New S&W Owner / New Member

[JoshN]

Hello all,

Figure it makes sense to introduce myself in my first post. My name is Josh; retired Marine CWO, Father, Husband, current gov't employee. Long time scout leader, offroader, camper and shooter.

Not long ago both my wife and son (19yo) have expressed an interest in shooting hand guns but both felt my 45 was too much. I recently picked up the revolver below, as I have always felt a 38 revolver is an excellent platform for learning handgun shooting.

I have done some research and think I have the model narrowed down but would appreciate the more learned opinion of someone who truly knows these firearms. Help is greatly appreciated and I look forward to learning more from you all.

What I have:
Hand Ejector
Serial # S 65XXX
Marked - 38 S&W Special CTG
4 inch Barrel
Fixed Sights
Square butt
No butt swivel or lanyard ring
5 Screws

Pictures at this link:

S&W 38 - Google Photos


What I believe it is:
Post-War S Series N frame
S&W 38-44
1946 - Early 1947

 

[jmace57]

Welcome, Josh to the forum. Glad to have you here. I love the post war n frames

 

[snuffy51]

Welcome from Tennessee. The experts will be along shortly.

 

[19leben]

Looks to me like you have it figured out already! Definitely a 38/44 Heavy Duty. Nice, heavy gun for shooting .38 Special.
The N Frame, however, may be a tad large and heavy for your wife.
Let us know how the range trip goes. You never know, she may love it!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[steelslaver]

Welcome and Semper Fi. Nice place here with good people. I am sure you and yours will enjoy what is a great revolver. An N frame 38 will be very pleasant to shoot.

I don't think a full sized 45 auto has all that much recoil, but I think its reputation, the big hole in the business end and the way it moves as it operates kinda make people think it recoils more than it really does.

 

[samandglove1]

You have a transitional Heavy Duty that probably shipped from the factory in 1946. I have S65533 and it shipped in July 1946.

It looks like your HD has been around the block a few times, but if the price is right, I wouldn't worry. It is built like a tank and can handle any 38spcl load you want to use. The stocks are not original (you probably know that), but they look comfortable.

 

[Jaymo]

I've always found .45 ACP to be a pleasant round to shoot.
It's reputation for hard recoil is pure BS.

I have been on the lookout for a 38-44.
I found a fairly nice one a couple of years ago, but the seller thought it
was going to be his retirement account, since it had "sentimental value".
He wanted $3,000 for it, because he had heard that they could bring that much.
It had some serious brass stamping on the recoil shield. It had a good bit of end shake.
I didn't get to see if it had been reamed out for .357, or if someone had just been loading .38s to
stupid pressures. Anyhoo, I walked away and wished him luck with finding someone stupid enough
to pay him full "sentimental" value for a worn shooter grade revolver.

IF I ever find one in the right condition at the right price...........

 

[JoshN]

You have a transitional Heavy Duty that probably shipped from the factory in 1946. I have S65533 and it shipped in July 1946.

It looks like your HD has been around the block a few times, but if the price is right, I wouldn't worry. It is built like a tank and can handle any 38spcl load you want to use. The stocks are not original (you probably know that), but they look comfortable.

They are comfortable. They don't fit perfectly but will suffice for now until I get some real wooden ones vice the plastics on there now.

 

[JoshN]

Welcome and Semper Fi. Nice place here with good people. I am sure you and yours will enjoy what is a great revolver. An N frame 38 will be very pleasant to shoot.

I don't think a full sized 45 auto has all that much recoil, but I think its reputation, the big hole in the business end and the way it moves as it operates kinda make people think it recoils more than it really does.

I agree. My 1911 is very comfortable for me to shoot and control. My wife and son both wince every-time they have tried. You could be right, or it might just be scary looking I figured a heavier 38 would tame the recoil they perceive and make them much more comfortable and confident. Anything in a smaller caliber seems like a waste of time.

 

[Jaymo]

That HD should be a *****cat for them to shoot. Especially with standard pressure loads.

I had a girlfriend who refused to shoot my .44 mag, no matter how mild I loaded the ammo.
But, she'd shoot my ultra compact .45 with 200 grain Cor Bon +P ammo all day long.

 

[gmborkovic]

What a great choice. A heavy 38spl for the beginner shooter. Grips may have to be changed for a small hand. Best

 

[JSR III]

Welcome to the forum and THANK YOU for your service.

I am going to buck the flow and say, although a great S&W, I would have chosen a .22 to start some newbies out with. While the .38 special is not really up there in the category of "hand cannons", my wife who is 103 soaking wet, found it a little scary first time out of the gate.

Hopefully your wife and son will have no issues and range trips will become a family affair.

Again, THANK YOU for your service to our country both before and now.

 

[DWalt]

As I usually say regarding .38-44 revolvers with indeterminate past lives, you should be aware that sometimes their owners had the chambers lengthened to accept .357 Magnum cartridges. Something for you to be aware of and check out. Not necessarily a bad thing for a shooter-grade gun.

 

[mojave30cal]

What DWalt said! You can check to see if the cylinder chambers
have been bored out to accept .357 magnum rounds by first
opening the cylinder. With the cylinder open, drop in a .357
magnum snap cap or live round into the chambers. If the snap
cap or live round drops all the way in, it's been bored out. If
they don't fall all the way in, it is still chambered for the .38
special. Remove the live round or snap cap and go shoot it!
And welcome to the forum.

 

[RKmesa]

...I figured a heavier 38 would tame the recoil they perceive and make them much more comfortable and confident.

You've got it right. Shooting .38Spl through an N Frame S&W is almost as pleasant as shooting a .22LR. That 70 year old 38/44 Heavy Duty is as fine a lead-slinger as you're likely to find, and as long as your wife and son don't have to tote it around all day, it will make a great range and home protection gun. And with the pre-war long action, those transitionals have some of the smoothest double-action trigger pulls of any revolver.

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your revolver!

 

[Dewy12]

Welcome to the forum and thanks for your service. I agree, you've got the right idea. Don't discount the .22's though. They are so nice to shoot and the CCI Quiet ammo is a great way to get someone to fall in love with shooting. Once they are comfortable, it's not a big jump to the .38's. As you probably can tell already, these experts (I am not one of them), really know their stuff. I'm still learning and this is the right place for it. Good shooting.

 

[maxjames2]

That HD should be a *****cat for them to shoot. Especially with standard pressure loads.

I had a girlfriend who refused to shoot my .44 mag, no matter how mild I loaded the ammo.
But, she'd shoot my ultra compact .45 with 200 grain Cor Bon +P ammo all day long.

( Ya know, you don't have to "*****" for the word "Kitty"...)
Just sayin'

 

[shouldazagged]

Welcome aboard, Josh. Lots of fine, knowledgeable people here, so I hope you'll stick around.

Some of them are pretty funny, too.

 

[merl67]

Welcome from Tennessee also that ought to make a great gun to teach someone to shoot. I agree it needs some N frame magna grips for those with smaller hands it will make learning to shoot it easier. Great first post by the way.

 

[zzclancy]

Welcome.

I'm a 1911 and 44 mag/special guy.

The N frames are heavy to carry all day. I know I do. The weight certainly dampens the recoil.

My son grew up with guns. Could completely disassemble/reassemble a 1911 at 7 years old with dad's supervision. Gave him a 1911 for his 12 th birthday which was kept in the safe. He turned out just fine. USMC Infantry and served with the Security Forces.