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Looking to identify model and caliber
- Thread starter Justandy101
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Welcome to the forums from the cotton and peanut covered plains of the Wiregrass! Yes, a Model 1899. It is likely chambered for .38 Long Colt which was the military cartridge at the time.
You can probably also chamber and fire the very similar 38S&W and or the British 38-200. All of them preceded the longer and slightly skinnier and more powerful, modern 38 special
You can find 38S&W for sale, online
You can find 38S&W for sale, online
No. .38 S&W is larger diameter than .38 Long Colt. Just like .38 S&W won't insert into a revolver chambered for .38 Special, it won't into the M1899. .38 Special is just a stretched .38 LC case to allow more black powder to be loaded.
None of the 1899 were 38 S&W? Also I have read that the current 38 S&W rounds have a smaller OD. I have some around here somewhere, I should check, I got them for a top break.
No. They were primarily .38 S&W Special. Some guns made for the Army, Navy and Cutter Service were chambered for .38 Long Colt. No hand ejector was chambered for .38 S&W until the Regulation Police I frame was introduced in 1917.
It is not a military gun with serial number either 6647 or 8847?? Looks like a 5" barrel and if so it is uncommon to find. It should have the caliber stamped on the left side of the barrel, but the metal is so beat up, I cannot make anything out. Only other caliber available was 32 Winchester, but the serial number is too high. Has to be a 38 Special barrel. Do you have commercial 38 Special ammo? Check the headstamp. If so, is the chamber rusty?
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OP
Serial number is 6647. No sign of any other markings in the barrel regarding chambering. Chambers are in good condition. It must be a 38 caliber(32 is clearly to small when tried). Barrel is 5 inches
OP
I have seen a few .38 special cylinders that would accept .38 S&W cartridges. A case of excess tolerances on the cylinder and possibly minimum tolerances on the sizing of the factory cartridges.
Wile I learned something new.
Can you check the serial number on the rear of the cylinder to make sure it matches the butt-frame? I have a US Army Model 1899 with an unaltered cylinder and it will not fit a 38 Special round. Image below shows the result of trying to do so.
DWalt
Member
Some .38 Special cylinders will accept some .38 S&W cartridges. But that is unintentional, as the result of tolerance extremes. Minimum spec cartridge diameter and maximum spec chamber diameter. I understand .38 Long Colt ammo is available from some sources. Likewise, the .38 Short Colt cartridge is also available and will work fine in a .38 Long Colt (or .38 Special) chamber. But neither .38 LC nor .38 SC ammunition will be cheap or readily available. Personally, I am a big fan of using the .38 SC cartridge in .38 Special revolvers for several reasons. It deserves to be more popular.
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mikepriwer
SWCA Member
There were two military contracts in the model of 1899 revolvers. The Navy contract serial numbers are 5001 - 6000, and the Army contract serial numbers are 13001 - 14000. Furthermore, 38 caliber 1899's were first caliber roll-marked at about serial number 7400 or so; your gun is too early to be caliber roll-marked.
Both of these military contracts were chambered for 38 long Colt, which does not fully seat a 38 special. If, by chance, the serial number on the back of the cylinder is within one of the two ranges mentioned above, then that might explain why it does not seat a 38 special cartridge. It's remotely possible that the cylinder on your gun is an over-run from one of the two military contracts, and again would not seat a 38 special cartridge.
If, for some reason, the cylinder on your gun has been replaced, (even if the serial number on the cylinder does match the butt number) it may be chambered for 38 long Colt, and not 38 Special.
Mike Priwer
Both of these military contracts were chambered for 38 long Colt, which does not fully seat a 38 special. If, by chance, the serial number on the back of the cylinder is within one of the two ranges mentioned above, then that might explain why it does not seat a 38 special cartridge. It's remotely possible that the cylinder on your gun is an over-run from one of the two military contracts, and again would not seat a 38 special cartridge.
If, for some reason, the cylinder on your gun has been replaced, (even if the serial number on the cylinder does match the butt number) it may be chambered for 38 long Colt, and not 38 Special.
Mike Priwer
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