1916 model 1905 4th change ammo choices

[model 13]

Haven't been on here in a while.Was a gm journeyman tech for over 25 years and now liquidate customers unwanted property and or trash out homes having started my own business about 2 years ago.Most of these people are deceased and the kids live out of state and all they want is the house empty and sold to get the big payday.The trashout I did about a week ago there was a ammo box with 16 boxes(800 rounds) of military 158 grain full mc bullet 38 special ammo headed for the dumpster(I always go through the stuff first before the guys start throwing things out willy nilly).Ammo is nice,clean and dry and has the same lot on the cardboard boxes as the metal box it is in(LOT WCC 6009).Is this ammo SAFE to shoot in my approx.1916 model of 1905 4th change revolver?I had my smith check this gun out and he gave it a clean bill of health.locks up good and is in very nice used shape.It's been used but not abused.Serial # is 258xxx.I've heard the sw revolvers before 1920 or so did not have heat treated cylinders.I've shot plenty of non +p commercial 38 special ammo through it in the past and just want to make sure this stuff is safe,I'm sure it is but would like the experts opinions. Any help is appreciated.

 

[LaVistaBill]

Model 13, I have revolvers of about the same vintage and I've fired them with standard factory (non +P) loads plenty without problems. I'm no expert, but I think you'd be OK. Welcome to the Forum!

 

[JP@AK]

I see no problem here. The ammo you found was made by Western Cartridge Company, which was basically Winchester (Olin) stuff. It appears to be in perfect condition, but you need to look individually at some rounds. If there is no corrosion, it should be fine. This ammo is almost certainly new enough to have non-corrosive priming, so that is not a concern.
Your revolver looks pretty nice. Is that nickel original?
Most of us like to treat the pre-hardened revolvers with mostly target velocity ammo and lead bullets. But I doubt the military stuff you found would do any damage. If you have a more modern S&W .38 Special, I would tend to shoot most of this stuff through that instead.
Regards,
Jack

 

[DWalt]

The "Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation" indicates that is no older than 1954 and no newer than 1968. There were no +P or +P+ loads made back then, so it should be safe to shoot in your revolver, even if not heat treated.

About the only negative is the jacketed bullet, which may cause a little more bore wear than a lead bullet.

If you don't want it, send it to me - I'll pay shipping.

 

[JP@AK]

The "Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation" indicates that is no older than 1954 and no newer than 1968. There were no +P or +P+ loads made back then, so it should be safe to shoot in your revolver, even if not heat treated.

About the only negative is it may have a jacketed bullet, which may cause a little more bore wear than a lead bullet.

If you don't want it, send it to me - I'll pay shipping.

Good catch! I missed that on the cardboard boxes. The headstamp is the standard Western stamp. But the Mathieson notation on the boxes is definitive.
By the time Vietnam rolled around, we were being issued ammo with 130 gr jacketed bullets. That is what I carried during my two tours.
Jack

 

[model 13]

Thanks for all the info guys.I'm going to hang onto the ammo and use it here and there for target practice in this 38 and the 357 model 13 I have.I'm not too worried about bore wear as i'll probably only shoot a box or two through it every year.I was really worried about the pressure of the cartridge as it is a military one.I figured it to be the same as commercial 38 special but I am not an expert.

 

[model 13]

Jack ..it looks to be original nickel and it looks really nice.On the side I pictured someone lightly,crudely and sloppily engraved 2 initials.I'd love to get rid of them but the gun looks all original and who knows the story behind those initials.I bought this gun at a gun shop about 8 years ago for 275.00.It caught my eye ,seemed to be in good mech shape and I had to own it.If I wanted to get rid of the initials while preserving the original nickel how could I do it? Any thoughts?

 

[DWalt]

There was a later military .38 Special cartridge (the M41) used during the Vietnam era and later. It was a little different in that it used a 130 grain FMJ bullet, but it still had essentially standard .38 Special ballistics, i.e., an MV of about 800 ft/sec. During WWII, most .38 Special ball ammo the U. S. military used had a 158 grain FMJ bullet and was packed in normal commercial factory boxes (I think mainly Remington). Your ammo is probably the same.

"On the side I pictured someone lightly,crudely and sloppily engraved 2 initials.I'd love to get rid of them but the gun looks all original and who knows the story behind those initials."

I think I would just leave the initials alone. You can only make the situation worse.

 

[Mike McLellan]

I hate to say it, but I'd be willing to bet that your can of ammo has a greater value to an ammo collector than it might have to a shooter. Even though the boxes aren't too pretty, they are old and intact. Maybe you should park them for a while.

 

[model 13]

boxes

Thanks for the kind reply mike.I'd rather shoot it when needed for target practice or sport shooting.The boxes don't mean a thing to me and I know they have no value.The brass I'll keep.The brass has value to me.Did a sale in july and the guy was a deceased military historian and gun collector.The family attempted to clean the house out before the sale(told them not too). Found 2 colt gun boxes in a garbage bag i dug through.one for a 52 woodsman w/ paperwork the other for a 61 python w/#"d test target and 100th anniversary keychain.Greedy relatives grabbed the guns but threw the boxes away.Guess they didn't like boxes either.They threw all the other ones out the week before.sigh...don't care about boxes but like the $ they bring for the business.

 

[JP@AK]

Jack ..it looks to be original nickel and it looks really nice.

Very cool!

If I wanted to get rid of the initials while preserving the original nickel how could I do it? Any thoughts?

I agree with DWalt on this. Just leave it be. It's too bad but trying to "fix" it will likely just make matters worse.
Jack

 

[JP@AK]

There was a later military .38 Special cartridge (the M41) used during the Vietnam era and later. It was a little different in that it used a 130 grain FMJ bullet, but it still had essentially standard .38 Special ballistics, i.e., an MV of about 800 ft/sec.

Yes. This is what I was referring to in my earlier post:

By the time Vietnam rolled around, we were being issued ammo with 130 gr jacketed bullets. That is what I carried during my two tours.