Quote:
|
Also, if it's a 38 Special then it will actually say 38 S&W Special CTG. on the barrel (38 S&W SPL on short barrels).
|
+1. FYI older S&Ws chambered in .38S&W don't say "Special" on the barrel, just ".38 S&W CTG." or ".38 S&W".
Quote:
|
My dad is looking at what he says is a five screw, six sot .38...
|
FWIW if it's a 5-screw gun that lacks the word "Special" but will chamber a .38Spl cartridge, tell your dad to keep looking. It's likely one of the infamous .38Spl conversions of a former British military Lend-Lease Victory from WWII. These guns were originally manufactured in .38S&W but rechambered in .38Spl for commercial sale in the U.S. They have zero value as collectibles due to the modifications, and are sometimes unsafe to fire due to the poor quality of the reworking.
IMHO if he wants a cheap S&W, there is no reason to settle for one of these hack jobs anymore. There are plenty of holster-worn but mechanically tight 60s and 70s-vintage police trade-in M10s floating around for basically the same price. Tell him to buy one of those instead.
