This is the first one of these puppy's I have ever seen in the wild so I grabbed it. 57XXX 6 screw around 1950 38 S&W. This is my first I frame. Fun to shoot but it shoots a little high and that could be the old ammo I have. This one is going in my truck. Very happy with it.

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I've been on the hunt for one of those, looks like a really nice one, much to nice to be riding around in a truck.

Nicely done.

I had a blued one and then bought a nickel one. Decided to let the blued one go. Wish I'd kept it. Buying one now would cost me a couple hundred more than I got for mine. Don't really want to carry the nickel one.....These are fun little revolvers.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Got one close to yours at serial number 57386 with shipping date of Nov. 1950. It would only function in double action until I replaced the hammer. Knowledgeable forum members diagnosed the hammer issue and now this Lil Darlin shoots like it should.
BTW, these leaf spring versions are not too common. Hope your truck has nice carpet and climate controls. Treat her nice.
Congrats on your new addition.
Ray

Very cool!

I love mine - on paper it shouldn’t feel much smaller than a Chief’s Special, but in the hand the difference is very noticeable.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Love my terrier too. Not sure what caliber she is.

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Cabela's in La Vista Nebraska has six of them for sale this morning...They might seem a bit pricy, but at least they ship to your FFL at no extra charge......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Mine is very similar to the OP's and my favorite S&W snub carry gun.

I rescued one from hockshop hell a few years ago - only one I have ever seen in the wild. Had an old and much-used Mexican made IWB holster with it, and the whole rig spoke of long use but good care. I'd give about anything to hear some of the stories it could tell if only it could talk.

Congratulations on a great find, Flap! I looked long and hard for this exact variant, a post War Transitional Terrier with leaf spring action. I finally found a pre War example, but I would still love to have a post War example to go with my 32 snub of that era. My EDC 32 resides in a suede holster for pocket carry where it can just disappear in a loose pair of slacks.

The I frame Terrier has the distinction of being the smallest 38 caliber S&W revolver ever made. The J frames may come close, but the Terrier wins!

Snuffy2, I’d like to see that Mexican IWB holster though. With these little guys, that might just be comfortable enough for EDC.

Froggie

I have a terrier built on the J frame a very nice revolver.

What do you mean "6 Screw" To me a 6 screw is usually an airweight that has a locking screw on the top sideplate screw to prevent rotation. Please explain.

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Dick

IIRC the 6th screw reference is the leaf spring strain screw in the front grip tang.

Plastic pistols are truck guns.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

Your right Old Cop its not going to take up much room in the safe.

That’s one of the 6 screw models.

The other is the one Engine49guy described which only applies to post war transitional I frames with leaf mainsprings like the Terrier. The screw went away with the Improved I frame with coil spring. It was included in the “screw count” of those I frames to distinguish their difference, and because it was deleted.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

To add to the “Six Screw Discussion”, I’ll plead guilty to adding the term into our collector lexicon. I needed a quick way to help distinguish between the Transitional Model like the one Flap found and the Improved Model, which was the first I frame with a coil spring. At a glance, the earlier, leaf spring model had a visible strain screw to maintain tension, while the coil spring action did not have this “sixth screw”. It’s a kind of verbal shorthand, but becomes a baffling jargon to those who haven’t been exposed to it. The idea behind it though is to distinguish between the variants at a quick glance.

Then again, my West Coast friend Hondo44 shares some of the blame. He accepted my use of the term and used it himself, then we were off and running, and among the I frame enthusiasts on this forum it fell into a steady usage. It has no meaning with the K, L, and N frames because the all have the strain screw anyway. This may be why the use of the term has stayed so close to the source.

Froggie

Never met a terrier I didn’t like, big dog in a little dog’s body.

I really like that terrier revolver too.

"What love for Terriers lurks in the hearts of men? Sammy the YorkiPoo knows."





BTW, nice S&W Terrier, too!

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

B. R. Hughes told me in the early 70s that he had used an I frame terrier for carry in the past with Speer HBWC loaded backward and crimped in the middle groove. The generous throats allowed it to have a similar OAL to a .38spl WC.

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

The old ammo I shot come from Western Auto in Stigler Oklahoma at 5.25 per box

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My J frame 38 S&W Terrier, S/N 77203. Matching grips.

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