38 Identity help

[thomasmhemenway]

I have an old 38 that my father gave me. I am looking for any assistance to identify it. I have been told in the past that it was a Police Chief's Special AND that some of the parts don't match with the model and there was a switch of models when this one came out. Not sure what it true and can't request a letter from S&W until the first of the year. FYI, this only fires the 38 shorts.
Hand Ejector
SN: 71xxx
38 S.&W.
2" Barrel
Sights: Hand Ejector Fixed
No Stram Screw
It is a 5 Screw

 

[cgt4570]

It's a "Terrier" also referred to as a .38-32 Hand ejector (a .38 cal built on the .32 frame). Once model numbers were introduced in 1958, it became the Model 32. Without looking it up, it was made in the early 1950s since it appears to be the 'improved I frame'. This was the frame size just before the J frame. The trigger guard and cylinder window are a bit shorter than the J frame. The 'improvement' to the I frame was the change from flat to coil mainspring (lack of strain screw).

 

[jrd1976]

Welcome to the forum.
This gun is chambered for the 38 S&W cartridge and is called the Terrier.
These cartridges are usually found in gun stores and online, but not in the big box retail stores.

The Chief's Special later became the Model 36.
It is chambered for the much more popular 38 S&W Special cartridge,
They are not interchangeable.
Congratulations of a very nice looking revolver.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass!

 

[gordonrick]

Whatever you do DO NOT take it to the range and fire it. That will only lead down a dark path of addiction to these little guys. Pretty soon you'll be lurking on auction sites and pawn shops looking for more Terrier variants and spending hours drooling over the numerous Terrier porn threads on this forum. You are doomed my friend.

Incidentally the .38 S&W cartridge is still loaded by a few companies like Remington and others. Just a little hard to find nowadays. It is actually NOT a .38 "short" since the cartridge is a few thousandths larger than the .38 special cartridge and not interchangeable. The Colt "New Police" round is the same thing for all practical purposes but I've never seen any of those.

 

[Peak53]

Your Terrier looks like it has all the original parts and is coveted by many.

 

[thomasmhemenway]

Thanks guys. Does anyone have a rough ballpark of what it might be worth?
I know for a fact that it hasn't been fired in probably 30 years. I was a teenager the last time I shot it with my Dad at a range. Prior to that, it was my grandmother's and she wasn't the range type, LOL. Grandpa was dead before I was born and I am 45 now.

 

[DWalt]

You can shoot .38 Short Colt in it with no problems, even though it is slightly undersize. But .38 SC ammunition is more difficult to find than .38 S&W. Best to use .38 S&W.

 

[lamarw]

BassPro used to carry Remington .38 S&W ammunition. If you have one near you, you can check with them. If your particular store does not have it in stock, then order it from BassPro and have them ship it free to your nearby BassPro. Otherwise, you can order it from BassPro and pay shipping to your residence.

I now reload my on and it is an easy enough round to reload.

 

[gordonrick]

I did come across some "38 SPL C" cases with CBC (Magtech) head stamps in some purchased range brass which appears to be true .38 Special diameter but the same length as .38 S&W. They chamber easily in a .38 special chamber so I'm guessing 38 SPL C for "Corto" or short?

 

[thomasmhemenway]

OK guys, I received a reply from an email that I sent to S&W making the same inquiry. This person wrote back that,
"This appears to be a Model 36 .38 S&W manufactured between 1962-1969, closer to the end of that range."
Are we all talking about the same gun?
I apologize, but I am confused.
Should I add some more pictures on here??

 

[k22fan]

Welcome to the forum.

You got good information in this thread. Lack of familiarity with older revolvers is not surprising in youngsters. Reacting to the political climate customers are panic buying so everyone in the gun business is very busy currently. The S&W employee did not take the time to carefully look at or research your Terrier.

Our expert on these little revolvers is Hondo44. He'll probably comment after he notices your thread.

 

[thomasmhemenway]

Thank you sir. I appreciate your time. I appreciate everyone's feedback and responses. Thank you all very much.
I feel very welcome here, although I also still feel as green as I look LOL.

 

[Muley Gil]

Thank you sir. I appreciate your time. I appreciate everyone's feedback and responses. Thank you all very much.
I feel very welcome here, although I also still feel as green as I look LOL.

That's OK. We were all green at one point and had to learn about S&Ws. I've been on this Forum for about 12 years and have learned much more than I thought I cvould.

Nowadays, I'm afraid my "green" is mostly mold!

 

[Hondo44]

That's a very nice .38/32 Terrier 5 screw "Improved I frame" of the 2nd (last) version which has the barrel rib and ramp front sight, before the Model of 1953 New I frame. These were assigned Model 32, as Chris posted above, in June 1957.

#74497 is the highest Terrier Improved I, 2nd version in my database. The earliest is # 70131. Yours shipped between June 1953 and Jan 1954.

 

[DWalt]

My best guess would be that your Terrier dates from 1954, maybe 1955. However, I don't have very much on Terrier SNs in my data base from that period, so that could be a little off. Anyway, a really neat gun.

 

[cgt4570]

That's a very nice .38/32 Terrier 5 screw "Improved I frame of the 2nd (last) version, before the Model of 1953 New I frame. These were assigned Model 30 in June 1957.

Jim meant to say it became the Model 32 in 1957. The Model 30 (and Model 31) were .32 S&W Long caliber.

 

[Hondo44]

Chris,

Yes I did, thank you! Gotta' stop staying up posting so late. Also forgot to add the ~ shipping date.