Stumped

[Nimbus]

Hey all. I have come across a k-frame snubbie that my neighbor bought used about 20 years ago. It is in pretty good condition, having only a few rust spots on the frame and cylinder, which came off easily with breakfree and steel wool. There does not appear to be any rust or pitting in the bore or charge holes.

It is a 5 screw, .38 Spl, six shot, 2-inch, pinned barrel, with a matte/parkerized finish. I am thinking WWII or post time frame but am not sure.

The SN is C 99242. Can anyone enlighten me as to this firearms mint date and approximate worth? It's a shooter and I'd like to buy it.

See pics.

 

[mikepriwer]

Its a C series serial number, so its post-WW2, maybe 1949 or 1950.
Its been refinished - the factory didn't have that kind of finish back
then. It has no collector value, even though it has the fish-hook
hammer.

Don't spend too much on it .

Mike Priwer

 

[DCWilson]

That's likely to be late 1949 or early 1950. A satin blue finish was standard on K-frames at that time. A parkerized finish may have been a special order, but I'm not sure that isn't a standard finish. I just can't make my eyes read the surface that well with the direct illumination on it.

An early short-action snubby with good action, bore and chambers but with some surface issues is probably a $300-350 gun. I paid about $425 for a 1947 version with a very good original finish about six or eight months ago.

Somebody who knows these better than I do may have some good thoughts about the possibility of special finishes, if that's what this one has.

EDITED TO ADD: Ah, Mike thinks it is refinished. In that case I wouldn't go over $300 for it. That would still be too high for some.

 

[s&wchad]

That’s a .38 Military and Police revolver (just to state the obvious). It’s hard to tell from the photos, but the finish doesn’t look right. The sideplate appears to fit very well and the markings are crisp, so I’m not sure. The hammer is dark and it looks like the front sight was reshaped.

Compare it to this.

 

[Nimbus]

The front sight was throwing me off because all other examples I saw had the full blade type like the one in your pic.

Thanks for the info. How about modern +P ammo in these? Probably okay for occassional use but standard pressure loads for regular use???

 

[mikepriwer]

David & others

I do think its refinished. I don't think the factory was offering that
type of finish in 1950. I checked the All Model Circular from Jan 1950,
and the finish options are S&W Blue or Nickel. It looks to me as though
there is some kind of coating, instead of a traditional finish, on the
gun.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[D R Greysun]

David & others

I do think its refinished. I don't think the factory was offering that
type of finish in 1950. I checked the All Model Circular from Jan 1950,
and the finish options are S&W Blue or Nickel. It looks to me as though
there is some kind of coating, instead of a traditional finish, on the
gun.

Regards, Mike Priwer

Interesting Mike, S&W Blue is what exactly? High polish blue would use what terminology to describe?
It does look like the revolver here has been 'bead blasted' and re-blued or re-coated. Again it could be the lighting too I suppose. TIA!

D R

 

[mikepriwer]

D R

That snubby pictured above is the "proper" S&W blue of that period.
Its not satin blue, and its not high-polish blue. Its just blue ! I don't
know when the other blues were available, but during this time period
they were making guns just as fast as they could.

Mike Priwer

 

[D R Greysun]

D R

That snubby pictured above is the "proper" S&W blue of that period.
Its not satin blue, and its not high-polish blue. Its just blue ! I don't
know when the other blues were available, but during this time period
they were making guns just as fast as they could.

Mike Priwer

Thanx for the reply Mike.

D R

 

[dogngun]

The front sight was throwing me off because all other examples I saw had the full blade type like the one in your pic.

Thanks for the info. How about modern +P ammo in these? Probably okay for occassional use but standard pressure loads for regular use???

I would not use +P very often.


mark

 

[gkitch]

Original blue, but worn. Modified front sight? Replacement grips....
I think $250 is a fair price for this solid shooter-grade old Smith. Certainly good with +P ammo.

 

[JSR III]

Looks to me like a normal blue finish revolver that someone decided to run through a glass bead unit. Perhaps they were trying to reduce the shine or glare off the blue finish or it may have been an attempt to mitigate some surface rust. The screw heads look OK and the seams and the emblems look strong so I don't think that the gun was buffed and redone, but that is just my opinion from looking at some very small pictures on a computer monitor.