SainthoodDenied
New member
Owning a big truck for all of my driving life has gotten me into more situations of helping someone move than I can remember, well for once it has paid off.
On the top shelf in the back of one of her closets was a Smith and Wesson model 38 Airweight and in a plastic container on the floor of the closet the box was found.
It had sat up there laying out between some clothes for over 25 years where it was put after her husband told her to put it somewhere incase she ever needed it and has laid there ever since.
She asked if it was loaded and I said yes, seeing the back of the cartridges from the side, I pushed the cylinder release which was very stiff and tried to push the cylinder out to unload it, I finally had to hold it sideways and push it out with both thumbs while holding the frame. The cylinder had the to turned by hand since it would not spin freely and I didn't try to close it telling her it was in need of a major cleaning and oiling.
So we finish the moving and I get home and start the cleaning and oiling, once I got the cylinder spinning freely and opening and closing with ease I tried to pull back the spur hammer and it was so stiff I couldn't get it all the way back by thumb cocking. Well I took off the side plate and removed the hammer block since it had a couple spots of surface rust, cleaned it up and cleaned and oiled the rest of the insides then put it all back together.
Being an aluminum frame kept any rust off the frame I guess but it did have one spot of surface rust on the left side where the barrel and shroud meet which came off easily with only a tiny blemish left behind.
It had a pair of black rubber grips mounted on it but in the box were the original wood grips which I put back on after cleaning, the box still has the cleaning rod and brush, instruction manual, warranty card and ads for other S&W items like holsters, knives and ammo.
I bought a pocket holster and box of ammo for it Monday and it's going to become one of my main carry guns now. It now functions and shoots great.
Time for a pic..
On the top shelf in the back of one of her closets was a Smith and Wesson model 38 Airweight and in a plastic container on the floor of the closet the box was found.
It had sat up there laying out between some clothes for over 25 years where it was put after her husband told her to put it somewhere incase she ever needed it and has laid there ever since.
She asked if it was loaded and I said yes, seeing the back of the cartridges from the side, I pushed the cylinder release which was very stiff and tried to push the cylinder out to unload it, I finally had to hold it sideways and push it out with both thumbs while holding the frame. The cylinder had the to turned by hand since it would not spin freely and I didn't try to close it telling her it was in need of a major cleaning and oiling.
So we finish the moving and I get home and start the cleaning and oiling, once I got the cylinder spinning freely and opening and closing with ease I tried to pull back the spur hammer and it was so stiff I couldn't get it all the way back by thumb cocking. Well I took off the side plate and removed the hammer block since it had a couple spots of surface rust, cleaned it up and cleaned and oiled the rest of the insides then put it all back together.
Being an aluminum frame kept any rust off the frame I guess but it did have one spot of surface rust on the left side where the barrel and shroud meet which came off easily with only a tiny blemish left behind.
It had a pair of black rubber grips mounted on it but in the box were the original wood grips which I put back on after cleaning, the box still has the cleaning rod and brush, instruction manual, warranty card and ads for other S&W items like holsters, knives and ammo.
I bought a pocket holster and box of ammo for it Monday and it's going to become one of my main carry guns now. It now functions and shoots great.
Time for a pic..
