Need Help With Inherited .38 S&W Special

I'm not completely incompetent... The photos of the rounds under the extractor were posted to show that they loaded fine that way, but not with the extractor seated appropriately, hence the photo showing the one round not completely in.

The odd thing, however, is that the extractor seems to fit perfectly otherwise, and I don't know why the rounds won't insert correctly with the extractor seated.
 
I was able to see the last photo and it is clearly a 38 Special. The chambers are tight or have some crud in them. You may need to polish the chambers. This can be done relatively easily but if it were mine I would send it to a competent gunsmith and pay the price to have it done right.

I just had another thought, have you tried another brand of ammo? It could be that the ammo you have is slightly out of specs. Try a couple other brands to see it that works. If it doesn't you still have some ammo that can be used after the problem is solved.
 
The photos of the .38 Special cartridges in the cylinder tells me that you do indeed have a .38 Special. If you having problems chambering the rounds with the extractor in the correct position you have to have crud in the cylinder or something wrong with the extractor.

If I had it in my hands I would be able to measure the clearances to see where it is binding. I have had to do a little filing on extractors in the past to get things to work.
 
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Could it be a problem with the extractor and not buildup? The chambers look clean, but the rounds won't insert with the extractor seated.

The serial on the underside of the extractor matches the others on the gun also.

I will definitely have to try a different brand ammo also.
 
The odd thing, however, is that the extractor seems to fit perfectly otherwise, and I don't know why the rounds won't insert correctly with the extractor seated.
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Okay, now that IS weird.

Take it to a gun show. Find a vendor with .38 S&W ammo for sale. Hand THEM the revolver, and ask THEM to try the .38 S&W ammo in it. If neither the .38 S&W nor .38 Special ammo will chamber, MY only guess would be that it might be chambered for .38 Long Colt, or that the chrome plating altered the extractor dimensions such that it forms a "stenosis" of sorts, and won't allow the rounds to fully seat. I'm skeptical about that last explanation, but it's all that comes to mind.
 
I see ones about like that priced at $300-400. In very good original condition, it would be about twice that.

Jim
 
Forget all the advice about .38 S&W. It is LARGER in diameter than .38 spl.
There is something wrong with your extractor. A gunsmith should be able to easily figure it out. It's possible that the extractor was removed from the gun during plating, and that the plating is so thick on the edges that it prevents the rounds from entering the chambers.
 
I'm not completely incompetent... The photos of the rounds under the extractor were posted to show that they loaded fine that way, but not with the extractor seated appropriately, hence the photo showing the one round not completely in.
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Oh, OK. Sorry. If you had seen some of the things I have seen in my gunsmithing career, you might understand why I made the assumption...:o
 
Now that I see the photos, I stand corrected on the .38S&W advice earlier. The new finish has apparently coated the cylinder borings with chrome or nickel.

Since it's an heirloom, you can either frame it like you want to do as it is, or get it functional by taking it to a smith and having the cylinder polished to get cartridges to fit. Once you do that, you can shoot .38S&W or .38 Special loads, just don't use any +P loads.

I will bet you your Granddad had it chromed and then retired it, since it would not function any more. You might consider having the entire finish removed and re-blueing the pistol to the state it had to be in when your Granddad used it.

It's going to cost more than it's worth, but it's an heirloom.

Getting it functional again is going to add value, refinish or not.
 
Once you do that, you can shoot .38S&W or .38 Special loads,
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Probably not.
The revolver is a .38 Special and once the extractor is cleaned up will shoot standard velocity .38 Special ammo roughly forever.
The .38 S&W has a larger case diameter and should not even chamber.
While minimum .38 S&W ammo will work in a maximum .38 Special chamber, why would you WANT to? It costs more and is less powerful.
 
I'm stumped! The only thing I see is that the cylinder does not appear to be swung out far enough. If it is not, the chamber next to the frame can't be loaded without turning the cylinder. Dirt, crud, or an improperly fitted cylinder retention screw (the front screw of the sideplate) could prevent the cylinder from swinging out properly. You could try removing it and see what happens.

Jim
 
Chrome and nickel do not plate in holes-unless specifically set up to do so.
Obviously, the chambers are fine-look at the pictures.
The problem is with the extractor.
 
^^^^^ditto. In one photo it appears that the extractor has been chromed - hard to tell by just the photos. The added thickness along the chamber-edge-sides of the extractor may be the problem. If that is the situation, either retire it & frame it as is, or hone the chrome off just those surfaces to get the extractor back to original dimensions.
 
@ James K and others, thanks for your thoughts and advice thus far!

Sorry for any confusion created by my photos-- the cylinder swings all the way out just fine, that's just the way I had it in the photos.

I really believe it's the extractor, at this point, as, if I hold the extractor out a little and place the rounds in where they're in the cylinder, but still caught on the extractor at the same time, I can then push them down without much trouble. I think I'll take the gun to someone and have the extractor shaved down. I would like the gun to at least be functional, but, at some point, it's going in a frame.

Would also like to figure out its age a little better. Have had some trouble with that part.

Thanks again!
 
I really believe it's the extractor, at this point
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I'm with you. Maybe I'm oversimplifying, but it seems to me that the simple fact that the cartridges chamber with the extractor out of the way means the cylinders are OK, and the problem lies with the extractor. Weird, though. Let us know what you find out after the smith looks at it.
 
Could it be that we are not seeing trees because the forest is in the way. We don't know when it was plated or if it was ever fired after it was plated. Perhaps the extractor was plated so heavily that when in the proper position they will not allow the cartridge to pass?? that would be one of the first things I would check. I have seen something similar done on a Colt Python Years ago.
 
RJay, I think that's exactly what the issue is. I don't know who had it plated or if it was ever shot afterwards, and I'm the 4th generation owner, and the others are all, unfortunately, now gone. I imagine this gun would have a wild story to tell if it could talk, knowing the others who have owned it.
 
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