Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless .38

S

swamyjr

Inactive
Hey, I'm new here and would greatly appreciate any information I could receive about a gun I recently acquired. It is a Iver Johnson safety hammerless .38. I was told that it was .38 special, but from what I can find out it should be .38 S & W. I would like to know for sure the cal. and when it was made. Gun info: It has 4 cross pins in bottom of frame, coil spring hammer, barrel is 3 1/4", cylinder is 1 1/4", casing length in cylinder is 13/16" and diameter is 3/8". Most of the lettering on the bottom of the grip is readable. But the SN on the grip frame is (D 94XXX).
 
I'm no expert on the model, but I think you have a .38 S&W, but again: not sure. I don't think I-J dabbled into anything as potent (sic) as the .38 special.
 
Thanks for answering samsmix. From what info I can find I think you're right. I just want to know for sure before I order ammo for it.
 
Oh. Well in that case just order the shorter S&W round and go shooting. If it's a .38 spl, the .38 S&W will work in it like the .38spl works in a .357mag. It is slightly shorter and a bit less powerful, but of absolutely no harm whatsoever in the longer .38spl chamber.

IF it turns out to be the longer Special chamber, and IF you then decide to put it to defensive use, clean the gun before loading it with .38 special ammo, as the powder ring from the shorter round will make the longer brass sticky to extract, should a fast reload become necessary.
 
Do not fire .38 S&W in a .38 special firearm. The former has a larger diameter bullet and is not safe. That being said I believe that the IJ is a .38 S&W.

mike
 
Your Iver is built for the 38 S&W, a 38 Special will not ( or should not ) chamber. To mashafter, for those 38/357's that will chamber the 38 S&W, it does no harm to shoot them.
 
I apologize for my faulty memory. You are of course correct Ron. My error was on the side of caution but an error none the less. I had wrongly remembered the difference in diameter to be much greater than it is. I checked Barnes and the .38S&W is only about .002" larger.

Especially given the relatively soft lead bullets and the lower initial pressure of the older round, the swagging down should be no problem at all. It might even improve accuracy in a really worn barrel/forcing cone I suppose. :)

mike
 
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