1949 Heavy Duty .38/44 Letter

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I posted this Heavy Duty to the forum about a month ago when I purchased it. There was some question here as to whether this revolver was old enough to be a long action. The letter resolves that question — the revolver is a short action by about a year.

So one further question: With a ship date of June 1949 and being a short action, is this Heavy Duty considered a postwar transitional? I'm guessing probably not, but would like to know for sure.
 

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To the OP, that hammer looks to me like a LONG action hammer. I could be wrong but I think a gun can ship at a later date and with later serial number but still have parts and the configuration of an earlier series. It would be less common but could still happen.

Do you have any prewar N frames to compare the hammer long vs short action?

If I'm correct, I'd still call it a transitional gun. If I'm wrong… oh well there's other much more knowledgeable folks here who can set me straight ;)
 
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I have two of the transitionals, and both of them have the prewar style hammer and a single line "Made in U.S.A." address on the right side of the frame. I think yours is slightly later than the transitionals.
 
To the OP, that hammer looks to me like a LONG action hammer. I could be wrong but I think a gun can ship at a later date and with later serial number but still have parts and the configuration of an earlier series. It would be less common but could still happen.

Do you have any prewar N frames to compare the hammer long vs short action?

If I'm correct, I'd still call it a transitional gun. If I'm wrong… oh well there's other much more knowledgeable folks here who can set me straight ;)

This is my oldest revolver. I will say this, the action certainly feels longer than both my 28-2 and 27-9. In fact, a few times I short-stroked cocking the hammer when first dry firing it in SA (with snap caps) as it just seemed like it should have been locked by the time I prematurely released it.
 
So one further question: With a ship date of June 1949 and being a short action, is this Heavy Duty considered a postwar transitional? I'm guessing probably not, but would like to know for sure.

Technically, it's a transitional. The new model wasn't introduced until September of 1950 (pre-model 20) . Your HD should also be a long action. The short action started with S75514 Nov 18, 1949. This is all from the Standard catalog, 5th edition page 222.

I have a circular from November of 1950. It shows the HD with a different hammer style (see attached).
 

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Thanks guys, all the input is greatly appreciated and I'm proud to own a revolver that prompts some discussion among the experts here. This example was surely on the cusp of design changes and. whatever it's precise composition, such only adds to its notoriety as far as I'm concerned.

The revolver is with a gunsmith at the moment since I was too chicken to remove the sideplate myself to do a full strip down cleaning. Can't wait to get her back.
 
May I "piggy-back" my HD question here? My HD (#449xx) bbl was VERY professionally cut to 3 3/8" and recrowned, and the front sight remounted. No "bubba" job here. Reportedly, a cop gun. I've read that the factory has been known to do this occasionally. Any ideas?

P.S. It has the 'mushroom-tip' ejector rod. How can I remove the cylinder for cleaning the yoke/crane?

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103
 
This is the first transitional model that I have seen with the hammer pin blended into the frame like the 1950 models. I'm assuming its just due to the "lateness" of it?
 

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