Identification help please!!!

[jpledger102]

My grandfather passed away and I inherited a pistol from him which my grandmother knew nothing about so she didn't know anything about this gun. On the side of the barrel it has 38 S&W CTG on it, The top of the barrel has MASS,U.S.A. the date is hard to read but I believe it says April 9, 1889. There are serial numbers on the bottom of the handle that read 208094 and also all the serial numbers match . It automatically ejects the shell when the barrel is open. It is hammerless and the safety is on the back of the handle and must have pressure applied to it before the gun can be fired. I DO NOT WANT TO SELL. I would just like to know about the gun and how much it may be worth and if I should get it insured.

 

[Dosgatos]

You have a .38 Safety Hammerless 4th Model manufactured from 1898-1907. Based on the number yours was probably shipped from the factory 1906-07. It appears to have had its barrel cut.

 

[jpledger102]

Dosgatos,

first of all thank you for answering. the barrel is 2" if that helps. Would it be worth anything today if the barrel has been cut and are they rare to find. This gun is in good working condition, fires fine and the chamber spins like new. its not very pretty tho as you can see from the pictures some of the plating has worn off.

 

[opoefc]

It is not worth anything as a collectable S&W, due to the cut barrel, however these are excellent house guns, or even carry pieces if they are in good mechanical condition. It is OK to shoot modern .38S&W ammo. in these black powder guns, as the ammo. is factory loaded to safe pressures for these older guns. Some of these were made in 2 inch barrels by S&W, however yours was not, as the best evidence of that is the remaining barrel stamping on the top of the barrel rib, which you say has only the "Mass, USA" part remaining from the original "Smith & Wesson, Springfield, Mass, USA" stamping. The first part of the stamping having been removed with the cut off part of the barrel. Nice family heirlooom, however. Perhaps it was grandfather's carry gun, as that's often the reason why these barrels were cut down on these guns. Ed.

 

[jpledger102]

Thank you very much for the info Ed. I talked to my father about the gun and all he knew was that he had gotten the gun in the early 40's while in Boystown, Mexico while he was quite intioxicated. He never fired it once that my father knew of, the shells in the picture were the ones he had gotten with the gun when he bought it.but anyways thank yalll for the help on identifying the gun . On another note Ed i noticed you are a veteran and I would like to thank you for serving our country.

jared

 

[opoefc]

jared, Thank you for the Thank You. Coincidentally, I carried a similar cut down S&W Lemon Squeezer in my boot, as a back up, during Korea. I got ammo. from the Canadians, as they had Enfields & Webleys that fired the .38/200 Brit. version of the .38S&W. Ed.

 

[twaits]

I love that it has the same ammo that was in it when he bought it.
While intoxicated in Mexico in the early '40s no less! That's a great story