an interesting find

[superchief]

while going through my father in laws stuff after he recently passed, i found a disassembled revolver and a can of parts in a box. I guess he'd started tinkering with it at some point long ago, it was pretty rusted in some places. from the schematics i see on Brownells, it looks like all the innards are still here. I took the frame, cylinder, crane, sideplate, etc and soaked them in some CLP and it did wonders to help the rust wipe off. no finish left in those places, but no real pitting, either.

so, i looked in the usual place under the frame and there was a 5 digit number which I learned from the sticky is just a manufacturing aid. it matched the numbers on the crane.

so, help me figure it out. it is a blued, j-frame looking snubby, with a hammer, 3 screw, pinned barrel, 5 shot. the serial number is 109xxx,

i'm not really worried about the value since the rust probably ate any of that, but if I could get it running, it would be a hell of a keepsake of a hell of a guy. the one piece i think i'm missing is a bushing that goes around the ejector rod, but this model may not have that part.

i think i read the "help me identify" thread thoroughly, but i could have missed something. if there's other marks on the gun i need to mention, please let me know.

 

[JP@AK]

What does it say on the side of the barrel? It could be .38 S&W CTG or .38 S&W Special CTG.
That would help in identifying it.

 

[superchief]

sorry for that omission. it says .38 S & W SPL

 

[DWalt]

As you describe, and from the SN, it is from maybe 1956, and would probably be a Chief's Special, pre-Model 36. I don't see the bushing on the Model 36 parts diagram. Clean it up, polish it, apply some cold blue, and shoot it.