Large Frame .38 S&W

[pocketpistol]

Did S&W ever make a large frame, single or double action, revolver in .38 S&W?

 

[Donald Paul]

S&W 3844 6 shot revolver, single and double, pre-war thru '50's.

 

[Donald Paul]

--- cont'd - .38 spl, not .38 s&w.

 

[Oyeboteb]

I think they did for Target use, ( being a .44 Break Top Frame, but chambering a .38 Calibre Cartridge ) but it actually took a special ammunition and I do not know if the ammunition was the same as the .38 S&W but it may have been. Sometimed called .38-44 to indicate it was a .38 on a .44 Frame, but different than the .38-44 ( Revolver, and Ammunition ) of the Hand Ejector era.

 

[Oyeboteb]

There was also a .38-40 aka .38 WCF chambering for one of the Double Action Break Top models, but these are very rare. So in this sense, there was also a .38 Calibre more or less, on a larger Frame, but it was not .38 S&W though.

 

[deadin]

I believe that the New Model #3 was listed as having had some chambered in .38 S&W. (The NM #3 was kind of S&W's answer to the Colt SAA in that they both were chambered in almost everything....)

BTW the 38/44 Target was a unique cartridge for a target version of the #3 Single Action. There also was a 32/44. The cases on both were elongated enough to completely carry the bullet within the case. (Kind of like the Russian Nagant.)

 

[GSonnen]

There was also a .38-40 aka .38 WCF chambering for one of the Double Action Break Top models, but these are very rare. So in this sense, there was also a .38 Calibre more or less, on a larger Frame, but it was not .38 S&W though.

Common misconception about 38-40. 38-40 is actually a .401 caliber bullet over 38 grains of powder. This is the opposite nomenclature of most antique BP cartridges such as 44-40 (.44 cal bullet over 40 grains of powder). Why this cartridge was named as such is a mystery.

The 38-40 actually shoots the same diameter bullet as modern .40 S&W and 10 mm. You can find Ruger revolvers that have "convertible" cylinders for these cartridges.

 

[murphydog]

Correct on the New Model #3. There were large numbers of K frames in .38 S & W but those are medium frames.

 

[STCM(SW)]

"The 38-40 actually shoots the same diameter bullet as modern .40 S&W and 10 mm. You can find Ruger revolvers that have "convertible" cylinders for these cartridges."

I have a M28 converted to 38-40/38WCF. Cost quite a bit, but sometimes you want something that cost goes to the way side....
Lots of .40 bullets around now to load for it now.