Looking for info on 38 Special

[AlanKaf]

I'm looking for info on a 38 Special my dad used while serving on a small-town police force from 1950-1978.

He gave me his revolver after he retired, & the only other information I remember him telling me is that he purchased it used, not new.

It has a 4" barrel & fixed sight. The serial number is 242908, & there is NO letter. The latest patent date is 1909. Attached are photos...

Thanks so much!

--Alan

 

[Xfuzz]

.38 Military & Police 1905 4th change.
Around 1916 or so.

 

[shovelhead]

Looks to be a Military & Police Model of 1905, 4th Change in .38 S&W Special, not to be confused with .38 S&W,a completely different cartridge.

I’m going to guess it’s from the 1915-1916 time frame but that is only an educated guess on my part.

 

[AlanKaf]

Xfuzz, thanks so much for the super-fast reply!! It's amazing to know it's over 100 years old & works just great!

Attached is a photo of the holster my dad used. It's a push-button pop-open holster...hardly something I'd consider very secure!!

 

[VASCAR2]

The pictured holster was used by LAPD and other municipal police departments in the late 60’s to 70’s. I think they were called clam shell holsters. I observed similar holster used on the TV series ADAM 12.


Thanks for posting pictures of your S&W revolver and holster.

 

[shovelhead]

Can’t recall ever seeing that holster used in Michigan back then.

 

[KAC]

My 1st former Father-in-Law carried a S&W 38 Masterpiece in a clamshell holster during his 30 year career with the California Highway Patrol. It was a popular holster with many LE agencies. Security was ok as long as the button was a secret from the bad guys.

 

[Alk8944]

There was one Adam-12 episode where a rookie was carrying a clam shell holster. It popped open as he exited the car, dumping his revolver on the ground! He continued to chase the perp. not knowing he no longer had his gun! Secure?? Not so much. I trust clam shell holsters less than any other design!

This is excerpted from the Revolver Guy article NY1 cited, under "weaknesses of the design." QUOTE "Yet, the most damning problem with the clamshell holster is that it had a disturbing tendency to open up on its own, dumping the gun onto the ground. This was most likely to occur during a foot chase, when the holster bumped against the leg and the jarring motion tripped the latch at the front of the holster. This could happen when the holster’s release mechanism was worn from use, or out of spec because the holster body’s alignment had shifted over time. Some agencies, like the LAPD, had armorers who could inspect and adjust clamshell holsters to ensure more reliable operation, but the design weakness was never perfectly addressed, and it was one of the key reasons that clamshells were eventually prohibited for duty use (as LAPD finally did, in the mid-1980s".QUOTE

My initial point emphasized!

 

[NY-1]

Xfuzz, thanks so much for the super-fast reply!! It's amazing to know it's over 100 years old & works just great!

Attached is a photo of the holster my dad used. It's a push-button pop-open holster...hardly something I'd consider very secure!!

Here's a good article on clamshell-style holsters.

Fighting Leather: The Clamshell Holster – RevolverGuy.Com

 

[Muley Gil]

There was one Adam-12 episode where a rookie was carrying a clam shell holster. It popped open as he exited the car, dumping his revolver on the ground! He continued to chase the perp. not knowing he no longer had his gun! Secure?? Not so much. I trust clam shell holsters less than any other design!

And I've seen the swivel fail as well. That holster is double-trouble!

 

[Iggy]

The Sgt on a small PD carried a six inch Python in one of those until he tried to run down a perp.
It flopped around and about beat him to death.
Next day he had a different holster.

 

[Old cop]

The Sgt on a small PD carried a six inch Python in one of those until he tried to run down a perp.
It flopped around and about beat him to death.
Next day he had a different holster.

We had swivel holsters for our issued 4” Model 15s and you’re right about the thing beating your leg black & blue when we had to run full tilt after bad guys.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass, Alan! I'm surprised no one has noticed your M&P has pre-WWII magnas. These are much newer than your gun, having been made from 1935 to 1941, and are also quite valuable in their own right. They are likely close to the same value as the gun itself except it is an heirloom and, thus, priceless.

 

[AlanKaf]

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass, Alan! I'm surprised no one has noticed your M&P has pre-WWII magnas. These are much newer than your gun, having been made from 1935 to 1941, and are also quite valuable in their own right. They are likely close to the same value as the gun itself except it is an heirloom and, thus, priceless.

Thanks Wiregrassguy. Are the magnas the wooden stock? If so, & my copy has been "converted", does that mean there is an additional screw under the wood?

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Xfuzz, thanks so much for the super-fast reply!! It's amazing to know it's over 100 years old & works just great!

Attached is a photo of the holster my dad used. It's a push-button pop-open holster...hardly something I'd consider very secure!!

Back in those days a great variety of leather holsters were available.

Besides the clamshell and the swivel my favorite the cross-draw holster. It was perfect for a four inch K frame. When I carried a six inch I had a swivel.

Great memories.

 

[Muley Gil]

Back in those days a great variety of leather holsters were available.

Besides the clamshell and the swivel my favorite the cross-draw holster. It was perfect for a four inch K frame. When I carried a six inch I had a swivel.

Great memories.

I carried a 6 1/2" .44 Special (M27 conversion) in a Safariland Model 29, a high ride, butt forward thumb break.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Welcome to the Forum, Alan. You inherited a nice .38 M&P that's still in pretty nice condition. Since S&W made millions of M&Ps, yours is not rare or particularly valuable, except that it's a family heirloom. Yes, there is a 5th screw under the right side diamond checkered magna stock (grip). The original stocks would have had a round top, and may or may not have had gold S&W medallions. They would have been similar to my .32-20 M&P from 1923 (also a Model of 1905 4th Change). The clamshell holster was popular with LEOs, although I don't know why? I have been watching the old "Highway Patrol" TV series, and the Calif. HP use those clamshells on the show. That should be a fun revolver to shoot, so I hope you take it to the range and try it out. Enjoy!

 

[Green Frog]

Let me add my welcome, AlanKaf, and make the suggestion I always make in these situations. Gather and record as much information about your dad’s service with the gun as possible... approx when purchased, years of service, any interesting experiences he had, etc, etc. be sure to write it all down so that future generations can know and appreciate its history in the family. IMHO, it’s a very valuable family heirloom.
Froggie

 

[five 0]

The swivel holster had a strap that was loose enough to push it over the hammer instead of unsnapping it. Every once in a while in roll call someone would swivel the holster up after sitting in their seat and you would hear a clank after their gun hit the floor.

 

[AlanKaf]

The swivel holster had a strap that was loose enough to push it over the hammer instead of unsnapping it. Every once in a while in roll call someone would swivel the holster up after sitting in their seat and you would hear a clank after their gun hit the floor.

How embarrassing!!!