do it.
In my younger days, I have fitted them to guns with nothing but a file.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

We were typing at the same time, but I type slower.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Try pushing the locking bolt in and seeing if it moves freely, if not spray it and keep working it till it is free, it is spring loaded, but should move relatively easily. I have a hard time believing that the barrel has shortened enough to cause a problem. The front of the locking bolt will always contact the ejector rod, and cause a loss of finish in that area.

The locking bolt was free. I ground an old decapping pin a little smaller than the locking bolt's retaining pin and tapped the pin out. I took a few light file strokes on the lug, and the rod went a little farther. I repeated that until I could just see a very tiny gap at the front of the rod. The next thing I addressed was the notch on the bottom of the barrel for clearing the ejector knob, as there was a bulge at that point too. I took off just enough to let the knurl clear the barrel. The last thing was there was some swelling at the end of the barrel just in front of the cylinder. When I closed the cylinder the top of the yoke was dragging on the bottom of the barrel, so I gently filed the shiny marks off the barrel to just clear. Now the gun clicks shut easily and positively. Of course the barrel is toast, but it's perfect for popping moles in the back yard with shot shells... It's a survivor, and it has a story to tell...

"Of course the barrel is toast, but it's perfect for popping moles in the back yard with shot shells..."

Maybe not. I have had several old Smifs with bulged barrels and they all shot fine.

You won't know until you take it out and shoot it. Use 158 grain round nose lead.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Excellent, there ya go. You're a fixer! Shoot and enjoy. If it shoots low, give it a whack with a Babbitt hammer on the top of the barrel like the S&W factory smiths. You have nothing to lose!

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Jim
S&WCA #819

a bulged barrel doesn't necessarily cause problems
load up some target loads and see how it shoots

As others have said, you must shoot it to see if the bulges have affected grouping. Perhaps the closest-shooting .22 rifle I owned sported a visible bulge about 2" behind the muzzle (my fault, mud in the barrel). If there's no bulge at the muzzle, it may shoot fine.

Obviously, since all three bullets stuck solid in the barrel, the OP's friend was using some not very high-pressure ammunition. Not only did the initial bullet stick, it then got hammered twice more without damaging the barrel in any externally visible way.

Still, this scenario is not the same as a barrel bulge due to mud or some other at least semi-viscous substance in the barrel. This was like firing a gun with a solid barrel plug. Twice after the first bullet stuck.

I don't begrudge anyone their wonderful experiences with bulged barrels, but I would not fire any modern ammo out of that gun like this, not because of accuracy, but basic structural integrity. Feel free to call me over-cautious.

I too would not worry about the bulged barrel. This was most likely very old ammo that had deteriorated or reloads where someone undercharged the cases. There is room between the barrel and the cylinder face to allow pressure to escape so you are not looking at what happens to a piece of pipe used to make a pipe bomb.

Check the barrel for any signs of cracking using a glass and if the steel looks unharmed, I would have no fear shooting lead rounds out of it. I certainly wouldn't suggest +P+ like some folks like but standard velocity rounds should not be an issue.

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James Redfield
LM #497

At one time, about 15 years ago, I did some controlled safety tests to determine barrel bursting conditions using the M9 (Beretta 92) pistol in 9mm. I never could get the barrel to rupture, no matter what I did using even extreme 9mm (M885) overloads and the bore plugged with a bullet in several locations (ahead of the chamber, midpoint, and at the muzzle). I had an essentially unlimited supply of condemned M9s and barrels to work with. I got lots of barrel bulges, some quite large, and even some deformed slides, but nothing that would harm the firer. Everything went out the muzzle. The M9 is a tough pistol, no doubt about it. In the case of a revolver, you indeed have a built-in pressure relief opening.

While I don't doubt the validity of DWalt's testing, an M&P barrel from the early 1920s is not the same as M9 barrels from the 1980s or later.

I think the OP will likely be fine shooting his gun, but I am still not comfortable with the level of certainty with which some contributors here are making safety judgments about a gun they have not seen and examined, and are telling the OP not to worry and to give it a rip.

I'm going to conclude my participation in this thread by repeating my recommendation that this gun should not be put back into regular use without having it checked by a competent gunsmith.