.38 Special in an old revolver?

[Dejmo]

Hello everyone!

I recently inherited an old revolver from my gpa and want to ask a question considering ammo on it..

Specs: I'm told its a M&P 6 Revolver. Approx 1940's. Double Action. Side loader. and is .38. That's all i could gather

My question is on the barrel it says ".38 S.&W. CTG" but after checking the gun was in good firing condition i shot several rounds with some ammo that came with it (that my gpa made). Come to find out they were .38 special. they shot just fine but I've heard that since the gun is marked as only ".38 S&W" --no SPL--i should use only that type but they're hard to find and expensive...

If it shot fine with .38 special am i ok to continue using them? or should i only use .38 S&W?

Thanks for reading

 

[hsguy]

Sounds like your gun was a 38 sw that was sent to the Allies for WW2 and converted to 38 spl for sale in the domestic market after the war. This was a very common conversion. The main problem with these guns is that when 38 spl is fired the cases often swell or split causing problems. If you use mild 38 spl ammo the gun should not blow up but you will have issues with the cases. The only exception would be if the cylinder was changed and a 38 spl one installed, then you should have no case issues. To tell if the cylinder is original compare the serial number on the butt to the number on the rear of the cylinder, if they match then the cylinder is original and rebored for 38 spl and may cause case issues. Examine the cases of the rounds you fired carefully for swelling or splitting.

 

[Dejmo]

Oh you know what that makes a LOT of sense because every few rounds (1 or 2 every 10ish) the cases i noticed kind of bulged and were hard to get out but with the .38 s&w it was just fine. I thought that was odd but now i understand. And The #'s are the same.

Thanks for the info that helps a lot!

Is it safe to use with spl and just annoying or is it actually unsafe? ..maybe i should look into reloading the spent s&w cartridges

 

[hsguy]

Dejmo, If you reload I would highly recommend you reload the 38 SW cases. 38 SPL is probably safe in your gun but I wouldn't want to shoot a gun that is swelling or splitting cases. John

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I agree, I would avoid shooting .38 Specials in your .38 S&W. It's just too nice a revolver to take chances with.

 

[Hondo44]

In my opinion, low pressure 38 specials are not as unsafe to the gun as they are for a person standing next to you. If/when a case splits, high pressure gas can go backwards and then sideways when it hits the recoil shield behind the cylinder. So bits of powder or brass fragments go sideways out of the revolver with the gas.

 

[Dejmo]

Thanks guys you're all great help.

And actually Hondo44 i noticed after a dozen rounds or so i'd have bits of powder on my arms and stuff haha so you're totally right there.

It's just tempting because my grandpa made apprx 2,000 .38 special rounds and they're begging to be shot but i think i'll buy .38 s&w and reload those. Maybe i can salvage the tips from the SPL ones he made...

 

[Hondo44]

With that much ammo loaded up in 38 Spl, you might want to think about getting an extra used cylinder fit to your gun in 38 Spl. Keep your original of course. If you have a local gunsmith, he might have one. Your model gun was made in the most prolific numbers of any S&W model and therefore is probably the easiest to find an old cylinder for.

I just did a quick search on Gunbroker.com using "smith wesson parts" and there's 7 pages of parts. I found 3 cylinders for your gun from $20 to $35 in the first 3 pages. Being able to use all that loaded ammo will pay for the cylinder in the 1st 100 rounds you shoot. Look for a Model 10 .38 special cylinder. Measure your cylinder length and ask the seller for the same dimension on the cylinder he's selling.
S&W cylinders are very easy to swap back and forth. Google it for instruction on how to do it if you don't already know. Chances are you might even find one that will work as is.

Just a suggestion, that's what I'd do.

 

[Dejmo]

With that much ammo loaded up in 38 Spl, you might want to think about getting an extra used cylinder fit to your gun in 38 Spl. Keep your original of course. If you have a local gunsmith, he might have one. Your model gun was made in the most prolific numbers of any S&W model and therefore is probably the easiest to find an old cylinder for.

I just did a quick search on Gunbroker.com using "smith wesson parts" and there's 7 pages of parts. I found 3 cylinders for your gun from $20 to $35 in the first 3 pages. Being able to use all that loaded ammo will pay for the cylinder in the 1st 100 rounds you shoot. Look for a Model 10 .38 special cylinder. Measure your cylinder length and ask the seller for the same dimension on the cylinder he's selling.
S&W cylinders are very easy to swap back and forth. Google it for instruction on how to do it if you don't already know. Chances are you might even find one that will work as is.

Just a suggestion, that's what I'd do.

Jim thank you for that information. Changing cylinders is a great idea! I'll definitely look into that asap.

-Derek

 

[Hondo44]

Jim thank you for that information. Changing cylinders is a great idea! I'll definitely look into that asap.

-Derek

Derek,
If you find one that you're interested in, feel free to send me an e-mail message before you bid on it and I'll be happy to check into it for you and give you an opinion on its useability for your gun.
[email protected]