38 special police issue (i think) looking for more info.

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grouchodad

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Over 30 years ago my mother in law gave me this gun and I'd like to know more about it. She's not with us anymore so I can't ask her. I'm trying to get a leather holster and it would help to know what specific model I'm ordering for. Also it would be good to know when it was made and any other info out there. Thanks

C 4484 on the butt of grip
Patented feb 6, 06, Sept, 14, 08, Dec 29, 14

I've included pictures
 

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The "C" prefix continued until 1967. No way to know when yours shipped without a factory letter. This is the revolver that S&W sold the most of. It's the revolver that the company was founded on.
 
True on the C prefix, but model numbers started in 58, his only has a 4 digit number and a cockeyed hammer. I have 1 from 1951 with a C2232xx number. I dug out my copy of the Standard Catalog of S&W. C 1 was in 1948, C 223998 was at the end of 51. So his is LIKELY made in 1948. It may have been lost in the back of the vault for a while before being shipped.
 
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Thanks for the knowledge and wisdom

I appreciate all the quick and great information!!

This is exactly what I needed. Now I know what holster to look for online so I can have my 38 on my hip instead of in a saddle bag when riding. (Horse not bike)

Thanks again.

One grateful cowboy

Dave
 
minconrevo said:
If you are planning to shoot it, stay with regular .38 Special, not +P as it is not rated for that.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and God forbid you should use any current ammunition for which your gun is not rated!!

Ammunition statistics are interesting if/when you know where to find them. Back toward the beginning, 1925 in this case, .38 Special ammo exited the muzzle at 858 feet per second---this for the plain old everyday 158 grain LRN bullet load.

Nowadays that load makes for 755 fps muzzle velocity---I don't know for sure why they slowed it down some---you think maybe it was because they could bump 'em back up someday---and charge more for 'em(??).

Anyhow, when the ammo companies took note of the rapidly increasing number of concealed carry permits being issued here, there, and yonder, it occurred to them maybe they could come up with a hot load to sell to those folks so as to boost their confidence in their ability to kill bad guys. They figured such loads might sell even better if they gave them a catchy name-----and behold, "+P"----certainly worth the extra cost!

Anyhow (again), they did just that, and the super-duper +P load with the same 158 grain bullet comes out of the muzzle at a scalding 890 fps--so you can see why you shouldn't be using them in any guns "not rated" for them.

Well, the gun maker's Momma's didn't raise no dumb kids, so they weren't far behind in bringing out guns "Rated for +P"-----likely also at a slight increase in price---but who can put a price on your safety?

If all this is starting to look sort'a like some sort of scam, maybe that's what it is!!

Shoot safely, but should any misfortune befall you or your gun from using these hot loads, know the Plaintiff's Bar will be knocking on your door offering to sue the pants off of the bad old ammo companies---and will win hands down without ever raising a sweat. Of course the bad old ammo companies know this too, so all the talk about their rootin' tootin' hot +P loads is just THAT---and you can shoot them in any gun ever made---if you don't mind paying extra for the privilege.

LORD---have MERCY!!!!

Ralph Tremaine
 
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Ebay have several used leather K Frame holsters commonly used by uniform Police officers. More than likely the early K frame 38 Special as pictured above would’ve been retired by the late 70’s.

Common holster manufacturers from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s were.

Jay Pee
Tex Shoemaker
Don Hume
Safariland
Bianchi


Several California Agencies used holsters sold by manufacturers in California, several of which had been Police Officers. I used a Don Hume Border Patrol holster with River belt which was issued by my small PD in the mid 70’s. Most City Police tended to carry black leather and some used brown leather gear like many local Sheriff’s in the mid west. Many holsters had a safety strap and cross draw holsters were fairly common in the 40’s to 60’s. Many officers carried spare ammo in dump pouches or cartridge loops, generally six or twelve rounds. Security holsters with positive retention came on the market in the late 70’s as was the typical thumb snap safety strap of that era. You can get an idea of police equipment of the era by watching old black white movies or TV shows produced in the era like (car 54 where are you?) from the 60’s.
 
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I agree with this! I carry a Model 10 I bought that was a Victoria Australia police gun in a Don Hume service holster I bought on eBay for next to nothing. It is built like a brick s###house and will outlive me and my kids.
 
Welcome to the S&W Forum, grouchodad.

Your .38 Military & Police revolver very likely shipped from the factory in the spring of 1948. Serial numbers very close to yours were shipping in May of that year.

The first C prefix M&P was assembled on March 22, 1948. What is interesting about yours and reflects its early origin is the fact that it has the one line address (Made in U.S.A.) and patent dates on the top of the barrel. Both of those features disappeared very soon after the advent of the C serial prefix.

A nice piece.
 
Is there a reason you mention this revolver might have been police issue? Do you have a relative who was in law enforcement?

It may very well have belonged to a Police Dept. as the Military and Police Model was pretty much the ubiquitous police issue revolver from its introduction in 1899 until the 1970s. Without specific information such as department markings or a relative in LE at the time the gun was made it probably was not.

For a holster look for ones for a 4" M&P or 4" Model 10, they are the same thing.
 
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At that time, there was intense competition between S&W and Colt for the law enforcement market. The corresponding Colt revolver was called the Official Police (OP) Model, also chambered in .38 Special. The OP's appearance was similar to the M&P, but there were significant mechanical differences. And the Colt OP was built on a slightly heavier frame. Both were also sold in large numbers on the ordinary civilian market, so there is no assurance that yours ever saw any police service. A S&W historical letter may or may not indicate whether the initial sale was to a LE agency, as many smaller agencies bought them through local distributors or dealers, not directly from manufacturers. You probably already know most of what you would find from a letter, namely that you have a very common S&W revolver from the late 1940s.
 
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My suggestion for holsters, is to visit some older established gun shops that usually have a big “ used holster box” around somewhere. While not as common as say 20 years ago, it is rare not to find a few K frame holsters in such boxes, often very cheap. I have several holsters currently that came out of such boxes for $5-$20.. in most cases they are holsters that brand new ran as much as $100.
Holster both gun fit and comfort and efficiency of draw/ secure carry is a very individual thing, and getting to try before you buy is very helpful
 
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