Two .38 Specials inherited, help identify?

[TwoGunSlinger]

Hi all, hopefully someone can help me figure out what I’ve got here… I’ve inherited two Smith & Wesson revolvers in .38 Special that I didn't know my father even had previously. So unfortunately, I don’t have any cool backstory to share of us plinking in my childhood at cans or anything fun, or any other knowledge actually. (But I’m planning to start that hobby now, I for-sure can promise you!) Neither of them has a model number, although for clarification, one is just bigger, while the other is smaller. So I am guessing they are pretty old (as he was 82 himself) but I have no idea just how old they indeed are. I’ll attached combined pictures and data with the larger one on top and smaller one on the bottom of each picture. Thank you in advance for any help.
Bigger one:

1. Type: Hand Ejector
2. Serial: C239XXX
3. CTG: .38S&W Special
4. Barrel length: 4” barrel
5. Sights: Hand Ejector Fixed sights
6. Extra Info: has a handle Strain screw; no butt swivel, no lanyard ring, 5-screw

Smaller one:

1. Type: Hand Ejector
2. Serial: 113XXX
3. CTG: .38S&W Special
4. Barrel length: 1 7/8” barrel
5. Sights: Hand Ejector Fixed sights
6. Extra Info: no handle Strain screw; no butt swivel, no lanyard ring, 3-screw

Thanks so much!

 

[TwoGunSlinger]

Hi all, hopefully someone can help me figure out what I’ve got here… I’ve inherited two Smith & Wesson revolvers in .38 Special that I didn't know my father even had previously. So unfortunately, I don’t have any cool backstory to share of us plinking in my childhood at cans or anything fun, or any other knowledge actually. (But I’m planning to start that hobby now, I for-sure can promise you!) Neither of them has a model number, although for clarification, one is just bigger, while the other is smaller. So I am guessing they are pretty old (as he was 82 himself) but I have no idea just how old they indeed are. I’ll attached combined pictures and data with the larger one on top and smaller one on the bottom of each picture. Thank you in advance for any help.
Bigger one:

1. Type: Hand Ejector
2. Serial: C239XXX
3. CTG: .38S&W Special
4. Barrel length: 4” barrel
5. Sights: Hand Ejector Fixed sights
6. Extra Info: has a handle Strain screw; no butt swivel, no lanyard ring, 5-screw

Smaller one:

1. Type: Hand Ejector
2. Serial: 113XXX
3. CTG: .38S&W Special
4. Barrel length: 1 7/8” barrel
5. Sights: Hand Ejector Fixed sights
6. Extra Info: no handle Strain screw; no butt swivel, no lanyard ring, 3-screw

Thanks so much!

Further info, i did not remove any grips to uncover what I believe to be a hidden screw #1 on each gun, according to the reference pictures. So, i just assumed they each had a screw #1 given the number ordering with the diagram, despite not seeing it firsthand myself. Also, each gun only has an assembly number behind the yoke so I’ve not included that info according to the instructions. Lastly, the bigger gun (only) has a matching serial number on the underside of the barrel, while the smaller gun has nothing indicated in that location. Thanks Tom S. For putting my thread in the appropriate 1896-1961 section; I had no idea they were that old!!!

 

[YouveHadYour6]

Looks like you have, at a glance, a postwar pre-Model 10 M&P (Military & Police) which is the larger and a pre-Model 36 Chief's Special, which is the smaller. These were S&Ws major bread and butter guns for police especially for many, many decades and have well-deserved recognition as two of the great revolver designs of all time. The M&P is a bit earlier than the snubbie, but others I'm sure will be able to tell you more. I'd guess around '52 for the M&P and the Chief's should be about from approx. 1955 per the S&W Catalog by Supica.

If you ever do decide to remove the grip panels, they should be numbered to the serial number on the butt of the guns themselves, S&W normally 'matched' the stocks to a gun and issued the S/N on one panel when originally shipping. Your M&P looks to me to have later, replacement stocks, but the Chief's may be original and numbered.

Hope that helps, but we've experts on these who can share far more than I!

 

[robertrwalsh]

Those are both probably from just before Smith started putting model numbers on them, on the frame under the yoke. The larger one is a basic Military and Police from 1955, plus or minus one year. The smaller one is a Chiefs Special, probably from 1956 plus or minus one year. Somebody with better info and ability to track the serial numbers should be along soon. My info is from the Standard Catalog, 4th Edition.

 

[YouveHadYour6]

*Just wanted to add a thought, it's very possible given their closeness in production era and most common use that these were matched by someone as their personal duty and off-duty sidearms as a law officer of some sort at one point.

 

[Goony]

My best guess would be that the Military & Police shipped in 1953 and the Chiefs Special in late 1957.

 

[JP@AK]

Hi

The M&P, serial number C239xxx, almost certainly shipped in 1953. I show several of them in that serial range that shipped in June and July 1953. Curiously most of them are Airweight units. Your single photo showing the right side is too dark for me to read what is on the barrel. Does it say "Airweight" in that location?

The stocks on the M&P are much later than the gun. That style didn't show up until the mid-1960s.

The Chiefs Special is from about 1956 or 1957. Perhaps Bob will show up soon and give you a close estimate of its ship date. He is our resident expert on the Chiefs Special. It may be a day or so, since I know that he is heading to North Carolina for the S&W Collectors Association Annual Symposium. It's a long drive from Wyoming!

 

[daveboy]

Here's my C223XXX that I'm told shipped in 1952. Very nice guns.

 

[TwoGunSlinger]

I’m

Hi

The M&P, serial number C239xxx, almost certainly shipped in 1953. I show several of them in that serial range that shipped in June and July 1953. Curiously most of them are Airweight units. Your single photo showing the right side is too dark for me to read what is on the barrel. Does it say "Airweight" in that location?

The stocks on the M&P are much later than the gun. That style didn't show up until the mid-1960s.

The Chiefs Special is from about 1956 or 1957. Perhaps Bob will show up soon and give you a close estimate of its ship date. He is our resident expert on the Chiefs Special. It may be a day or so, since I know that he is heading to North Carolina for the S&W Collectors Association Annual Symposium. It's a long drive from Wyoming!

thanks for the info, I’ll attach brighter pics…. Crazy how i even had a flashlight on them plus the room lights but they didn’t turn out so well.
The only thing on each barrel is basic stuff, the larger one seems hardly an air weight size imo, but the smaller should could be although neither says that much anywhere.
C239XXX barrel:
Right: “38 S&W SPECIAL CTG.”
Left: “SMITH & WESSON”
113XXX Barrel:
Right: “38 S&W SPL.”
Left: “SMITH & WESSON”

 

[TwoGunSlinger]

Here's my C223XXX that I'm told shipped in 1952. Very nice guns.
View attachment 766720

That’s very sharp!!!

 

[Hawg Rider]

Welcome to the Forum! You've inherited a couple of nice vintage S&W revolvers, which have been correctly identified by our fellow Forum members. Glad to hear that you're going to add shooting to your list of hobbies, and these two .38 Spl. revolvers are very fun to shoot. You have the beginnings of a fine collection, and I suspect that you will be adding some more handguns in the future. Enjoy!

 

[JP@AK]

The only thing on each barrel is basic stuff, the larger one seems hardly an air weight size . . . neither says that much anywhere.

Right: “38 S&W SPL.”
Left: “SMITH & WESSON”

Thanks for that clarification. Your M&P is the steel frame version as we all expected. I only asked because of the serial number range.

BTW it has nothing to do with size. The M&P Airweight was also a K frame revolver. The only dimensional difference was that the grip frame was slightly thinner in cross section.

 

[DARE]

I’m

thanks for the info, I’ll attach brighter pics…. Crazy how i even had a flashlight on them plus the room lights but they didn’t turn out so well.
The only thing on each barrel is basic stuff, the larger one seems hardly an air weight size imo, but the smaller should could be although neither says that much anywhere.
C239XXX barrel:
Right: “38 S&W SPECIAL CTG.”
Left: “SMITH & WESSON”
113XXX Barrel:
Right: “38 S&W SPL.”
Left: “SMITH & WESSON”

I have found that a light background makes the gun dark in the picture. So a darker background and maybe some natural light would help. I have a big window at the front of the house that does a good job.

 

[NavyVet24]

I have no experience with the "38 S&W Special" cartridge so am only offering a potential cautionary thought. If you plan to start shooting these two, I think you need that specific cartridge, not the common "38 Special" cartridges because they have different lengths and diameters.

 

[kscharlie]

"38 S&W Special" and "38 Special" are the same identical cartridge, just different nomenclature. The other .38 cartridge is ".38 S&W". This is the shorter, fatter cartridge. The .38 S&W cartridge was chambered in the .38 Regulation Police Hand Ejector I frame, and later in the .38/200 British Service Revolver K frame during WW II.

 

[YouveHadYour6]

"38 S&W Special" and "38 Special" are the same identical cartridge, just different nomenclature. The other .38 cartridge is ".38 S&W". This is the shorter, fatter cartridge. The .38 S&W cartridge was chambered in the .38 Regulation Police Hand Ejector I frame, and later in the .38/200 British Service Revolver K frame during WW II.

+1, ."38 S&W Special" is what we now simply refer to as ".38 Special"

All goes back to Colt & S&W competing to 'brand' calibers and that tradition in general, .32 Colt New Police is .32 Smith & Wesson, etc.

 

[TwoGunSlinger]

Welcome to the Forum! You've inherited a couple of nice vintage S&W revolvers, which have been correctly identified by our fellow Forum members. Glad to hear that you're going to add shooting to your list of hobbies, and these two .38 Spl. revolvers are very fun to shoot. You have the beginnings of a fine collection, and I suspect that you will be adding some more handguns in the future. Enjoy!

Thanks Hawg Rider! I appreciate your welcoming and encouragement! I had discovered a super fun time with hand trap clay shooting a few years ago, so i guess that’s how i was chosen to receive these two. So, it will be a ton of fun, and S&W revolvers are for-sure my new favorite! it has been really fun to learn from you all! Thanks!