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03-31-2012, 10:02 PM
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All of my 38/44 turned out to be defective.
I commented a few threads back that I did not think any of my 38/44's were converted to 357 magnum but I was not sure.
Today I am now sure.
Having tested, relubed and wiped down my full collection of 38/44's I can tell you that not one of them will chamber a 357 piece of brass. It took a while to do also!
Mine are all defective that way.
Weird how I could end up with some of the few 38/44's that were not "upgraded" to 357 magnum. Maybe it is because I am trying to save them all from conversion to other calibers and nice 38/44's seek me out?
In the other thread it was commented that as much as a third are presumed converted. Odd because of the roughly 70 or so that I have handled, I have only seen 1 that was "upgraded" so would have put the odds much lower.
I will comment that as I handled each one, it was surprised how easy it was to think about where and when I bought them and why I picked that one over others. I admit that I have passed a few 38/44's by in my day. Usually they just looked odd, did not feel right, serial numbers did not match, bulged barrels, odd looking chambers etc. But not many.
I was pleasantly surprised that even my "ugly" ones looked pretty nice when I was handling them today. I have some shooters but none are really trashed out. Today I realized that I will shoot other calibers, play with other guns, but I will probably collect 38/44's the rest of my life. Just one of those epiphanies I guess.
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03-31-2012, 10:20 PM
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Peter:
I still just cannot understand why you are so attracted to such heavy big N-frame revolvers just to shoot .38 Specials ! !
Hope you can break away for Boise this Summer!
Jerry
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03-31-2012, 10:21 PM
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What, no pics ?
BTW, you made me nervous about my recently acquired Arkansas State Police marked 38/44 HD being altered so I checked, and she's all 38!!
Last edited by LOBO; 03-31-2012 at 10:37 PM.
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03-31-2012, 10:28 PM
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I need to reshoot the pictures. I have my eye on 2 more 38/44's before I reshoot and I even picked up one from Bill just this week. Thanks Bill again!
I am not sure why I like the 38/44's really. I had no exposure to them growing up and never handled one that I can think of prior to about 2002.
I can say that I like the history, the styling, the heft, the quality, the affordability, the unique history, the variability and the looks of them. That is why I really love them I think. Just the unique collection of things.
I will give you credit Jerry, you focused better than I did. I retrospect I should have just stayed with OD's and not branched to HD's. I actually enjoy shooting the OD's better. Particularly the pre-war skinny barrel ones. But the HD's are the bulk of my collection now. It is running almost 4 to 1 HD's to OD's.
I remember my S&W sponsor Ben commenting to me. Focus. S&W is so broad that you cannot collect them all. Focus and do it right. I focused on 38/44's. I should have picked HD or OD and sticked with it like you Jerry.
Take care and I hope you guys don't have defective 38/44's also!
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03-31-2012, 11:52 PM
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Neither of the two that I have owned were reamed. I know some were but I don't think the practice was all that widespread. I can't imagine ANY smith doing such a job for liability reasons.
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04-01-2012, 12:14 AM
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Pete,
Do you want an HD that is 357?
Bill
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04-01-2012, 12:21 AM
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I have a transition Outdoorsman with a Registered Magnum ribbed barrel (Thanks for the info on that, Jerry ) and a Heavy Duty 5" from 1952. I carry the HD occasionally, just because I can. Even used it to re-qualify for my carry permit.
The only people who don't understand how special they are are the people who don't have one. (Yet).
Jim
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04-01-2012, 07:02 AM
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When you can post some pics!
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04-01-2012, 07:29 AM
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Funny you should mention this thread.
I just took a half dozen of my Pre War Outdoorsman's and a couple Heavy Dutys to my gunsmith to get them reamed out so I can shoot 357 in them.
I was lucky enough to run across a case of the old Super Vel 357 Mag loading a couple of months ago.
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04-01-2012, 08:34 AM
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Ok, pictures. This is at least a third out of date so take this as where I was early last year.
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04-01-2012, 08:48 AM
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WOW.. what a collection!
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04-01-2012, 11:05 AM
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I have 6 or 7 HD's and 1 OD, this one is reamed out.
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Sure you did
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04-01-2012, 11:13 AM
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Peter:
GREAT photo !
I wish every member here could just hold and shoot a Pre-War Outdoorsman or Heavy Duty !
Jerry
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04-01-2012, 11:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GLL
Peter:
GREAT photo !
I wish every member here could just hold and shoot a Pre-War Outdoorsman or Heavy Duty !
Jerry
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Noooooooooooooooooo!
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04-01-2012, 11:36 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter M. Eick
I can say that I like the history, the styling, the heft, the quality, the affordability, the unique history, the variability and the looks of them. That is why I really love them I think. Just the unique collection of things.
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I agree with you completely and your mention of affordability is a good point. Just a few years ago you could find very nice pre-war ODs in the $600-900. When Roy first sponsored me into the SWCA I indicated I was interested in 3rd Model (1926) .44HEs. I quickly realized I would be bankrupt almost immediately when I saw my first 6.5" 3rd Model .44 Target ! . He commented that the more reasonably priced old Outdoorsman were the same frame in .38 Special so my emphasis changed right away. I now own a few more! Some are cosmetically challenged but they are great shooters !
These Pre-War ODs are still priced such that you can buy a nice one and still not be afraid to take it to the range on weekends !
Pleased keep me(us) updated when you acquire any new Outdoorsman!
Jerry
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04-01-2012, 01:51 PM
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QUOTE=ladder13;136438473]Noooooooooooooooooo! [/QUOTE]
Mike:
As you know S&W made several thousands of the Pre-War HDs and ODs. Unfortunately we only know the location of a few hundred ! I wish more members owned a few more so we had the historical information ! I think Bill would agree ! In the mean time I could provide one of my old "shooters" and some 1050ft/sec .38Special ammo so members had a chance to shoot one !
People who have never held these guns need to know just how beautiful they really are. The Pre-War HDs & ODs along with the 3rd Model .44HEs are some of best S&W ever made. I have never held an RM but these have to be up there close !
Jerry
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04-01-2012, 03:22 PM
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I hope everyone who owns an HD or OD shoots a few real 38/44s out of them to know what these working revolvers were really all about. 38 Specials and even today's puny +P loads are not the real deal. You need to load about 12g of 2400 behind a 158g bullet, or alternately buy a box of Buffalo Bore's Heavy 38 Special +P 158g SWCHP-GCs. The hand load and the BBs will give you about 1150 fps from a 4" to 5" barrel. That's the ticket!
Dave
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04-01-2012, 04:16 PM
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Just so you guys know, it's my April Folls joke that i'm getting my HDs and Outdoorsmans reamed out.
I'll bet a few of you were thinking something bad about me.
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04-01-2012, 05:13 PM
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moosedog:
Damn ! NOW what are we all going to do with all of this tar and the big bag of feathers?
Jerry
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04-01-2012, 06:26 PM
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So far I haven't had a pistol I like to shoot as much as this '55 model Outdoorsman. I hope mine will not chamber a .357 round, I like the uniqueness off it being only able to fire .38 special. In the same manner as the old Triple-Locks and .44 special. .44 special used to be my favorite cartridge, ever since owning my first 38/44 is .38 special all over again, back to the beginning for me. I like my little K-22's as much as the next guy but I just love that big ole N-framed .38 special. I'm on the hunt for another or maybe a HD, I first have to get my 32-20 HE model of 1905 re-plated.
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04-01-2012, 08:10 PM
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I have to agree. The Outdoorsman's are sure fun to shoot and sure fun to own. They used to be a lot cheaper but now all of us 38/44 collectors are talking them up so they are getting harder to come buy (bad pun, but true).
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04-02-2012, 12:15 PM
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Last edited by LOBO; 04-02-2012 at 12:26 PM.
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Tags
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357 magnum, cartridge, gunsmith, k-22, n-frame, outdoorsman, registered magnum, ribbed, smith & wesson, smith and wesson, swca, transition |
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