Got one in recently. Says Mod-38 with a J serial number. I’m guessing 1970s?

Here’s the thing. It will only accept two cartridges (it fires fine) and it looks like something was placed in the other 3 to prevent loading. What’s the easiest way to remove these pieces?

Thanks.

Never seen that before, almost looks like a split case head. try to push an empty case into the front end of the cylinder or a tight fitting brass dowel rod might push it out. Also it looks like whatever is in there is split so you might be able to use a plastic pick and try to lift one end and bend it to make it smaller and then pop it out. Have no idea why or how it got there. Good luck and go easy..

If it is a split case or similar, remove the cylinder from the revolver and secure it well. Next, force an oversized brass brush (or a new one) into the ring. Now, the bristles are angled back toward the ejector star, a good pull will grasp the split case, whatever, and should pull it out.

Kevin

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Thanks. I’ll try it. The only info I had was someone painted the grip red and blocked them so it couldn’t load live rounds for a training gun.

I see the grips are painted red/orange. I suspect the gun was deactivated for training use and someone later was able to remove 2 of the 5 inserts.

I’d pull the cylinder, soak the chambers in oil, find a snug fitting punch and try to drive them out towards the rear.

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But I would also inspect the gun very carefully, or have someone inspect it. There may be a functional/mechanical reason it was converted to a training gun.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

EXACTLY.
Guns in good working order are seldom. if ever, intentionally "neutered" like that to make a non-firing dummy. There are too many garbage guns (like that silver plastic-looking thing you have there) to waste a valuable firearm.

Most common fatal flaw on the alloy guns is a crack in frame under where barrel is traded in. Check there carefully. It maybe fine. Good luck

My bet is on intentional deactivation. Someone who knows what they are looking at needs to do a minute examination; something, somewhere is broken on that gun, bad enough that someone decided repair wasn't worth the cost...

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Pisgah

While I would practice due diligence and inspect the gun for flaws, which I do with EVERY gun I purchase, there is a lot of jumping to the conclusion that this one is somehow flawed. I can think of a lot of reason besides that. First of all the mode 38 was not a high dollar gun. You can still buy them for under $400 and I bet 20 years ago it was a whole lot less. Hardly a fortune if your looking for a prop. Next it could have just been need as a prob gun for training, movie, play. Purchase, from evidence locker what have you.

Like I said earlier the main failure point on these the frame, in yoke cut directly under barrel. If it is OK there and the barrel is not plugged in some manner to go with the cylinder deactivation it is probably fine. BTW a new cylinder is easy to come by. There is a blue one for a model 36 complete with extractor, rod and yoke $49.50 buy it now with free shipping on Ebay right now.

When I need to remove a broken case from any chamber I use one of a few methods.

Start with flooding the chamber with ATF, Kroil or bore cleaner and wait 20 minutes!

1) try pushing towards the rear with a 45 caliber Bronze bore brush (nylon won't do).

2) be gentle with a right-angle dental pick. Pull a little at a time from 2 or 3 places around the circumference.

3)last resort: stick a bullet in from the rear until jammed tight, then drive out from the front.

Ivan

The OP should post a pic of the frame under the barrel to confirm cracked or not.

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Ex-LEO, NRA Life

This spot?



Ignore ms moo moo kitty


Lady says her husband took two of his oldest revolvers to turn into training guns and when he retired he took them back. He passed a long time ago and she’s moving into assisted living and found these. I’m the only FFL she knows so she asked me to clean, inspect and offer her something for them. I know nothing about revolvers. Lol

I'll get my tools out later to see about removing the 3 plugs.

It is not cracked, the first pic, the flat spot on the frame, they split in line with the barrel.


I'll bet it will clean up and work fine, but check it all out.

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Those look like the pieces that are used with simunitions which prohibit live rounds from being loaded into the revolver when it's being used in simunitions training.If they are indeed those they can be pushed out with a wooden dowel rod wrapped in a cloth.When they come out it will open the charge whole up for a normal round.Simunitions were a soft soap tipped type round with a soft charge used by some LE agencies in the 90s to simulate live fire in training scenarios.

My method 1 details:
Thoroughly degrease the chamber & stuck case with Gun Scrubber or some other degreaser that won't harm whatever painted/plastic pieces are on the gun.
Degrease a new .45 cal brass/bronze brush, screw onto sturdy cleaning rod.
Force the brush into the stuck case from the REAR, until the bristles are fully inside the case.
Try to pull the rod/brush/case out from the rear.
If it won't move, use a dowel or nylon punch to tap from the front.
If brush pops out of case, reclean everything and use a small dab of epoxy to glue the brush inside the case but not on the chamber walls.

Good luck!

If bronze brush deal fails. Get about a 3/32" Allen wrench. Use a grinder to shorten the small arm so it will just go in a 38 case when you cock the long arm a bit. Now grind the short arm the a have a chisel edge. Cock it so it will slide down chamber and into junk piece. Lever it so tip bites into junk and pull it and junk piece out. I have used this method to remove stuck cases from head separations.

Thank you everyone. They pushed out easy with a pick. Fired five rounds with no issues.


What should I offer her?

Those were professionally made inserts. Nice job getting them out.
Now to soak the grips in a sealed jar of acetone to soften up the red paint. Next, hit it with a stiff tooth brush, then soak and repeat as necessary until is it all gone.
Then let them dry a couple of days and hit them with a couple of coats of oil finish of your choice (linseed, tung, whatever).

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Stuck some Hogue grips on it.
She wants $100 for the gun. I don’t want to underpay her.

If the red painted grips are numbered to the gun, and if the red paint will come off (almost certain that it will after an acetone bath) then I would say paying her somewhere in the $450-$500 range would be fair - at least in my area and the current market.

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So far only used qtips and acetone. Taking my time.
I told her I'd sell it and give it to her minus $75 for my fee and time.

I actually have some linseed oil for afterwards.









a little more work. gonna take a break for the rest of the day.

Those inserts are for Simunitions training rounds. They prevent the insertion of live .38 ammo and permit the use of the marking rounds. I've used them before. Sims are much more common in 9mm, 5.56 and .40 where a proprietary upper is placed on the semi's lower.

Don't worry about using q-tips. Pour enough acetone into a container to completely submerge the stocks and leave them soak a few days. After the paint gets nicely softened up hit the checkering with a toothbrush to get the remainder of it out of the deep grooves.
The acetone won't hurt the wood one bit. After they are clean and nicely dried out - which literally only takes a few hours (acetone evaporates quickly) you can refinish them with linseed oil, tung oil, tru-oil, or any other wood finish you like.
Trust me, I've soaked stocks in acetone for weeks and it didn't do them any damage at all. All it will do is remove the old finish, which in this case is red paint!

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$75 seems fair but I would have to charge $100 for all that work. Congrats on getting it up and running. The M38 was my first carry piece in the early 70's. great little pocket gun, or in an ankle holster under bell bottoms. It was the 70's after all.

Restoring original numbered stocks will add value to the M-38. I'll second Retired W4 that the M-38 really shines for pocket/ankle holster/shoulder holster carry either primary or backup as required. Never intended to be a range gun pumping thousands of rounds of +P 38s through it every year. Put $500 on the price tag and it will be sold within a week.

I think you misunderstood.
He isn't selling it - he's trying to figure out a fair price to offer the owner's widow for the gun.
But your $500 figure is a fairly reasonable offer for the gun given the amount of work needed to put it right.

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BC38 thanks for pointing out that the M-38 was not going to be resold, I was mistaken. Far as I can see OP hasn't invested any money to make it functional other than his spare time and minimal materials at hand. Would be a nice gesture to offer the elderly women a fair price for the revolver.

Agreed, and asking around someplace like this is a good way to make that determination.

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I take it that the OP is in the business of selling guns, has no intention of keeping them nor does the owner want them. His offer to sell them, keeping back $75 for his work and time, then giving the proceeds to the owner seems more than fair.

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Come to think of it I do remember OP saying he was an FFL leading me to think the M-38 would be sold for the women. Anyways $75 is a reasonable amount to keep to cover costs of operating the store. OP I'm sure members would be curious to hear what the M-38 sells for and how accurate members estimates were influencing the price you ask and get.

Hi all. I’ve been soaking the grips in acetone for a day now. I will check on them tomorrow. I have linseed oil standing by.

The $75 was mainly to cover shipping and transfer fee. I want to give her whatever I can get for it. Her husband retired from my department a long time ago. He was retired before I started. I started in 1998.

Thanks for all the tips. Soaked it in acetone for a few days.
Did one light coat of BLO and letting it dry before I do the next coat.

You are a good man to help out an old-timer's widow.

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A great comeback story, of a nice gun led down a path to humiliation and disrespect. I love a happy ending.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

Nice work on the stocks, a little honest wear to match the M-38.

Good to see that you were able to save this piece. I have had good luck with both Tru Oil and Linspeed for restoring beat up S&W stocks. I have a very early Model -42. Every now and then I run a few 148 gr WCs through it. It is actually a great shooter, but I take it easy on it since it is in nice condition. Always wanted a 38 or 49. Maybe someday.

I got offered $425 for it so I'll sell it and give her $400.
$25 will cover the shipping and acetone.

Thanks again everyone!

Nice JOB!
The grips cleaned up very nicely!
You're a good man for helping out the widow.

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