Cute little 'baby chief' in .38s&w

[Donald Paul]

Smith & Wesson round butt, blue, five shot, five screw, two inch {true measurment}, .38s&w revolver.
No model number.
Coil main spring.
SERNO:663XX, {five digit}.
Matching serial numbers on: frame, berrel, diamond grips, yoke, cylinder, and star.
Small logo on left side of frame.
Four line address with pregnant ampersand.
Half penny front sight.
Small trigger guard.
{Looks like my .38spl Baby Chief but with shorter cylinder and window}.
Beautiful condition except small blemish in the blueing of the side cover plate.
...If I may, I would like to learn the following from ya-all:
1}- Does it have an official name?
2}- Appeoximate date of manufacture.
3}- Rough estimation of value.
Regards - Donald

 

[nicky4968]

Terrier.
Need more words.

 

[noshow]

I love it!

It is beautiful, I want one

 

[gmborkovic]

Hello Donald in FL, I believe its a Terrier. As shown, about $700-775. retail.
Best from Mike in Boca.

 

[kscharlie]

It was officially known as ".38/32 Terrier", meaning it was made in .38 S&W caliber on a 32 I-frame revolver. Yours likely came from ca. 1950, and in 1957 it became the Model 32.

Nice gun you have there.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Congrats on that cutie.

Your Terrier is built on the I-frame, and your Baby Chiefs is built on the new-at-the-time J-frame (with the longer frame and cylinder) to accommodate the .38 Special cartridge.

Enjoy.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Neat gun. Nearly useless round.

 

[mbliss57]

Its called a Terrier....38/32 not a Baby Chief. 38 S&W vs 38 S&W Special. I frame vs modified I frame. I can see how they could be confused pretty easily.

 

[hardknocks]

Terrier

Hello
Nice gun.
Around 1952.
To me its worth 600 to 700 they bring good money .
Improved i frame i believe. Buffalo bore makes some beefed up ammo in 38 S&W.
Regards
Mike

 

[CptCurl]

That's a nice Terrier. A lot of people would like to have one just like it.

As for the .38 S&W round, I think it packs plenty of whallop. If anybody cares to stand in front of one at the distance this weapon was designed for, my heart goes out to you. Call an ambulance.

Curl

 

[Inusuit]

Neat gun. Nearly useless round.

Hundreds of thousands of British soldiers who were issued Smith and Wesson, Enfield, and Webley revolvers in that caliber might disagree. Or maybe they would agree, as there are and were at the time much better choices in calibers.

 

[gmborkovic]

Hello Don, it is a cute Terrier in 38S&W worth $700 as is. Red box would have made it! Mike

 

[mike campbell]

Help me out. Several have mentioned $700-ish for a 1950-52 Terrier such as this. Would it be more valuable/collectable than a 1955-56 version with the ramped front sight and flat latch? Or comparable depending on condition?

 

[DWalt]

Regarding the effectiveness of the .38 S&W cartridge, as factory loaded it is usually considered to be in the .380 ACP class, therefore adequate for self-defense use. However, for use in a more modern solid-frame revolver (not the old-style top-break revolvers made by a multitude of makers during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries) it can easily be handloaded to equal or exceed the performance of the standard .38 Special factory load. The sole reason the .38 S&W cartridge factory load remains relatively puny is because of the millions of old and weak top break revolvers that are still around, as they were designed for use with low pressure black powder ammunition.

"Several have mentioned $700-ish for a 1950-52 Terrier such as this. Would it be more valuable/collectable than a 1955-56 version with the ramped front sight and flat latch? Or comparable depending on condition?"

FWIW, my opinion would be that there is not much value difference between them, assuming identical condition. But a serious Terrier collector (not me) would know more about that.

 

[dr. mordo]

I have a question for the experts. I thought any Terrier/Baby Chief with a coil spring was an improved I frame, and the defining characteristic of a I frame Terrier is the leaf spring.

Correct?

 

[Green Frog]

I have a question for the experts. I thought any Terrier/Baby Chief with a coil spring was an improved I frame, and the defining characteristic of a I frame Terrier is the leaf spring.

Correct?

I think you are correct, but maybe Dr I-frame (aka Hondo44) will be along to expand on this.

Regardless of its designation, all pre-J-frame Terriers carry the distinction of being the smallest S&W built revolvers in any 38 caliber. Of course that distinction was lost when they went to using all J-frames, and the Terrier was doomed to fade away thereafter.

So you think the 38 S&W is a "worthless" round? As Inusuit said, a lot of members of military units of the British Empire would have been surprised to hear that, as would the enemy soldiers on the receiving end of their shooting. YMMV

Froggie

 

[raljr1]

That's a nice Terrier. A lot of people would like to have one just like it.

As for the .38 S&W round, I think it packs plenty of whallop. If anybody cares to stand in front of one at the distance this weapon was designed for, my heart goes out to you. Call an ambulance.

Curl

I want to double like this.....So often I hear people say a cartridge is useless for self defense, Except for the folks who were killed by one.

 

[kennethg]

Plenty of info above. These are cute and adorable but as said above, very underpowered.
Pictured is one I got several years ago.

 

[CptCurl]

If any of you fellows with nice underpowered Terriers would want to part with said Terrier, I have a multitude of overpowered pistols and revolvers I might trade.

 

[les.b]

My two Terriers...top April 1952, bottom September 1954:

I love the little guys!!

Best Regards, Les