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Inherited from Grandfather

7K views 44 replies 21 participants last post by  Wiregrassguy 
#1 · (Edited)
Can anyone tell me anything about this weapon? I'm going to take it to a gun smith before I shoot it as there is deformation on the left handed side of the cartridge.
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#4 ·
Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! I can tell you that it's not a Smith & Wesson. I can't make out what is stamped on the top of the barrel. I suspect it's a Spanish copy that looks like the Smith & Wesson M&P. Unfortunately these guns were very inexpensive and may not be fully functional.

Guy
 
#6 ·
I believe the "Deformation" you're looking at is the recoil shield on the left side of the revolver just behind the cylinder, and in front of the release latch.
If that's what you're talking about, that's pretty much normal. It's bent that way so the ejector rod on the back of the cylinder has a place to slide thru when you swing open the cylinder.
I know it looks odd, but it's there for good reason.
 
#9 ·
I think Bill may have a better answer. The Spanish and the belgians copied Smith & Wesson guns from the late eighteen hundreds up until after World War II. So it could be either Spanish or Belgian in origin. From the sound of the stampings on top, it could easily be Belgian.

Guy
 
#10 · (Edited)
The pistol grip has the marking of the EIBAR region of Spain where many of these guns come from.
Thus, a Spanish copy of a S&W.
It shoots only .38 Long cartridges. You may have a difficult time finding ammo in your area for it. It is most often found at local or regional gun shows by some ammo loaders/resellers.
The more common .38 Special [.38 SPL] ammo won't fit in this cylinder as it's too long.
 
#11 ·
It looks pretty much normal. Have a gunsmith go over it and let you know if it's safe to shoot or not.
Your gun is only worth somewhere around $250-300.
 
#15 ·
Hi - welcome to the forum!

If he had it in Korea, it may have been a personal weapon he took there or something he acquired locally. It would not have been an issued weapon.

My supposition is the gun got to Korea after WWII and before 1950. These were made in huge quantities by the Spanish and Belgians, so would have been fairly inexpensive and easy to move around. He likely found a seller in Pusan or somewhere and acquired it. Again, just a guess.

It bears a strong resemblance to the M&P .38 pistols that were shipped to Europe as part of Lend-Lease. They were known as Victory pistols. They would have stocks (grips) very similar to yours and a lanyard ring under the butt. They fired a .38/200 caliber bullet, known in the US as .38 S&W. Those are shorter and a tad fatter than .38 Specials, so the Special round will go partway into the cylinder, loosely, and not all the way in being longer than the S&W one. If you look in the individual cylinders, you will see a ridgeline about 2/3 of the way in, and that is where the brass stops when loading the round.

if the gunsmith gives the OK, then any commercial .38 S&W bullets should work OK. They would likely be lead round-nose. Should be fun to shoot - the .38 S&W is a mild round (aka .38 "short and weak") so should have mild recoil.

As was noted, that deformation in the recoil shield is common on all revolvers that have a swing-open cylinder - this so the hub of the shell-ejecting star has a place to go.
 
#17 ·
Tell us what the gunsmith says and when you you shoot it let you hear about that also.
 
#24 ·
Not to confuse anyone, there was a 38 Colt Special with was basically a 38 S&W Special. Colt didn't want 38 S&W Special stamped on their revolver barrels. The Colt cartridge had a flat nose bullet where the S&W cartridge at the time had a round nose bullet. If my memory is correct, the 38 Colt Special cartridge had a 150 grain bullet where the 38 S&W Special had a 158 grain bullet.

I doubt very seriously the OP's revolver would be chambered for the 38 Colt Special Cartridge. I'm not trying to imply that at all.
 
#25 ·
As a Spanish copy of a S&W revolver, many collectors turn their noses up at them.........However, some of them were manufactured to acceptable standards........and as a family heirloom, it is without a doubt "Priceless" (to your family). You deserve to be proud of it.

Welcome to the forum,

Geezer
 
#28 · (Edited)
Lots of discussion about the various incarnations of .38 rounds - this seems to be a pretty good summary!

The Other .38?s: Short, Long and Everything in Between - Guns.com

Miss SMurphy - see what ya started?!?! Pretty typical of the forum - once we got the bit in our teeth, hang on for the ride! You're gonna learn a lot more than you bargained for, likely!

One other little thing - if indeed .38 Long Colt rounds fit, or .38 S&Ws, the pressures generated by their commercial loads should not stress your gun all that much. Today's powder loads are actually milder than what was loaded back in the day, so are actually less likely to harm the gun than the old rounds were. The Spanish did make some good guns - I have a Star 9mm semi-auto that is a perfectly excellent shooting gun. They also made some crap, but I believe the markings on yours are of the better variety. Also the "fit and finish" appears on the higher end of the scale, ie pretty well made.
 
#33 ·
I never realized how many different types of .38 there was. So yes I'm learning a LOT. Which is great!

That's a relief about the fit and finish. I'm still going to take it to a gun smith, but I'm glad to hear a few people think it can be shot. I'd rather have a gun that can be shot than one that hangs on a mantel... Although If Papa's gun from the Korean war *just* can sit on the mantle that isn't that bad. :) At the very least it'll be a conversation starter.
 
#29 ·
.38 Long Colt was originally a black powder cartridge and the official US service cartridge before (and the reason for) the .45 ACP. It is slightly shorter and less powerful than the .38 S&W Special.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.38_Long_Colt
 
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#34 ·
.38 Long Colt was originally a black powder cartridge and the official US service cartridge before (and the reason for) the .45 ACP. It is slightly shorter and less powerful than the .38 S&W Special.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.38_Long_Colt
Haven't read the wiki article yet so please excuse my ignorance... What was "wrong" with the .38L that they US switched to .45 ACP?
 
#37 ·
IMHO a Ruger Speed Six is one of the best revolvers ever made. W/ regular shooting & cleaning it should last several generations. What part of the country are you located in? We've got forum members in most states & might be able to recommend a gunsmith to check your gun.
 
#38 ·
If you hand the revolver to a gunsmith and he/she says a revolver haven't seen one of those in a while , you might want to take it to a different gunsmith. Checking the action on a revolver is not difficult. There are YouTube videos that tell you how to do this. The real issue is what cartridge is the gun chambered for. 38 Long Colt is not a very powerful cartridge. That gun should be able to handle 38 Long Colt. That's presuming that Chambers tightly in the in the cylinder Chambers. 38 Special is a more common cartridge. It is the same diameter as 38 Long Colt. However, it is longer and should not fully insert into the cylinder. But , if it inserts, that is the correct diameter cartridge and is likely 38 Long Colt. I say all this because 38 Long Colt is not a common cartridge any longer and may be difficult to find. But you should not shoot anything more powerful than that cartridge in that gun.

Guy
 
#39 ·
.38 long or short Colt brass can be made by cutting down .38 special brass & reloaded by a knowledgeable reloader. However if it was mine I'd likely never shoot it, even w/ mild loads, just keep it for a keepsake.
 
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