Please help Identifying My Revolver
- Thread starter canker123
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.38 Special Military and Police, likely shipped in 1947. Square butt frame with aftermarket stocks. In 1957 the company added Model 10 to the description. And they're still making them!
Welcome to the Forum!
Todd
Welcome to the Forum!
Todd
Nice gift! I have one just like it. And you can shoot any brand .38 Special ammo out of it.
It is a postwar .38 M&P that very likely left the factory in February 1948. There were other square butt 2" units produced in that same serial range.
Any factory loaded .38 Special cartridges will be fine in that revolver, so long as it is in safe operating condition.
Any factory loaded .38 Special cartridges will be fine in that revolver, so long as it is in safe operating condition.
Matt_X
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Are you working with someone who has familiarity with S&W revolvers?
Matt_X
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I asked because you wrote this is all new to you, I thought it would be good to check if you were doing this yourself or had someone with some experience helping.
I have nothing against ultrasonic cleaning, and can understand why some might automatically do that even though I would not.* Regardless it will need to have sideplate removed to check on the condition and lightly relube. That does require knowing how or it will get buggered up. Its not hard to do but you don't want someone prying it.
As far the name goes, the M&P is a mid sized frame with fixed sights. S before the number tells us that it has an improved hammer block. It's function is to prevent the hammer from moving forward when trigger is forward - basically to help make it safe from firing if dropped and the hammer spur hits the ground.
*We see rust on the outside. I'd first open it up and see what the condition is inside, then decide what to do. Nothing wrong with cleaning first, then assessing. The deep cleaning won't remove the rust, and don't want to use a rust removing chemical. Remove that manually and perhaps touch up the bluing, or just keep it clean and lightly oiled.
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Matt_X
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.38 Special cartridges
I would suggest any standard brand .38 Spl not marked +P
When you look at .38 Spl for sale you will find a wide choice of bullets. The standard at the time of manufacture would have been 158 grain lead round nose. (LRN)
Full metal jacket or total metal jacket is fine too, as is a flat point or semi-wadcutters.
A wadcutter is a flat across the full diameter and is usually more expensive as its a target shooters round useful for punching nice clean large hole in paper (for a slight edge in scoring higher).
You can use slighty lighter bullets for slightly less recoil or if they happened to be available for less money. As a beginner I don't think there is enough of a difference for you to notice or care. Bullets around 130 grains are common.
When you go to shoot, its best to have someone experienced, but if not here's what I'd suggest.
Go over basic operation of the revolver with the gunstore people. How to load and unload, how to safely decock the gun from single action, and basic cleaning (inside the barrel and cylinder bores, and the ejector).
Learn the 4 fundamental safety rules currently promologated.
Wear ear protection.
Know the sight picture and bring a reasonable size target for the distance you will shoot.
Use a stance(s) that is comfortable for you. I would start with a two handed Weaver type or isoscolese stance.
Some people are really opposed to learning single action, but I disagree with that. Its useful for focusing on sight picture and other fundementals. Double action should be learned, but it is another skill to add on. Furthermore, your revolver has the 'long action' hammer.
The spur of that hammer somewhat obscures the rear sight. So I suggest shooting single action until you feel confident with the natural point of aim and the site picture. Then when shooting double action you will see the site picture briefly as the hammer moves back.
The reason for this it seems is that at the time, single action was for aimed shots and double action was for situations with limited time and close distance.
I would suggest any standard brand .38 Spl not marked +P
When you look at .38 Spl for sale you will find a wide choice of bullets. The standard at the time of manufacture would have been 158 grain lead round nose. (LRN)
Full metal jacket or total metal jacket is fine too, as is a flat point or semi-wadcutters.
A wadcutter is a flat across the full diameter and is usually more expensive as its a target shooters round useful for punching nice clean large hole in paper (for a slight edge in scoring higher).
You can use slighty lighter bullets for slightly less recoil or if they happened to be available for less money. As a beginner I don't think there is enough of a difference for you to notice or care. Bullets around 130 grains are common.
When you go to shoot, its best to have someone experienced, but if not here's what I'd suggest.
Go over basic operation of the revolver with the gunstore people. How to load and unload, how to safely decock the gun from single action, and basic cleaning (inside the barrel and cylinder bores, and the ejector).
Learn the 4 fundamental safety rules currently promologated.
Wear ear protection.
Know the sight picture and bring a reasonable size target for the distance you will shoot.
Use a stance(s) that is comfortable for you. I would start with a two handed Weaver type or isoscolese stance.
Some people are really opposed to learning single action, but I disagree with that. Its useful for focusing on sight picture and other fundementals. Double action should be learned, but it is another skill to add on. Furthermore, your revolver has the 'long action' hammer.
The spur of that hammer somewhat obscures the rear sight. So I suggest shooting single action until you feel confident with the natural point of aim and the site picture. Then when shooting double action you will see the site picture briefly as the hammer moves back.
The reason for this it seems is that at the time, single action was for aimed shots and double action was for situations with limited time and close distance.
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Welcome to the Forum, Canker123! As other members have informed you, you were gifted a nice post-war 2" .38 M&P. These snub nose revolvers are very popular, and the 2" bbl. is probably the version most sought after. It definitely needs some TLC to clean it up and stop the rust, and then it should be a fun shooter. The aftermarket stocks are interesting...I can't tell if they're plastic (catalin?) or some other material, but they seem to fit the revolver nicely. You could probably find some original walnut stocks without too much trouble (either here on the Forum or eBay) if you wanted. Enjoy!
Welcome to the Forum, canker.
The stocks are made of plastic and the brand name is Franzite. They were popular from the 1930s into the 1960s.
The stocks are made of plastic and the brand name is Franzite. They were popular from the 1930s into the 1960s.
DWalt
Member
There were similar M&P snubbies made prior to and during WWII, but in limited quantities. As there were only small numbers made, those early M&P snubbies are therefore very collectible. Many more were manufactured during the postwar period as yours was. The S series M&P snubbies are somewhat more plentiful than the earlier versions, but are still desirable. Unfortunately, yours is in far from high condition and does not have original grips. It is probably worth in the approximate $400- $500 range at most, as it is only in "Shooter" condition. Regarding ammunition, any .38 Special you can find will be satisfactory. Regarding original and period correct grips, they are available, but are not nearly as plentiful as they were not so long ago. A high condition correct pair will probably run in the $100-150 range today. Not sure I would bother looking for a pair as the cosmetic condition of your snubby does not warrant the cost. The correct grip design was used during the 1940s into the earlier 1950s, and is called the "Sharp Shoulder" design. But any K-frame grips, new or old, will fit. Check eBay.
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Welcome, canker123!
Since you say you know nothing about guns, let me advise that the most important thing about owning guns is to do so safely.
The four basic rules of gun safety are simple. All of us have these memorized. If you follow these rules you and those around you will be safe.
• All guns are loaded.*
• Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
• Never point your gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
*If you treat every gun as if it were loaded, you will never unintentionally injure yourself or anyone else.
Best of luck to you. The S&W M&P, later named the Model 10, is one of the most iconic guns of the 20th century. It is a classic. It has a fine reputation as a highly reliable, well made firearm.
Best wishes (and have fun)!
Since you say you know nothing about guns, let me advise that the most important thing about owning guns is to do so safely.
The four basic rules of gun safety are simple. All of us have these memorized. If you follow these rules you and those around you will be safe.
• All guns are loaded.*
• Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
• Never point your gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
*If you treat every gun as if it were loaded, you will never unintentionally injure yourself or anyone else.
Best of luck to you. The S&W M&P, later named the Model 10, is one of the most iconic guns of the 20th century. It is a classic. It has a fine reputation as a highly reliable, well made firearm.
Best wishes (and have fun)!
DWalt
Member
Of course your snubby will handle +P and it is perfectly safe to use. Just not an extensive amount of it which might cause unnecessary wear and tear. No ammunition manufacturer would ever under any circumstances sell a product that was in any way damaging or dangerous to fire in any .38 Special revolver. My personal opinion is that +P ammunition provides no benefits in exchange for its increased price and I have no reason whatsoever to use it for any purpose. To me, +P is primarily a sales gimmick. Best to buy whatever ammo is the cheapest if all you plan to do is shoot paper targets and empty beer cans. An M&P snubby is in no way suitable for serious target shooting anyway.
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