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Knowing the caliber would be nice. 
Appears to be a 3rd model 44 Wolf & Klar or it could be a 38-44 Heavy Duty.
Dates to the late 1920s (I think).
DWalt
Member
Can't make out the SN, looks like it starts with 30xxx or maybe 38xxx. If the former, 1929. If the latter, 1931. Maybe a .44, 3rd Model. Grips are definitely unoriginal. Appears to have been refinished.
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Larry
T help us identify, please go here: To IDENTIFY your Gun >
Modified
Member
100% refinished, non-factory job by the look of it.
The other side of the barrel should show the caliber, that would help a great deal in identifying. Also, take off the grips and check the SN on the bottom of the grip frame, it should be easier to read. All I can tell is that it looks like an N frame to me.
.38 Special. Was my great grandfathers when he was a constable. Died in 1956. My father found it on the property rusted up at one point in life, repaired and re-blued it in his wannabe gunsmithing days in the mid 70's, made the grips that are on it about the same time. For all I know, it could have b@stard parts on it or something.
You have a .38/44 Heavy Duty, which is a .38 special built on a .44 (N) frame. It was developed in 1930 as a heavier load in order to penetrate car bodies, due to gangsters like Bonnie and Clyde. It was the forerunner of the .357 Magnum.
hkcavalier
US Veteran
And many were converted to .357 Magnum. Something to determine.
When looking at this gun, to identify caliber in the absence of other clues, remember the front sight is taller for larger calibers. Notice that the front sight is rather short, but also has a factory profile. This leads me to believe it was a 38/44 HD at the get go. The taller front sight angles the bore axis down, to counteract the rise in trajectory of the larger calibers. Of course, front sights can also be altered, post factory, so always look for that.
This same rule is true on K frame targets, etc. On pre war K frame targets (with the pre war target rear sight, not the micrometer), for example, the shortest front sight will be the K-22 OD, followed by a 32-20 target, followed by the 38 spl M&P target.
This same rule is true on K frame targets, etc. On pre war K frame targets (with the pre war target rear sight, not the micrometer), for example, the shortest front sight will be the K-22 OD, followed by a 32-20 target, followed by the 38 spl M&P target.
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ABPOS
Member
I think it's really really nice. Would be a really fun gun to shoot I would imagine. And it looks good too. I like parkerizing / matte blue.
I'd thought it was a Heavy Duty. My father said it was a 38/44 Outdoorsman when I was a kid, but as I got older and actually paid attention, I deducted later that he was dead wrong. The hammer spur looks a little different than some pictures I've seen, and I wondered if it wasn't swapped when he was repairing it. But I know nothing of these things.
Serial number is 50639 on the butt, cylinder, and inside behind the yoke.
Serial number is 50639 on the butt, cylinder, and inside behind the yoke.
The big difference between the Heavy Duty and the Outdoorsman is that the Outdoorsman has adjustable sights.
Looking inside of the ejector rod shroud, I thought first digit of the SN was a 3. The SN you posted would put it into the mid to late '30s.
Looking inside of the ejector rod shroud, I thought first digit of the SN was a 3. The SN you posted would put it into the mid to late '30s.
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DWalt
Member
50639
lI list SN 502xx as shipping in 2/37. Yours was likely to have been made in 1937 also. Although the barrel is stamped .38 S&W Special, it was designed around the .38-44 cartridge, which was simply a more heavily loaded version of the .38 Special having a MV around 1100 ft/sec. It is no longer available except by handloading. But of course any .38 Special cartridges can be used. It's a good idea to see if the chambers have been lengthened to accept .357 Magnum cartridges as previously mentioned. If you have access to a .357 fired case or cartridge try it. The rims should contact the rear face of the cylinder if the chambers have been altered. You should get a replacement top sideplate screw, and they are available. Look on eBay.
lI list SN 502xx as shipping in 2/37. Yours was likely to have been made in 1937 also. Although the barrel is stamped .38 S&W Special, it was designed around the .38-44 cartridge, which was simply a more heavily loaded version of the .38 Special having a MV around 1100 ft/sec. It is no longer available except by handloading. But of course any .38 Special cartridges can be used. It's a good idea to see if the chambers have been lengthened to accept .357 Magnum cartridges as previously mentioned. If you have access to a .357 fired case or cartridge try it. The rims should contact the rear face of the cylinder if the chambers have been altered. You should get a replacement top sideplate screw, and they are available. Look on eBay.
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If its been fired over 200 times in the last 40 years, I don't know about it. I shot it very little when my interest peaked, but bought a 4" 686 when I was 17 and this has basically resided in a closet or gun cabinet. I shot it today using the bag of gun show reloads my dad bought at a show in 1992. I don't know if it was a bag of 100 or 50, but there were about 30 or so rounds remaining. Hits about 2"right and 2" low from 15yds off of bags. I thought it shot left, but I guess I wasn't remembering that you had to aim left.
