I ran across this 38 DA 4th change some time back. The revolver isn't worth much, but I bought it mostly to get the stocks. I've never seen round to square butt conversion stocks for a top break before. The piece used as a filler looks to be ivory. I'm sure they're not factory but they sure appear to me to be period to the gun. Any of y'all ever run across anything like this?

Paul

That thing is COOL. Looks like it would be fun to shoot.
Is the 4th change rated for smokeless powder?

I love them, and you've given me a head full of ideas. I'm an avid owner/shooter of these little pistols and those grips would vastly improve the shoot-ability for guys with mitts like mine.

And twaits, that gun is probably not specifically rated for smokeless powder, but many of us have been carefully using smokeless in them for years. Supposedly the factory ammo which is still available is loaded to BP pressures. I "roll my own".

Jim

True it may be ok every now and then. But even smokeless ammo loaded down has a much different pressure curve than black powder. From what I have read this is where the problem is in firing any smokeless in a BP era gun. It may not be dangerous, but the different pressure curve is much harder on the older steel of the BP era guns.

Well, I mostly bought it to get those odd stocks, as I said. But the little thing is growing on me, it locks up tighter than a bank vault. I think with a little work I might be able to bring it at least partway back from the abyss. The older lady I bought it from said it belonged to her dead husband and had been hanging in a flap holster, forgotten, in a closet for decades. It was nickel plated at one time, but almost none of the finish has survived. As can be seen in the top picture, someone had, at some time or other, lost the trigger retaining pin and replaced it with a roll pin. Also, the cap screw that retains the sideplate is missing. I looked on Numrich's site but they don't have any. Any ideas where I could get one?

Paul

You used to see roundbutt guns with various types of converted grips to give a square butt configuration, quite a bit before WW2, and farther back to when most of the small frame handguns made by S&W, Colt, Marlin, etc. had round butts. It did give you a better hold on the gun for shooting. Some gunsmiths even specialized in reshaping the grip frame from round to square, especially the Colt Lightnings & Thunderers. The example here, to fit the stags to a .38DA was a common technique using a filler or spacer. It took the gun makers 50 years to catch up and provide factory grips to do the same.

Those stocks are killer..i'd love some like that on my .44 DA.

__________________
Member SWCA, SWHF, CCA, WACA

I have seen stags like that before but they were on a buck that was running away from me....HAA HAA

__________________
M.J.Hanna

My dad has an old Iver Johnson top break wearing round to square wood similar you your grips. I believe they are factory because the have the owl on them. I have never seen a set in stag though.

Nice find.