Years ago in a conversation with a former in law. Back in the good ol'days when a Gi could still buy a handgun from a military PX. He claimed he purchased a Model 19, barrel was marked 357 but it would only chamber 38's. The PX would not allow him to exchange or return it and told him to send it to Smith and Wesson. He sent it to S&W and got it back with a 357 cylinder. He claimed the only correspondence he got with the returned revolver. Was a form letter saying something about immediate cleaning with modern ammunition was not necessary after test firing. No explanation about the mix up.

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Dave