Didn't get any guns in all of 2023, which was sad. But boy did I break that dry streak in a big way.

I don't have a lot of time to go into details. Have to drive a kid to swimming lessons, but I snapped a couple pictures. I'll have more details later. But I'm sure such a famous gun is already well known by anyone who has perused old photos of Hemmingway shooting the gun, I'll find them later as I can.

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Beautiful, can't wait to hear more about it!

What do you have to prove the provenance of that revolver? It would be interesting if you would tell us. I wonder what the barrel length was before it was cut! I will bet it was a 6 1/2" Do you intend to letter it? That is one I think I would.

It must be an early OD with the single line address!

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Looking forward to the story on this one!!

Great find Caleb, can't wait to hear the story!!!

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Great find! We need more information and more pictures!

THAT is very cool!!

I can't wait to see more pics, especially of the work done to it!

But weren't you worried that the shortened barrel would detract from the collector's value?? .....

You have my attention. More details at your convience please.

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John 3:16 .

Curious as if it came through Jack or otherwise has a Montana connection.

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Front sight and squeeze

Almost certainly. It is a Pre-War gun.
Ernie an some buddies were probably drinkin one night and shootin cigarettes out of each other's mouths when one of em said "This long barrel wobbles too much!".
Out came Ernie's hack saw an the rest is history.....

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

You’ve read the correspondence about the gun that Hemingway wrote on April first too I see! I knew others knew about this gun!

I’ll try to get detailed pictures and explain a bit more as soon as I have a bit of time.

Nope. I jus know what a drunk an an idiot he could be.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Hemingway's Guns, The Sporting Arms of Ernest Hemingway, by Calabi, Helsley and Sanger, 2nd Edition does not have any specifics about this gun. However, they say, "...there are enough mentions of a .38 in the Hemingway literature to credit him with owning one." It is a good book about most of the guns Hemingway owned and used.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

I checked a couple of other sources with no luck:

"Hemingway's Guns," by Frank Miniter, American Rifleman, March 2017.

"On the Trail of Papa's Colt," by Horace Greeley, IV, Guns, May 1981.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Hemingway and a Tasmanian rancher in the same thread. Ain't this forum wonderful?

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Randy
Provenance nerd

Ok, since it is April *Second* now, I'll fess up; It's not Ernie's gun (that I know of).

It's just a glorious Outdoorsman that a good friend kept the stags from (I wanted the pre-war magnas I had lurking in my drawer on it), and passed along a fabulous deal to me.

The story he got was that the owner wanted a .357 Magnum but couldn't get one, so had this cut to produce effectively the same thing. I don't think it's reamed for .357 though, I need to dig out some bullets and verify.

It has a rather fun Serial # 44446:



A not hacksaw crown:



And miracle of miracles, the front sight was put on straight!



And I think? Although I don't recall looking at rear sight blades on these close enough, that the rear sight blade may have been rounded? Or were they just like that? I could use an answer on that;





And of course, peak boomer engraving:



Which is in a place that doesn't bug me, particularly because the gun was a mere five bills to me. Plus, with the social on there we know that R.G. Quayle was from Maine. I don't have time (or access) to the proper records to sort out who this guy was, but when I have more time I'll dig.

Maybe if Mike Helms sees this he will do a little diggin'

My apologies for the April Fool's joke. I figured with my limited time, and the fact that I actually *got* the gun on April Fools Day...I had to do something.

Well played! It dawned on me after I went digging and posted. I was flying my drone around snooping on neighbors and it hit me.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Could be R. G. “Dan” Quayle.😄

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Terry Lester

Looks like Papa had a hacksaw and a few beers.

Still a cool piece!

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213th FBINA

I was busy updating the rangefinders on my rooftop AAA, and got here too late to be fooled......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

You know I had a thought on April first,then I figured naw Caleb would not kid on a modified gun

About the rear leaf it has been filed down I believe.
Likely to help prevent snagging holstering?
My King converted MP has the same mod and it was holstered alot I believe

The rear sight blade does not appear to be original. Or it’s been modified with the rounding and the notch has been widened. I would say an improvement over the original. Cool gun!

This thread prompted me to think about the 4" 38/44 Outdoorsman that I have. It's a post-WW2 gun that was shipped as a 6 1/2" revolver, and went back to the factory to have the barrel changed to 4". The letter tells an interesting story about the new front sight blade.

The first two pictures are the left and right sides of the gun.





The next two pictures are close-ups of the sides of the 4" barrel, showing how the roll-markings are placed. Please excuse the incorrect rotation of these images.





The next two pictures are the factory letter. It has a lot of history about these 38/44's. The extractor shroud does have a <S> stamped in it, denoting the barrel replacement.





Regards, Mike Priwer

Well that's an incredibly neat letter.

With the SWHF existing now, have you been able to get additional documents on it?

I found a Capt. Robert Glen Quayle (1937-2003) born and buried in IL. He was a Marine aviator then went to work for Eastern airlines.

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Where we go one, we go all

Caleb

No - I hadn't thought about that. I'll see what information they have.

Regards, Mike

Wonderful guns... It is too bad that S&W didn't make the Outdoorsman in 4-5-6.5" barrels just like the Heavy Duty...

I have a 1952 vintage Heavy Duty 4" and a 6" Pre-27...both birth year guns...

Holster is a Lawrence 120 Keith that was brand new never used for a 6" 27....

Bob

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Caleb:

That is a fun one!!! And Mike - I'm really liking that 4" post-war OD. They remind me of my 4" pre-war O/D (SN 43449). It has a slightly different approach to the front sight on a shortened barrel...













Caleb:

The barrel shortening on your gun and replacement of the front sight is really consistent with the "gunsmith's" solution on this 4" pre-war Target M&P:







... can't be described as "elegant" but it gets the job done.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

A 4” factory post war
A 5” McGivern
A modified 4.5

Okay, April 1st is gone, two serious questions:

On a prewar .38/44 HD (1931) what were the original stocks?

Someone, please remind me how to get a S&W letter for this gun.

Thanks.

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Come and take it!!

Here you go......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Mike H:

Those are some beautiful guns. I would love to learn more about that 4" post war (along with a lot more photos) and that McGivern pre-war OD (hopefully with a few more photos).

All the best,

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

ISCS Yoda, should be service stocks with silver medallions. Will look very similar to the stocks on my K-22 Outdoorsman from 1937.

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David Reynolds

OP Modified has gotten us focused on all things 38/44…
Hopefully these pics show a little more and letters readable

The post war OD was a special request and likely a 6.5 “ barrel was cut. As markings are off center

The McGivern has what seems to be a piece of tape? Evidently placed on frame where web of hand contacts revolver. It looks to have been there for many years so I just leave it as is.

Please excuse my pics. My lighting needs to be a bit better.

Dan Quayle? He came from one of Indiana’s Wealthiest Families.
They most likely had a bunch of Alonzo’s.
Those are Customized Revolvers made by Alonzo Crull out of Wabash, IN.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER