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04-12-2018, 09:51 PM
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Please help identify this .38 special revolver
Please help me identify this .38 special revolver. It has been in my family for a long time and was recently handed down to me. It is a 5 shot, cylinder swings out, barrel length from cylinder is about 2 inches. Serial number is 1003 if it cannot be seen in the pic of the bottom of the grip. Some people from another forum had said that it looked like a Chief or a Baby Chief, but they suggested that I ask on here as well.
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04-12-2018, 10:25 PM
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Welcome! JW is close, but this one has the full-size (filling the frame window) cylinder of an early Baby Chiefs (.38) Special. Also, a .38 Terrier of this vintage would have had a serial number in the mid-50000 range. It is likely from late 1951.
I suspect the engraving and plating are aftermarket. If you are interested, you can find out the exact ship (sales) date and destination with a letter of authenticity:
http://www.swhistoricalfoundation.co...quest_form.pdf
Is there an interesting family story that came with it? Enjoy and treasure your new gun!
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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220
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04-12-2018, 10:29 PM
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Welcome aboard from Wyoming.
Most certainly a Baby Chiefs Special, built on the original J-frame. The caliber stamping on the barrel reads: 38 S&W SPL.
The serial number suggests the factory shipped it around the end of 1951.
Snappy looking little thing. Thanks for sharing it.
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Bob
Last edited by two-bit cowboy; 04-12-2018 at 10:30 PM.
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04-13-2018, 12:23 AM
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Other nearby SNs on my list all shipped during the last two months of 1951. And it is indeed a Baby Chief. Those had SNs up to about 46000. Engraving and plating do not appear to have been done by S&W.
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04-13-2018, 12:44 AM
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Nice looking Chief.
Welcome to the forum.
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Mike
S&WCA #3065
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04-13-2018, 01:44 AM
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What a great first post, that's a dandy for sure. Welcome to the forum!
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04-13-2018, 11:37 AM
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Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing. Really appreciate the well done pictures. That would be my birth year and definitely has weathered the years better than me. She's a beauty!
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04-13-2018, 01:02 PM
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That's a dandy little gun! Congratulations on receiving it, and condolences for whoever must have past away for it to change hands.
Find out what you can about it through the family, it was a special gun to someone. I would carefully remove the grips and make sure everything is clean and oiled under there. And keep it wiped down after folks fondle it. Acid from finger prints can leave lasting damage if not wiped off.
Thanks for sharing it with us and welcome aboard!
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04-14-2018, 10:59 PM
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I deleted my post immediately following the OP because I misread the caliber marking in the photos & did not see that it was marked as "38 S&W SPL." All I could see was "38 S&W" . On the later Chief Special barrels, the word "Special" is spelled out in full. Sorry to have given incorrect info. Certainly a very pretty revolver & collectible with the low s/n. Nice find.
Last edited by jw mathews; 04-14-2018 at 11:01 PM.
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04-16-2018, 09:15 PM
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Thank you. I really appreciate all of the information.
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04-17-2018, 12:27 AM
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Spiffy little iron ! Congratulations and treasure it well.
Larry
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04-18-2018, 06:45 PM
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I like it. 
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04-19-2018, 12:21 AM
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Welcome to the best gun forum I've ever found. I hope you'll stick around.
That is a beautiful little revolver.
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Oh well, what the hell.
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