Double Action Perfected .38 Cal

[mike5038]

I've been fascinated by top break revolvers since watching old movies as a kid. I just thought they were "neat".

I finally decided to purchase one and after looking at what S&W produced until 1920, I focused in on the .38 Perfected, perferably one in excellent condition. I've been looking at local gunshops (there aren't all that many in good old liberal Sam Francisco Bay Area) without success. I went to the only gunshow (Crossroads of the West) that travels here without any luck, and have been looking at the classified area of this forum.

Are these that hard to come by? Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[mike5038]

I've been fascinated by top break revolvers since watching old movies as a kid. I just thought they were "neat".

I finally decided to purchase one and after looking at what S&W produced until 1920, I focused in on the .38 Perfected, perferably one in excellent condition. I've been looking at local gunshops (there aren't all that many in good old liberal Sam Francisco Bay Area) without success. I went to the only gunshow (Crossroads of the West) that travels here without any luck, and have been looking at the classified area of this forum.

Are these that hard to come by? Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[SRT]

You should be able to locate one. There were over 59,000 manufactured from 1909-1920. Post your want ad in the classified section here, peruse the auction sites, and keep visiting gun and pawn shops as well as gun shows. High conditon, however, translates to a higher degree of difficulty as well as price point. The one pictured above is new in the box w/all correct accessories, and the hang tag proclaims it was available anywhere in the United States for $16.00. Unfortunately, that was the retail price in 1917. I acquired it 87 years later and paid quite a bit more. Good luck in your quest. SRT

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Being a newbie to S&Ws and seeing how S&W has had so many different models in its long history, this pistol was completely unkown to me up to now.

So I have a question. It is obviously a top break, but it has the modern style, side mounted, forward sliding cylinder latch. Is that what you use to release the barrel from the frame instead of the old top latch seen in earlier top breaks like the New Departure?

 

[deadin]

You use both at the same time.
The conventional story is that this was invented to keep the "bad guy" from grabbing your gun with one hand and popping it open thereby disabling it.

I think it was because by 1909 S&W was already producing the side latch frame and were just consolidating production lines.

 

[mmaher94087]

Mike5038,check out the Las Vegas Antique Arms Show. In 35 years of living in the SF bay area, I only brought home one and it came from Vallejo. If you need more information, contact me off-line. Mike

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Originally posted by deadin:
You use both at the same time.

Now that's inconvenient.

 

[deadin]

Now that's inconvenient.

Not really. It takes two hands to open a top break in the first place. The little extra effort to push the side latch with your thumb almost comes naturally.

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Originally posted by deadin:

Now that's inconvenient.

Not really. It takes two hands to open a top break in the first place. The little extra effort to push the side latch with your thumb almost comes naturally.

I see. Can you tell that I've never used one?

 

[Speedo2]

quote:
Now that's inconvenient.


Not really. It takes two hands to open a top break in the first place. The little extra effort to push the side latch with your thumb almost comes naturally.

And all this time, I've believed that it was intended to compensate for the corriolis effect from making the cylinders of the Perfected turn the wrong way. -S2

 

[feralmerril]

No matter you still need both hands to load any type hand gun.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

I had one of these #1xx. About 98%. Paid about 50 bucks 49 years ago. Worth a lot more now.

 

[Bullseye Smith]

The top break is a one of the best revolvers built. Hope you know you can reload two or three top breaks in the time it takes for a colt sa to be loaded. Wish they would make a new one, I buy it with lock and all.Here is the one that I carry::

Later John