38 S&W CTG

G

grow722

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I recently inherited a pistol of my grandfather's. He used to carry it in his belt when we hiked in the woods back in the 60s. I'd like to find out more about this gun. I've posted several pictures. On the left side of the barrel, it say "38 .S & .W CTG" bookended by two symbols. On the butt of the handle there is the s/n "454288". On the top of the barrel it says (bookended by those symbols)
"SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MASS, U.S.A"
"PAT'D MAY 11, 1880 JAN (UNREADABLE SYMBOL) 1882 APRIL 9 1889"

The handle has a SW engraved letters in a circle on it with the words TRADE on top of the circle and MARK on the bottom of the circle. The black plastic grip also has the SW logo on each side.

Anything you can tell me about this, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,

DG
 

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I'll apologize in advance for stating the obvious but the .38 S&W is different from the .38 Special when you go to buy ammunition for it...are you going to shoot it or keep it as something to remember your grandfather by?
 
I would say your revolver is in rather poor condition appearance wise. The collector's want revolvers in much better shape. Therefore your revolver most likely has more sentimental value than money value. Its value is well under a hundred dollars. I just acquired a S&W safety hammerless breaktop revolver in .38 S&W. It's ammunition is not found in your typical firearms stores. I checked Academy, Gander Mountain and several smaller stores without success. Finally I was able to order some from Bass Pro and have it shipped free and without a Hazmat fee to my nearest Bass Pro store.

I was also able to find reloading dies, brass and bullets is the right size for reloading. You can use Winchester 231, Red Dot and Unique powder. There are other less common powders that will work. I am using Unique since it has the best performance with the least pressure of the three powders mentioned.
 
cosmetically it looks rough... does it seem to cycle & lock up OK ??? the ratchet looks good...

I collect these, & reload for the 38 S&W cartridge, & actually shoot them quite a bit...

if it means a lot to you, there are shops that could put a high polish blue finish on that gun... it will no longer be original, but will look as nice as your possible memories are of it...

IMO, it's likely worth more than $100.00 as long as it functions correctly, even though the finish is rough...

BTW... how's the bore look ???
 
Added to which: The CTG on the barrel is only a part of the caliber designation (cartridge). Your gun is not a "CTG", that's not a model designation, don't refer to it as such in discussing it with people.

And, the grips are what's usually referred to as hard rubber, not plastic.
Denis
 
DPris said:
...the grips are what's usually referred to as hard rubber, not plastic.
Click to expand...
Additionally, I strongly recommend against attempting to remove them unless it must be done to repair a known and understood problem.

Vintage S&W hard rubber (aka gutta percha) grips tend to stick to the frame over time, and they are notorious for chipping, cracking, or disintegrating on removal unless they are painstakingly cut away.
 
Thanks!

Thanks for all the advice on the gun. It is definitely of more sentimental value to me. This gun has definitely been ridden hard. I'm going to have it cleaned and re-blued. I'll probably get some ammo to fire it once I get it in nice condition. The action is a little tight on it, but that's to be expected given the condition it is in. The bore looks clean. Thank you for the advice on the pistol grips. I'm going to let a professional handle the restoration.

It was still fun to find out about my grandfather's gun. I've paid the $50 to Smith & Wesson to get a history on the gun. It will be nice to know when it was made, etc.

Like I said, it's really about the sentimental value for me.

Best regards,

DG:D
 
It has me feeling better to hear others think your revolver is worth more dollar wise than I mentioned. It also possibly means my old S&W revolver is worth a bit more than the $75.00 I paid for it.

I have also requested a letter from Mr. Jinks at S&W on my revolver. It has a 5 pointed star stamped on the butt under the serial number. This star means the revolver was returned to S&W for either a replacement of a major component and/or a refinish. There is also a date on the grip frame stating it was returned in 1929 for one of these services.

I will have mine refinished after I have the letter. This is because I want it either blued or nickeled based upon its original finish. Here is who I plan on using:

http://www.mahovskysmetalife.com/index.htm

I have used their services before and was very pleased.

I have removed my hard rubber grips, and I guess lucky they did not suffer damage. The grips will have to be removed prior to a refinish. My right grip has the correct serial number on the inside of it. Yours probably does too.

My revolver shoots great. Here are pictures.
 

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Squirt a little WD 40 around your grips. Let them sit a while, then remove the grip screw. Very lightly tap around the outside of each grip with the handle of your screwdriver. VERY LIGHTLY! If the grips don't lift right off, get a single-edged razor blade and try to pry them up EVENLY all around.
 
I slide a guitar pick between the frame and the grip, and go around the grip with it to pry it up evenly. They're thin enough, and they're plastic so they won't scratch anything. You can also double them for added thickness if necessary.
 
Another trick with those grips is to unscrew the grip screw a few turns, then tap the screwdriver lightly. That often loosens the opposite grip. Then unscrew the screw a few more turns and do the same until the grip is loose enough to remove it.

Jim
 
^^^... I collect these guns... & that is the method I use... & have yet to break one... the locator pin at the bottom of the grip is often an area of greatest problem to free up...
 
these old revolvers are awesome :-)

A revolver with a grip safety did the company name it "lemon squeezer" or was that a popular name coined by users?

Gary
 
There are collectors who detest the term lemon squeezer and say there is no basis for this terminology. I have made this mistake before and got blasted for it.

I researched the term and never found a basis for it. I would enjoy hearing from someone with knowledge of it.
 
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