38/32 Terrier

HeloMt · Dec 13, 2021

I managed to pick this up recently. Roy says ship date of 9/40. The 4th edition talks about Terriers, but says round butt, no mention of the rebated frame like the RP. Obviously, this has the rebated frame that accommodates the longer RP style stocks. The stocks number to the gun, so everything looks right. Kind of a neat little gun, looking forward to a range session with it.
Randy

.38SuperMan · Dec 14, 2021

Beautiful little revolver. I recently picked up a later vintage model 32. It appears to have been shot very little and probably spent much of its life in a nightstand. Looking forward to shooting it. I picked up some 38 S&W brass and correct bullets. It appears the correct reloading dies are 38 super with a 38 special shell holder. I reload 38 super do I should be in business.

mh51 · Dec 14, 2021

Randy......That's a neat little Terrier. Just out of curiosity is the serial number still on the bottom of the butt, or is it on the front grip strap like RP's?

HeloMt · Dec 14, 2021

Mike, the serial number is on the front strap, just like the RP's.

murphydog · Dec 14, 2021

Cool gun, first one I've seen in that barrel length. Does the barrel have a matching SN, and any rework stamps?

Alk8944 · Dec 14, 2021

.38SuperMan said:
Beautiful little revolver. I recently picked up a later vintage model 32. It appears to have been shot very little and probably spent much of its life in a nightstand. Looking forward to shooting it. I picked up some 38 S&W brass and correct bullets. It appears the correct reloading dies are 38 super with a 38 special shell holder. I reload 38 super do I should be in business.

No, the correct dies are .38 S&W, just like marked on the barrel of the gun with the .38 S&W shell-holder.

That said, .38 Super dies may work, although you may have crimping issues since the .38 Super is slightly longer than.38 S&W,. and the case walls are usually thinner The .38 Spl. shell-holder may work, depending on manufacturer.

OP, nice revolver, but there is one problem with it! It is your's, not mine!

.38SuperMan · Dec 14, 2021

Alk8944 said:
No, the correct dies are .38 S&W, just like marked on the barrel of the gun with the .38 S&W shell-holder.

That said, .38 Super dies may work, although you may have crimping issues since the .38 Super is slightly longer than.38 S&W,. and the case walls are usually thinner The .38 Spl. shell-holder may work, depending on manufacturer.

OP, nice revolver, but there is one problem with it! It is your's, not mine!

I’ve looked at several different manufacturers 38 s&w dies and all of the sizing dies say 38 acp.

raljr1 · Dec 14, 2021

That is most likely an RP that was sent back to have a barrel change. Is there a star under the grips? I have one in 32 long the went back to the factory in 52 to have a 2" barrel installed. When I looked at prior to buying it, I initially thought it was a Terrier.

Terriers did not have rebated frames, as far as I know.

HeloMt · Dec 14, 2021

Robert, no rework stamps, stars, diamonds, etc. The barrel is numbered to the frame, cylinder and grips, all match. It gives no indication of any return to the factory. This came out of an extensive collection here in Montana that possessed a lot of very unique S&W's. The reason I posted it was due to the unusual configuration for a Terrier, again the rebated frame was not mentioned in the 3rd or 4th edition. I'm not saying it's a unicorn, but based on what this collection consisted of it would be in keeping the unique offerings this gentleman owned. I'm looking forward to a letter when the moratorium is lifted!

raljr1 · Dec 14, 2021

HeloMt said:
Robert, no rework stamps, stars, diamonds, etc. The barrel is numbered to the frame, cylinder and grips, all match. It gives no indication of any return to the factory. This came out of an extensive collection here in Montana that possessed a lot of very unique S&W's. The reason I posted it was due to the unusual configuration for a Terrier, again the rebated frame was not mentioned in the 3rd or 4th edition. I'm not saying it's a unicorn, but based on what this collection consisted of it would be in keeping the unique offerings this gentleman owned. I'm looking forward to a letter when the moratorium is lifted!

I guess a letter would tell you if it was special ordered as a 2" RP. My barrel in numbered to the frame as well.

Neat gun in any case.

mtgianni · Dec 14, 2021

Great looking gun. Congratulations from the south end of Jefferson County.

RKmesa · Dec 14, 2021

HeloMt said:
I managed to pick this up recently. Kind of a neat little gun, looking forward to a range session with it.

Randy

Great little gun! Thanks for sharing,

HeloMt · Dec 14, 2021

I don't know if it means anything or not but when I requested the ship date Roy stated 38/32 Terrier in his response. Often times he'll drop things in the description if the request doesn't have an accurate description. I might make an inquiry in the "ask Roy Jinks" section to see what he says about Terriers with rebated frames. Maybe they produced some.

raljr1 · Dec 14, 2021

Interesting thing is that your sn is in the RP range. The prewar Terrier serial numbers start with 52241.

HeloMt · Dec 14, 2021

I just heard back from Roy. He said anything is possible with Smith & Wesson in 1940. But he couldn't tell me for certain without checking the invoice, which usually means a letter. The 3rd edition states that for prewar Terriers the serial number range is from 38976 to 54474 in the Regulation Police series. So my revolver falls into that range at 512XX. Without a letter it will be impossible to determine if this was a special order RP due to barrel length or a special order Terrier due to the rebated frame.

Green Frog · Dec 14, 2021

I can’t remember where I read about it, but I seem to recall a special run of I frames in 38 S&W with rebated/square butt and snub length barrel. IIRC, they were designated as the Post Office Model.

How about it, Hondo44, did I stay too long @ Carlos & Charlie’s with the tequila bottle? You guys all know an amphibian’s memory isn’t all it should be.

Green Frog

Frank237 · Dec 14, 2021

You CAN sniff out the rare ones! Congrats.

Hondo44 · Dec 14, 2021

HeloMt said:
I managed to pick this up recently. Roy says ship date of 9/40. The 4th edition talks about Terriers, but says round butt, no mention of the rebated frame like the RP. Obviously, this has the rebated frame that accommodates the longer RP style stocks. The stocks number to the gun, so everything looks right. Kind of a neat little gun, looking forward to a range session with it.
Randy

You have a very late pre war .38/32 Regulation Police made on the I frame. About the time of your revolver production S&W began assembling and shipping "hybrids" mixing Terrier and RP parts including 2", 3" and 4" barrels to get guns out the door for sale. This included .38/32 Terriers with longer than 2" barrels but with RD butt grip frames and grips. After about 1945 they will also have the Post War improved safety with sliding bar hammer block safety; yours will not have that. When the new safety was introduced, they are known as the Post War Transitional Models and stlii have flat mainsprings.

Although not cataloged, the mixing of Terriers and RPs continued into the post war years and beyond. After 1957 these two Models were introduced as Mod 32 and 33. These hybrid guns are known and documented. I have no doubt your gun was made just as it is.
In 1974 the two models were officially discontinued.

Congrats on finding such a nice one!!

Hondo44 · Dec 14, 2021

.38SuperMan said:
Beautiful little revolver. I recently picked up a later vintage model 32. It appears to have been shot very little and probably spent much of its life in a nightstand. Looking forward to shooting it. I picked up some 38 S&W brass and correct bullets. It appears the correct reloading dies are 38 super with a 38 special shell holder. I reload 38 super do I should be in business.

You also have a beauty, The .38/32 Terrier Built on the J frame.

Hondo44 · Dec 14, 2021

.38SuperMan said:
I’ve looked at several different manufacturers 38 s&w dies and all of the sizing dies say 38 acp.

.38 Super, and .38 ACP dies will size 38 S&W about .030" undersize and unduly over work the brass. Even though some brands say the dies will work, they just don't want to make a special die set for an obsolete cartridge. Their shellholder will not work at all, not even close.

You'd be better off using 38 Spl dies and most if not all 38 Spl shellholders will work. Although the correct Lyman shellholder for .38 S&W is Lyman's # X 21 which you can cross reference to other brands of shellholders, if they make or made one.

Old Lyman dies found on Ebay, et.al., for .38 S&W will work the best.

38/32 Terrier

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