What have I got?

C

C. D. Beaver

New member
I have this handy little five-shooter that has been in my possession since before 1960 and I really don't know what model it is.

It's an S&W .38 Special, two-inch barrel, round butt beauty with serial number in the 19,000+ range. Got it in a trade with a dentist buddy who always had the coolest guns . . . a .219 Donaldson Wasp built on a Winchester hi-wall action, a Sako .222 mag (back when Sako was really exotic), etc. But he was a sucker for "exotics" and I swapped a Stevens Handy Gun (I think) for the S&W.

The Handy Gun, a single shot tip-up .410 shotgun pistol, was illegal even back then, but the dentist really wanted it. He could be quite persusive when he carted out little five-shot S&W's to trade.

History aside, is this little S&W really a Chief's Special as the dentist claimed? Nowhere on the piece does the model number appear. What is the model number? Should I keep it as a collector's item or find another dentist and swap it for something better?






Pro Patria
 
C.D.,

It appears that what you have is indeed an early Chief's Special that would date to ca. 1952. The "Chief" was introduced in 1950.

The earliest of these had the "half-moon" front sight, and a slightly smaller trigger guard was used until around '52/'53. Tell us more about that jewel.... Heck, show us a pic! ;)

To keep...... or not to keep? That is the question only you can answer. Do you have the factory box and/or accessories, paperwork, etc. That stuff would add substantially to the value.
 
Looks like it's a Chief's Special from middle to late 1952.

Model numbers weren't marked on the guns until beginning in 1957. Yours if 5 years too early.
 
Quick work

Thanks, guys for the speedy responses. Sorry, no pix available. I can barely shoot a gun, let alone operate a camera.







Pro Patria
 
does it look like this?

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