The Un-loved .38 Spl (Pics)

[herb]

There was a time when .38 spl was the mainstay of law enforcement and darling of wheel gun owners. With the advent of the magnums and x-large calibers like the .500 S&W, the .38 is dying. Every time I pick up a classic .38 revolver the gun store clerk tries to steer me towards a stainless .357 or .44.

I always had a soft spot for the S&W Military & Police .38 spl. My dad was in the air force and he brought home a S&W .38 a couple of times and as a young boy I would never tire of staring at it. Then I was in the No. 1 Karnataka Air NCC and was provided with ample opportunity to shoot one. There was an yearly cadet quota and the Sgt. told us that he had to fire about 1200 rounds in a few weeks and return the empty shells to the HQ. Me and a couple of friends volunteered to do it for him and we shot a couple of hours every day in the big pit behind the NCC office so that the Sgt. could finish his yearly quota.

Sharing some pics of my all original S&W .38 spl., it still retains most of the bluing and the case colors on the trigger & hammer after nearly 50 years.

















Herb

[timmy]

There was a time when .38 spl was the mainstay of law enforcement and darling of wheel gun owners. With the advent of the magnums and x-large calibers like the .500 S&W, the .38 is dying. Every time I pick up a classic .38 revolver the gun store clerk tries to steer me towards a stainless .357 or .44.

Isn't that a dismal turn of events? I love the .38 Special! It is very accurate, ammunition can be obtained or reloaded to be fairly potent, and for target use, it is a real pleasure to shoot. I load 140-148 gr bullets with 2.7 gr of Bullseye and I'm sure that someone with good eyes standing behind me could see the bullet! It is almost like shooting a .22 in sound, recoil, and best of all, cost. This is a round that has earned its stripes over many years and deserves a lot more love than it's getting!

There was an yearly quota and the Sgt. told us that he had to fire about 1200 rounds in a few weeks and return the empty shells to the HQ. Me and a couple of friends voluteered to do it for him and we shot a couple of hours every day in the big pit behind the NCC office so that the Sgt. could finish his yearly quota.

Oh, Herb, such an onerous task! I am so glad that you have borne up under the strain of having to do all of that shooting!

Your K-38 is not unloved. I love your pics. I have a K-22 of about the same age and condition. It was my Uncle's, and the first handgun I really shot. After many years, when he passed, it became mine. It is loved, too!

Thanks for posting the pics of such a nice weapon: a true classic, a well-made and accurate gun, and something we all look at and admire as a piece of art.

[herb]

I love the .38 Special! It is very accurate, ammunition can be obtained or reloaded to be fairly potent, and for target use, it is a real pleasure to shoot.

Thanks Timmy, glad you liked the pics. Very true about the .38's shoot-ability. Unlike the .44, 460's or the .500's, one can really enjoying this baby at the range although if I was carrying for wilderness protection the .44 mag or the .500 would be my choice.

One could always go for a .357 mag and shoot the .38 in it but then the frame size would be a little larger and the gun would be heavier.

Herb

[Vikram]

Herb,

Another little gem out of your endless collection . Lovely looking six-shooter.


Best-
Vikram

[herb]

Not sure if this can be called a revolver but close and very interesting nevertheless. Saw this picture in a 1950's magazine.

[timmy]

As I understand it, Nock was a pretty famous London Gun maker. Here's his wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Nock

and a wiki about the gun itself:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nock_gun

http://southessex.co.uk/weapons/nock.htm

http://www.americanrifleman.org/article ... volley-gun

I remember, as a kid, when "The Alamo" came out. All boys were talking about Richard Widmark blasting with that thing!

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[ckkalyan]

Thanks herb for posting pictures of your S&W .38 - beautiful revolver, in excellent condition!

[xl_target]

Very nice Herb!
She is in beautiful condition for her age.

[TC]

Herb, thank you s much for another wonderful post and sharing with us photos of your absolutely lovely Smith.

One regret though.... wish I too had met a man who would want me to finish his quota of 38 Spl ammo

On a serious note, your memories made a wonderful read.

Thanks again

TC

[BowMan]

A wheelgun in .38 Special can never be an unloved thing for me. In my humble opinion there is something about the round that is just right for the purpose it is intended. It comes from the age when gun owners were wise enough to understand that shot placement and accuracy was more important than stopping power per se and the magnum craze was only just starting off. Strange to observe that in many markets the 9mm parabellum round that is standard issue in armies/special forces all over the world is considered by many on the streets to be under powered!? Perhaps it is difficult not to be a bit nostalgic when one comes across a revolver like that...

But coming back to your beautiful revolver, I notice that it seems like a .38 M&P rather than a K-38?

[TC]

But coming back to your beautiful revolver, I notice that it seems like a .38 M&P rather than a K-38?

Bowman if I am not wrong this is a Military and Police 38 Special Model 10-5 produced between 1961-62 and 1977-78.
The chambers were rated for +P rounds, hammers and trigger colour case hardened. These excellent revolvers were used in large number by men in uniform and US civilians alike. I have seen old advertisements that state a price of around 100 dollars. Interestingly, the Indian government also imported these revolvers in quite large numbers for the police and military and many are still in service.

I read a review in American Rifleman years ago that said although the main coil spring was supposed to release a pressure of 8 pounds it was much heavier and in fact broke at more than 12 pounds.



TC

[herb]

One regret though.... wish I too had met a man who would want me to finish his quota of 38 Spl ammo

TC - I was lucky, My dad was stationed at the Air Force Station Sambra in Belgaum. Sgt. Hanifa had worked in the same section as my dad in the past and was then posted in the NCC. The way I remember the NCC instructors were never comfortable taking the cadets out to shoot the revolvers as safety was a major concern,with rifles once they are prone on the ground and the muzzle pointing down range it is not easy to turn the muzzle in an unsafe direction. With revolvers the gun would point in an unsafe direction with a turn of the wrist. There were many instances when there was a mis-fire and the cadet would turn with the gun in hand towards the instructor, remember this was the junior NCC and most of us were 16-17 years old then, and grew up reading Sudden/Louis L'Amour' and watching movies where revolvers were spun in every direction and way possible by the gun man. So at the end of the year there would always be a lot of unused .38 ammo remaining, empty shells had to be strictly accounted for and would reflect badly on the instructors if the quota was not used and the empty shells returned.

But coming back to your beautiful revolver, I notice that it seems like a .38 M&P rather than a K-38?

TC is spot on. The exact model is M & P .38 10-5 with 6" barrel. It is a .38 S&W on a K frame so can broadly be also called a K-38, although I think Model 14 was designated as a K-38 by S&W.

I have seen old advertisements that state a price of around 100 dollars. Interestingly, the Indian government also imported these revolvers in quite large numbers for the police and military and many are still in service.
TC

Some old advertisements...

1969



1990




Herb

[BowMan]

Well I almost certainly think it's an M&P/Model 10. If the grips are original to the gun then it is definitely post 1967 so 10-5 could be correct. But the only thing that stands out to me is that front sight? I thought that style was exclusive to Model 11 or .38/300 M&P or the M&P Police Airweight? Is it possibly a transition between the moon moon and a ramp?

And since this is all about appreciating fine revolvers in .38 Special let me share pictures of something I came across not so long ago. While Smith have always made fine revolvers and have somewhat stolen the march over their great rivals particularly in the post war years, there was an era when Colt was the name that first came to mind when one mentioned revolvers.

Not so long ago my father was scouting for good revolvers and he came across this beautiful example of a Colt Official Police. I'd say if S&W M&P/Model 10 later became the standard issue in most Police departments, in the years before the 2nd World War that position definitely belonged to Colt in terms of popularity and also quality. Colt did suffer some decrease in terms of quality, workmanship automation took over and since they were always priced higher than S&W their popularity waned a bit but that's another story...the pictures of the old gun that I have posted is a pre war example. It was such an pretty gun when the dealer showed it to my father with what remains of it's original finish and what can be termed as honest wear that comes with age. But he still remembers the gun as having one of the smoothest actions he had come across (I believe Colt actions were hand tuned during this era). Pity all these .38 Specials are disappearing in our country at the hands of greedy gunsmiths. But again we will discuss conspiracies another time...this thread is for appreciation.

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[timmy]

But coming back to your beautiful revolver, I notice that it seems like a .38 M&P rather than a K-38?

Yes, you are right, it's a Model 10, and not a Model 14 K-38. The K-22 & K-38 have adjustable sights.

[BowMan]

Off topic but could someone please point out to me why my images are visible only as attachments - thanks.