.38 Special CTG "S"

[goodguyry]

I was given a .38 special CTG to sell, but before I took it to a dealer, I was hoping to learn a little about it and possible value. I noticed the serial number begins with "S" and is followed by 81,000 something. I tried to measure the barrel and I measured 6.5" from end of barrel to end of cylinder.

Update:
I just learned that the barrel has a bulge, should I assume the gun is 1). Not able to be fired and 2). Unsellable?

 

[Lee Barner]

welcome to the forum. there is a thread here on page one entitled "to IDENTIFY your revolver". read that and answer some more of the questions that will come up giving us a better understanding of what you have. pictures are also worth a thousand words. sounds like an early to mid 50s 38/44 heavy duty(HD) if it has a 6.5" barrel. lee

 

[goodguyry]

Thank you Lee, I found your recommendation very interesting and informative since I am a novice.

What exactly did you mean when you wrote 38/44 HD mean?

 

[bgrafsr]

Thank you Lee, I found your recommendation very interesting and informative since I am a novice.

What exactly did you mean when you wrote 38/44 HD mean?

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.38-44 means it is a .38 Special on a .44 frame, which in S&W parlance is the large "N" frame. You have a .38-44 Outdoorsman, as it has the adjustable rear sight, and the 6 1/2 inch barrel. A .38-44 HD (Heavy Duty) is a revolver with no adjustable sights and usually a 4 or 5 inch barrel.

 

[jsfricks]

I was given a .38 special CTG to sell, but before I took it to a dealer, I was hoping to learn a little about it and possible value. I noticed the serial number begins with "S" and is followed by 81,000 something. I tried to measure the barrel and I measured 6.5" from end of barrel to end of cylinder.

A dealer will probably give you less than half of what it's worth. We have a great classified section here and a lot of folks who would have a lot of interest in that.

 

[Lee Barner]

my mind wasn't fully engaged. I didn't think about the adjustable sights. that would be a 38/44 Outdoorsman. it is a .38 caliber built on a .44 caliber or N frame as it is called now. I believe they began life in the early 30s and then came back after WWII. your's would be the model of 1950 variation, the third variation of a wonderful shooting old gun. others will be along with more detailed info. lee

 

[goodguyry]

Considering that it is built on a bigger frame, what type of ammo would it use?

 

[Dennis The B]

Considering that it is built on a bigger frame, what type of ammo would it use?

It will handle .38 Special loads. Although the frame is the same size as the Model 27 .357 Magnum, it was designed for heavier .38 Special loads. There are some .38/44's which had the cylinders reamed to accept shorter .357 Magnum loads. However, the heat treating of the frame is not the same as the .357 Magnum frame.

The strength of the frame will insure that you could shoot .38 Specials in it until sometime just short of infinity. It's one of the most over-engineered revolvers ever.

And +1 on what others have said. If the revolver is for sale, you would do very well to sell it here.

 

[DWalt]

Your Outdoorsman would have been made in late 1951. Ammunition is .38 S&W Special. At the time these were on the market, there was also a more heavily loaded and more powerful .38 S&W Special cartridge available that could be used in these HD and OD revolvers. It was called the .38/44, and went by several different names from the different ammunition manufacturers. These are very desirable revolvers, and not that many ODs were made - 8,365 to be exact. Many dealers will do their best to convince you it is worth next to nothing. Don't fall for it.

 

[goodguyry]

Any idea or ballpark range of what it may be valued at?

 

[DWalt]

You might check out the gun auction sites for actual recent sales. I'd say something close to $1000 is realistic for a quick sale, but it could easily sell for more than that under the right circumstances. Gun prices are a little crazy at present.

 

[goodguyry]

Thank you DWalt and everybody else who contributed. Now I have to find information on several other non S&W guns.

 

[The Gila Bender]

Link to "the rest of the story"
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/322252-38-44-hd-bulged-barrel.html