Regulation Police Target .38 S&W

[SouthNarc]

That's a beauty. Congrats on finding it and actually knowing what you were looking at.

Thank you sir. I got lucky in that I caught the listing after it had been up for only 6 hours and called the dealer until I got someone on the phone. Just happened to be looking in the right place at the right time.

 

[The Kid]

A friend of mine had one identical to yours, complete with the original box. I tried to get it when he passed but sadly it slipped away. He even had several boxes of vintage Remington copper cases shipped as primed brass for reloading. He became ill soon after buying it and I don't think he ever had the chance to shoot it.

Really neat little guns.

 

[Casual Smith Nut]

Wow what a gem!

 

[raljr1]

The 4 inch 32 RP Targets bring big bucks. I would expect this one to be similarly valued. It looks great, and I am suffering from a bit of envy. i am somewhat a fan of the 38 S&W cartridge.

 

[SouthNarc]

The 4 inch 32 RP Targets bring big bucks. I would expect this one to be similarly valued. It looks great, and I am suffering from a bit of envy. i am somewhat a fan of the 38 S&W cartridge.

I really don't know that much about the cartridge?

Lee made an observation and he said he had never seen a .38 S&W wadcutter round which is interesting to correlate to the apparent handful of target models in this caliber.

 

[Model19man]

I really don't know that much about the cartridge?

Lee made an observation and he said he had never seen a .38 S&W wadcutter round which is interesting to correlate to the apparent handful of target models in this caliber.

I never have seen full wadcutters in 38 S&W but these shoot pretty well for me.

Missouri Bullet Company

 

[SouthNarc]

Doing some research and I thought this post from David Wilson in this 8 year old thread was interesting.

32 Regulation Police you don't see every day (nickel short-barrel target)-->LETTERED!

I hate to tell you, but if any .38 RP Targets exist they would not be many and would probably be special orders. I have never seen one. The .38 RP specification called for a four-inch barrel only (not 4.25) and service sights. There are some loose six-inch .38 RP barrels in circulation; I have one, and have toyed with the idea of using it to make a .38 RP target out of a distressed standard revolver. My barrel has a sight base that would permit a choice of blade. It appears that at one time someone in Springfield was at least considering such a small frame target .38, though I have never seen evidence that the model went into production.

I think David's theory may very well be corroborated by the letter from Dr. Jinks on this gun which states "This shipment contained two units of this model in the above configuration and they were billed at the wholesale price of $29.17 each. This was a special order and these revolvers we bill at $11.00 each for the installation of the target sight."

The installation of the target sights was more than a third of the cost of the gun wholesale in 1926. That's a pricey modification.

As to rarity and scarcity the letter indicates two in the shipment. I'm curious if any more have been documented.

 

[raljr1]

I really don't know that much about the cartridge?

Lee made an observation and he said he had never seen a .38 S&W wadcutter round which is interesting to correlate to the apparent handful of target models in this caliber.

Rim Rock makes a .361 diameter 125 gr with a SWC style profile. I have used them with 2.4 gr of W231. I bought 500 and sold half to JimmyJ and he said they worked well for him too. You do need the correct dies though.

.38 S&W SWC-FB 125 gr. per 500

 

[Green Frog]

As for the paucity of wadcutter cartridges in 38 S&W I see two likely reasons. First, there weren't ever very many 38 S&W chambered target models made, and second, the wadcutter was mainly a scoring aid. The standard RN bullet is just about as accurate at pistol target distances.
Froggie

 

[jcelect]

32 RPTs

Here is a pair of 32 RPTs that are very unusual! These are from a batch of 196 guns made in 1957 from prewar parts with a few post war parts!

Note the differenced in the boxes. I had a third one that was in a K frame solid boarder box.
jcelect

 

[SouthNarc]

Here is a pair of 32 RPTs that are very unusual! These are from a batch of 196 guns made in 1957 from prewar parts with a few post war parts!

Note the differenced in the boxes. I had a third one that was in a K frame solid boarder box.
jcelect

Those are such nice revolvers.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Full Wadcutters: when Hydra-Shoks first came out they were only available in 146grain full wadcutters (.357"). I loaded 25 in 38 S&W and used the in an IJ hammerless revolver. They were of course pure lead and had a slight hollow base. I used the normal RN powder charge and loaded them to RN overall length. The group was half the size of my best RN group. I still have 50 and have been thinking of loading them up for my 4" 1921 RP nonTarget.

Ivan

 

[SouthNarc]

Man this one cleaned up nicely.

 

[SouthNarc]

A few more.

 

[Göring's S&W]

Wow, very nice, in my proverbial back yard no less! I am however much closer to the Tridelphia Cabela's but I have searched their national listings many times, although I never got anything like that! I don't recall seeing a RP 38 S&W target before this one personally. Needless to say, this one is worth a definite premium over the more common 32 S&W long target revolvers.

 

[SouthNarc]

Wow, very nice, in my proverbial back yard no less! I am however much closer to the Tridelphia Cabela's but I have searched their national listings many times, although I never got anything like that! I don't recall seeing a RP 38 S&W target before this one personally. Needless to say, this one is worth a definite premium over the more common 32 S&W long target revolvers.

Hey Jim I'm in Pittsburgh and Western PA. a couple of times a year teaching coursework. One of my favorite areas once you get out of the city.

I saw the gun on GI about 6 hours after the listing went up and immediately started calling Cabelas and kept calling until they answered. Persistence paid off and I was able to buy it.

I'm glad you answered up here as I know you're a seasoned collector. On that note, in your experience, you haven't seen another in the wild then?

 

[Göring's S&W]

I can relate to calling repeatedly and Cabelas not answering. I missed guns for that reason and it is probably worse now that Bass Pro bought them, as is usually the case when a company is bought out and cost cutting measures are usually then implemented.

I'm glad you answered up here as I know you're a seasoned collector. On that note, in your experience, you haven't seen another in the wild then?

I have not seen one of those in the wild before. However, there are many on here who have been around longer, seen more and owned more than myself. On the other hand, I have seen a fair amount in my time, owned and still own some interesting stuff, etc. I do know a lot of gun people and I know gun people that know other gun people, and with that said, I don't know anyone who has one either. It is something I personally always hoped to find, but never did.

 

[SouthNarc]

I have not seen one of those in the wild before. However, there many on here who have been around longer, seen more and owned more than myself. On the other hand, I have seen a fair amount in my time, owned and still own some interesting stuff, etc. I do know a lot of gun people and I know gun people that know other gun people, and with that said, I don't know anyone who has one either. It is something I personally always hoped to find, but never did.

Thank you sir.

I didn't know how scarce this variant was when I purchased it.

 

[DCWilson]

Craig, what a terrific score! I have long suspected that a few .38 RP Targets had to exist, and now I have seen proof. I am glad to see the one that you found, and to read that other forum members have seen or owned one too.

I have in my odds and ends collection one of those six-inch .38 RP barrels with the slotted front sight base that would take a pinnable blade. That's one of the reasons I was pretty sure a few such models had to have been produced.

Still seems likely to me that .38 RPTs were special order items, in which case it's possible there might be specimens with 4, 5, or 6-inch barrels waiting to be found. But not many of them!

Congratulations. That one would be a prize for anybody who is interested in target I-frames in any caliber.

 

[handejector]

Congratulations on finding a nice, very rare gun. I've never seen one. I doubt we'll ever see a dozen come out of the woods.
I say that because the gun doesn't make a lot of sense. By the time it was built, K frame Targets in 38 Special had already set world records. Also, as I said, nobody as far as I know ever offered wadcutters in 38 S&W. So, why order such a Target gun in 38 S&W? If one wanted a small lightweight Target gun that could be sighted in precisely to pop heads off of hummingbirds, exterminate rats, or kill obnoxious bumblebees, the 32 RP Targets were completely adequate and wadcutters were available!
I'll give that one unicorn status.