Help with info about an inherited gun

TennLee · February 8, 2013, 02:00 PM

Hello everyone.

I confess I'm a noobie with my first post. While I've been in the USAF for more than 20 years, I know very little about the details of revolvers. I wonder if anyone can shed any light or speculation on my grandfather's pistol I now possess.

I don't shoot it and don't desire to. The ammo found with it looks ancient, and I wonder if its really the wrong kind and should be long colt. What's especially odd is while the gun says S&W on it, its barrel says Colt. I'd guess sometime decades ago the original barrel was damaged and a smith or just a person replaced it.

Thanks for any insight. I saw the thread about S&W serial numbers, but it seems to gap between the late twenties and WWII and I'm guessing this gun is from somewhere around that area.

Scorch · February 8, 2013, 02:54 PM

Looks like somebody modded a butchered S&W by screwing in a Colt barrel (with its lack of the crane lock). But the front sight is S&W. Hmmm. Parts gun/frankengun? Definitely not factory.

James K · February 8, 2013, 04:17 PM

The mismatched parts make the gun interesting but eliminate any value except as a novelty. The .38 Special ammunition would probably fire well enough, but I have doubts about firing any gun that has had that much done to it.

Jim

Ferretboy · February 9, 2013, 01:22 AM

Be very interesting to hear what stories that gun could tell....

TennLee · February 9, 2013, 09:09 AM

Thanks for the opinions, everyone.

jackpine · February 9, 2013, 11:47 AM

to my eye it looks to be a spanish made DA revolver and it may be chambered in 38 colt and not 38 special. If you don't know it to be in working order just put it in a display case because the gunsmiths i work with would not want to mess with a mix master or a spanish made S&W copy

James K · February 11, 2013, 07:42 PM

No, I think it is, or rather was, a genuine S&W. But a gun that has had that much done to it is suspect, IMHO. Still, I wouldn't want to say it won't fire. Many S&Ws have had the front extractor rod support removed and still worked OK. I am not sure about the barrel threads and how the barrel has been fitted.

Jim

Winchester_73 · February 11, 2013, 11:27 PM

Quote:

to my eye it looks to be a spanish made DA revolver and it may be chambered in 38 colt and not 38 special. If you don't know it to be in working order just put it in a display case because the gunsmiths i work with would not want to mess with a mix master or a spanish made S&W copy

No, its definitely not that. The frame, trigger, hammer, etc all have the exact S&W profile. Also, the screws, cylinder notches, are all S&W. Spanish copies can be close (many are not) but they are never exact, and after you train your eye, its relatively easy to tell the differences. Its probably the Colt barrel profile and the extractor rod that are throwing you off.

jackpine · February 12, 2013, 12:50 AM

fair enough, I've only seen about 5 spanish specials so I could be wrong

JimmyR · February 12, 2013, 02:42 AM

Plus the S&W logo on the frame kinda negate the idea of a spanish special. I'm no expert, but it definitely looks like a Frankengun.

As for shooting, I woulld be very hesitant, and have a gunsmith check it first...

February 8, 2013, 02:54 PM	#2
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Looks like somebody modded a butchered S&W by screwing in a Colt barrel (with its lack of the crane lock). But the front sight is S&W. Hmmm. Parts gun/frankengun? Definitely not factory. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

February 9, 2013, 01:22 AM	#4
Ferretboy Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2012 Location: Longview, WA Posts: 214	Be very interesting to hear what stories that gun could tell.... __________________ There is no such thing as Overkill, Dead is Dead!

February 12, 2013, 12:50 AM	#9
jackpine Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2010 Posts: 351	Winchester_73 fair enough, I've only seen about 5 spanish specials so I could be wrong

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February 8, 2013, 04:17 PM	#3
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The mismatched parts make the gun interesting but eliminate any value except as a novelty. The .38 Special ammunition would probably fire well enough, but I have doubts about firing any gun that has had that much done to it. Jim

February 9, 2013, 09:09 AM	#5
TennLee Junior Member Join Date: February 8, 2013 Location: East Tennessee Posts: 2	Thanks for the opinions, everyone.

February 9, 2013, 11:47 AM	#6
jackpine Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2010 Posts: 351	to my eye it looks to be a spanish made DA revolver and it may be chambered in 38 colt and not 38 special. If you don't know it to be in working order just put it in a display case because the gunsmiths i work with would not want to mess with a mix master or a spanish made S&W copy

February 11, 2013, 07:42 PM	#7
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	No, I think it is, or rather was, a genuine S&W. But a gun that has had that much done to it is suspect, IMHO. Still, I wouldn't want to say it won't fire. Many S&Ws have had the front extractor rod support removed and still worked OK. I am not sure about the barrel threads and how the barrel has been fitted. Jim

February 12, 2013, 02:42 AM	#10
JimmyR Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2012 Posts: 1,273	Plus the S&W logo on the frame kinda negate the idea of a spanish special. I'm no expert, but it definitely looks like a Frankengun. As for shooting, I woulld be very hesitant, and have a gunsmith check it first...