S&W .38 Heavy Duty gift.

Very nice S&W HD. Going from memory here. It appears to be very early post war, 46 or 47. From the picture it shows a large extractor knob with barrel cutout, one line "Made in USA" roll stamp and wearing early post war high horn diamond magna stocks. I believe the term used to describe this early post war S&W revolver is "Lerk", large extractor rod knob. Around 1948 some still had the large extractor knob but showing a two line address roll stamp. The early magna stocks, both K-frame and N-frame, had the high sharp square cut tops. Off hand I forget the term commonly used, seem to recall "High Horn" stocks? As the early post war boom kicked in S&W began to round off the tops of the magna stocks.

Also, the pre-war would still have easy to distinguish stocks and be the long action and possibly not have the hammer cutoff. ?? Post war went to the short action but some very early revolvers were assembled with existing pre-war parts and were still the long action. ??
Yes, exactly. The S&W Forum figured (like you have) 1946/47 transitional model. It has the old long action and 5 screws. My other Heavy Duty (1956) has the modern action with 4 screws.
 
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I've always had a soft spot for the 5-screws. In the mid 50's S&W went to the 4 screw models and very shortly after began the model names. e.g. 357 Magnum became the Model 27 etc. Actually the 4-screw pre-model name revolvers are not commonly found, Around 1961 S&W went to the 3-screw revolvers by eliminating the screw in front of the trigger guard. This screw holds the cylinder bolt spring but another cost cutting design had the spring installed internally. Still functions properly but another way to determine the time frame.
 
An American friend who is leaving Mexico to return permanently to the U.S. has recently sold off his extensive collection of S&W Model 19's and a few other items, and upon leaving informed me he was "gifting" me his Heavy Duty. Well, Canada is agoin' nowhere except into Vomit Soup, so the wife and I decided to fly off to Mexico to visit friends, see our 6-month pregnant daughter and son-in-law, and go get the Heavy Duty and leave it in a safe place. Until we can get back here more permanently.

She's quite the beauty for such an old revolver.
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It's a 5-screw Pre-War I believe.
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Now this Heavy Duty sits with Phil Roettingers Magnum from the Pacific War and my Model 49 Pocket Snubby.
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These firearms are stored real close to a place so dangerous, three people were gunned down (two women, one man) on the street just a block away from where my wife was taking this photo this morning. These guns are pretty safe from Canadian Liberals, but most firearms inside Canada are not unless Canadians wake up and realize that voting has consequences. There are wayyyy too many gun owners -- many on this website -- who voted at least once in the last 3 elections for the Liberals, NDP, Max or they just didn't vote. And they fully deserve to eat the complete serving they're being fed these days by the Canadian Government. It's only going to get worse, too, unless PP wins his majority, and soon.
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I have one of those post war 4 inch 38-44 HD revolvers. Good guns. - dan
 
Let's hope, and also work, to ensure the liberals are defeated and our blessed hobby can again ( 🤞🤞) be enjoyed in peace. I really miss all the great revolver conversations and "wheeling" and dealing on the EE. Just so sick of all this. I received a Chiappa M1 22 Friday at 11 AM only to discover it had been banned at 9:00 AM. Please, make it stop😩
 
That's a nice piece Bill. You see a lot of the grip spacers on the older police revolvers....I guess a lot of guys with big hands needed something more substantial to hold onto! The plum colour is interesting... don't think I've seen that before.
 
That looks like a 5-inch Heavy Duty. I've seen a lot of them, the Heavy Duty is extremely popular here in Mexico since it's really a .38 Special and yet will do anything a .357 Magnum will do. I'd have liked a 5-incher, but I keep falling into 4-inchers. I suppose I shouldn't complain, but I'm a bit of a Fresa when it comes to guns, if you understand the Spanish term. (It means "stuck up" when used to describe a person, otherwise it means "strawberry").
I had a 5 in one for a while, I was brought to me by the RCMP as owner did some stupid stuff.
At the time I had more revolvers then room and I had a buyer for it.
Last I heard it went on vacation to US , less heat I guess.
 
You're absolutely right I suppose. A lot of the "bot" distractions urging people to vote otherwise are paid for, I guess. Pierre will win or he won't. I'm a one-issue voter, if I can't have my guns then the country is just of no use to me as a residence. I'd really like Canada to get back on track. My own opinion of Canadians is that they are dangerous naive, but at the same time I have to admit that although I prayed to God he would win I was certain Trump would not be allowed to do so: and glory-be, I was sure wrong about that. I hope we have the same wave coming up to hit Canada.

Revolvers have more power for their size with the calibers Mexico allows a civilian to have than automatics. A .380 Super Cal (a 142 grain LSWC at about 1125 fps from a fully-supported barrel) fired from a 5-inch 1911 is really only as powerful as really smokin' .38 Special +P+ Lee cast 160 grain LSWC at 1,000 fps from a 4-inch Model 10. AND, that 4-inch "Model 10" could be a remarked .357 Magnum Model 13 firing a .38 Heavy Duty load like the Elmer Keith 170 grain LSWC over 13.5 grains of 2400 giving about 1,300 fps out of a 4-inch. And yes, it would hurt to shoot that. It would hurt a lot more to get hit with it.

Size for size and power for power, revolvers win hands down here in Mexico for defensive use. Right where I am right now, "defensive use" is the priority concern. We'll see if that gets better over time.

As for Canada, I hope we get to vote soon.
I didn't think the model 10s were rated for +p+. In fact, I thought I read an article of American handgunner stating that s&w explicitly mentioned not to use above +p in them.
 
Hey Calmex do you have conceal carry in Mexico or are your handguns range only? Permits must be a bureaucratic nightmare I’d imagine.
 
Hey Calmex do you have conceal carry in Mexico or are your handguns range only? Permits must be a bureaucratic nightmare I’d imagine.
Getting a concealed carry permit in Mexico is impossible without political intervention.

Who cares? Carry illegally and don't get caught. If you do get caught and happen to be carrying a revolver or automatic that you have legally registered with a "to and from a range" transport permit, you have committed and will be found guilty of a misdemeanor (at least, the first time they get you). You'll pay a fine and get your gun back probably. The first time. Down here. Get a good lawyer and use up some favors. At least that's what you do down here.

There are no "permits" to kidnap people off the street, drug them immediately and then send them into S.E.X slavery where they will be killed and disappeared the instant they stop producing or worse: send their victims to "organ farms" because their Ancestry DNA results show that they might be a match to that rich guy over there willing to pay 10 million for a liver (yes, that is a thing). I suppose being raised in the Canada or the US, it's easy to be naive as to how evil the World is, but that's okay because your turn is coming to find out and you won't like it.

Your attackers EXPECT you to be unarmed because they have spent billions in bribes and political "contributions" to lawmakers who will pass laws dictating that you have to be. It is up to you to decide how you handle this. I suggest a pocket Snubby with a load that brings tears to your eyes when you fire it because you need to drop the attackers BEFORE they tase you. Or it doesn't end well. And remember: never get in the trunk.

My wife showed me yesterday a photo of piles of shoes and sneakers recently unearthed in the state of Jalisco of young people who have been disappeared. No bodies found yet.

My daughter recently visited Auschwitz, and sent me photos of the rooms of the shoes. Seeing that pile of unearthed shoes in Jalisco brought up the same feelings of disgust I felt when my daughter sent me the pictures of the little shoes from Auschwitz. We are fighting a war here, and most people don't even know they're in it. I don't know what to tell you, but a piece of paper given to you by a bureaucrat, it is not all that important when it comes to making a decision about whether or not to protect yourself. It is more important to remember my family motto, in Latin, copied from Lord Sinclair: "Concilio et prudenta". Sneaky is best.

The room of the shoes at Auschwitz. An unauthorized WhattsApp video by my daughter, who like her old man, just doesn't listen.

 
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An American friend who is leaving Mexico to return permanently to the U.S. has recently sold off his extensive collection of S&W Model 19's and a few other items, and upon leaving informed me he was "gifting" me his Heavy Duty. Well, Canada is agoin' nowhere except into Vomit Soup, so the wife and I decided to fly off to Mexico to visit friends, see our 6-month pregnant daughter and son-in-law, and go get the Heavy Duty and leave it in a safe place. Until we can get back here more permanently.

She's quite the beauty for such an old revolver.
View attachment 916066

It's a 5-screw Pre-War I believe.
View attachment 916067

Now this Heavy Duty sits with Phil Roettingers Magnum from the Pacific War and my Model 49 Pocket Snubby.
View attachment 916068

These firearms are stored real close to a place so dangerous, three people were gunned down (two women, one man) on the street just a block away from where my wife was taking this photo this morning. These guns are pretty safe from Canadian Liberals, but most firearms inside Canada are not unless Canadians wake up and realize that voting has consequences. There are wayyyy too many gun owners -- many on this website -- who voted at least once in the last 3 elections for the Liberals, NDP, Max or they just didn't vote. And they fully deserve to eat the complete serving they're being fed these days by the Canadian Government. It's only going to get worse, too, unless PP wins his majority, and soon.
View attachment 916065
Fascinating thread and I like your style and POV Calmex
 
I didn't think the model 10s were rated for +p+. In fact, I thought I read an article of American handgunner stating that s&w explicitly mentioned not to use above +p in them.
Two different friends of mine who worked at the plant in the 1960s and '70s told me that any model marked S&W revolver was heat-treated to the same standards as the 357's to avoid accidents. I have seen 357 powered ammo loaded in 38 special cases accidentally fired out of a model 14-4 and in one case out of a model 60-1 with no damage other than to the person's pride. I don't suggest that you try this, and I certainly won't, but I wouldn't lay awake nights worrying about shooting factory +p out of any S&W model marked revolver.

In the case if the Model 60-1, a daft old codger loaded one of Michael's 202 grain LSWC bullets loaded with 12.6 grains of 2400 in a 38 Special case (giving 1400 fps out of an 8-inch Python for a 280 Power Factor) and let his wife shoot it off. Allen had to pound the case out of the cylinder using his squib rod, but the revolver seems fine.

"Don't do this" is my advice to that.
 
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