Lemon Squeezer

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countrywoman

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Hello, Sorry if I'm doing this wrong but I'm totally new to this, both the site and posting to anything. Found the site while looking for info on a 38 S&W revolver that belonged to my dad; he always referred to it as a lemon squeezer. I don't even know how one measures barrel length or where to find the serial number. I did find a number (same one) on the bottom of the grip and on the inside of the cylinder, so I assume that is the serial number. Will that number give me the approximate age of the gun? Can anyone give me any info on these? Like I said, I know little about it--I know how to aim and fire and that's about it.
 

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Looks like a 4th model 38 S&W Safety hammerless with a 3 1/4" barrel. Barrel length is measured from the front of the cylinder to muzzle. It fires the older 38 S&W cartridge, not the more powerful and longer 38 special. Serial number should be between 116000 to 220000, if higher then it may be a 5th model. These were made between 1898 and 1907. Looks to be in nice shape.
John
 
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Paladin, do you get paid by Dillon to write articles like that one or is it just a bragging rights sort of arrangement? Also, why did S&W abandon the top break, auto-eject design? Was the design not strong enough to allow for more powerful cartridges?
 
goldenbb said:
Paladin, do you get paid by Dillon to write articles like that one or is it just a bragging rights sort of arrangement? Also, why did S&W abandon the top break, auto-eject design? Was the design not strong enough to allow for more powerful cartridges?
Click to expand...

:D One of my first articles appeared in the Blue Press before I worked for Dillon. It was a nostalgic piece on my first gun, purchased by my dad and me when I was just 11 years old. I sent a copy to Jeff Cooper, and he wrote back to give me encouragement, having enjoyed the piece. I was very proud that he'd take the time to do that. After I wrote it, I worked full time for Dillon for 7 years and was their top salesman for almost all of that time. I used to write the articles for free when I worked there. It was fun, and kept me off the streets in my spare time. Then the Blue Press editor arranged for a more or less token payment every time one of my articles appeared. I was happy with that, getting paid for what I liked to do. In the meanwhile, I also did articles for Guns & Ammo Handguns, American Gunsmith, and Gun Digest (2003 best article John Amber award winner, given in 2004). When I retired, Dillon paid me what they pay other gun writers, which was quite a bit more, and honored me by making me a contributing editor. I still enjoy writing the articles, and the money I earn from them enables me to buy more guns to write about. Such a deal, huh?

S&W topbreak revolvers were handy for ejection and loading, but the frame design was inherently weak compared to the side-ejecting design. Although the "hand ejectors" were a bit slower to eject, the difference in speed was small.

The Webley and Enfield revolvers stuck with the topbreak design quite a while beyond WWII. They did not use very powerful cartridges, though. I wrote an article about them in the April, 2011 Blue Press, which you can find here on page 40 of that issue. The last gasp of the "topbreaks."

http://www.bridleandbit.net/ebooks/bluepress/bluepressapr11/apr11/object_files/main.swf

John
 
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Thanks everyone. Enjoyed the informative article, PALADIN85020.
Also, TIMETRIPPER, now that I know how to measure, it is indeed a 3 1/4" barrel and the number I found begins with 201.
 
I suspect that top-break revolvers invoked military use to Britons, while Americans thought of top-breaks as cheap knockoffs of S&W.

There is that Russian .357 top-break prototype out there somewhere.
Modern Firearms - IzMech MP-412
I don't see why an updated top-break design would be impractical. But fashion would be against it.
 
lemon squeezer

i bought a 38 lemon squeezer at an estate sale,nickle finish,one chip above trigger guard...serial #71462....any idea when it was manufactured,and possible value.....i plan on keeping it anyway....bill trice
 
I have one in the 84,000 range, also with a 6 inch barrel, and it was manufacured in January of 1897.
 
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