Nightstand .38 Top-break

[Dosgatos]

Having sold my M6906 to a friend I found myself without a nightstand gun. I considered my Walther PPKS .380, but then it struck me: The .380 has almost identical ballistics to a .38 S&W, and I happen to own several shooters. I wondered if a J-frame speed loader would work on a top break. The .38 S&W case is just slightly larger than the .38 S&W Special, yet it fit in my HKS36 speed loader - a little tightly, but it fit. I can take the speed loader apart and file the little nubbins that hold the case in place, and it will work the same as a .38 Special.

At first I tried a 4th Model Safety Hammerless, and the speed loader didn't fit very well. That model has a large release, so I tried a .38 Double Action, and the speed loader fit better. But then I thought of a shooter 3rd Model Safety, which has a different release than the 4th, and the speed loader fits perfectly! Same for a 2nd Model.

So, my new bedside gun is a 3rd Model Safety Hammerless, which shipped in May of 1891. Nice to put an old gun to good use, and if it comes down to it I don't have to worry about shooting holes through the walls!

 

[Glock 'em down]

Brilliant!

 

[gunlovingirl]

Nice idea! Here's hoping you never have to use it!

 

[BrianMajors]

Nice! I have a buddy who does the same thing, but instead of modifying speedloaders, he just keeps two of the .38 S&W's handy and loaded.

 

[Dosgatos]

Update on the speedloader: All it took was a few strokes of a file on the little nubbings that hold the cartridge - I didn't even have to take it apart. The speedloader still works fine with .38 Special.

 

[stantheman86]

Nice to see an old S&W still "on duty" after almost 110 years!

Years ago I used to keep a .38 S&W top break with a chopped "snub" barrel as my downstairs "hideout" gun. It was old but it went bang and would put a hole in an intruder if need be. Kind of regret selling that one, seems like it had some history behind it.

 

[GatorFarmer]

A .38 SW bullet will still penetrate the walls of modern construction. Try shooting one into some barriers, you might find it interesting just what it will go through.

If you don't care about the period look, modern J frame grips can be easily adapted to fit an old topbreak.

 

[Dan Cash]

+1 on Gatorfarmer's comment regarding walls. A .38 S&W will go through sheetrock like bran through a goose; of course, so will a .22 rim fire.