Can anyone help me ID this handgun? .38 S&W Hammerless Break-Barrel Revolver

[Guest 85rx-7gsl-se]

Hello everyone. I received this gun from a grandmother of mine and so far has been unable to find anything on this particular model. Its patent date stamp is 1880. It is a 5-shot break-barrel hammerless revolver chambered for .38 S&W. I have come across pistols online from this era in .38 S&W with the break barrel and hammerless but they all were the "safety" models with the grip safety feature which the pistol lacks. Any insight would be greatly appreciated just so I know what I have.

[MikePapa1]

It looks to me like a .38 Safety Hammerless 4th Model which has had the barrel snipped.

http://www.armchairgunshow.com/images/38-Safety-Hless-Mods.jpg

[Guest 85rx-7gsl-se]

Yeah I know that is the closest I have found but the problem is it doesnt have the safety feature. It has a standard grip.

[southernasylum]

According to the media it's clearly a glock.

(sorry, I couldn't resist)

[Guest 85rx-7gsl-se]

ROFL

[Guest jackdm3]

What's that crazy spur behind the trigger for?

[Guest 85rx-7gsl-se]

Honestly I dont know.

[Guest Law of Thirds]

It's not a safety hammerless, it's clearly got a bobbed hammer (which probably happened around the same time the barrel got shortened). The round sideplate, recurved trigger guard, and double set of stop notches indicate that it's most likely a .38 Double action 1st model. Clearly someone in the past has cut down the gun to make it more suitable for pocket carry, as there was no barrel offered shorter than 3 1/4" from S&W. Nickel, as I'm sure you know, was the most common finish. Overall, it looks to be in good condition, most current prices for a gun in such condition would put it around the 200-300 range.

[Guest 85rx-7gsl-se]

Thanks for that info Law of 3rds. I really have no interest in selling it anytime soon do to its sentimental value to me but I appreciate knowing what it is, how uncommon it might be, and a valuation never hurts Thanks again :thumbup:

[Guest Law of Thirds]

Sorry, to clarify, it's not the 1st Model, but rather the 2nd Model. If it was a first model, it'd have the square cut sideplate. Had a momentary lapse of finger to brain interaction.

[Guest 85rx-7gsl-se]

So if it get this straight you are saying it is a 2nd Model .38S&W revolver that was later modified by shorting the barrel as well as removing the hammer to make it hammerless?

[Guest Law of Thirds]

The hammer wasn't removed, rather the spur was simply cut off so that it would not bind when drawn from a pocket. But yes, it's a .38 S&W Double action, 2nd model that's been modified. Judging by what I can see (I wish the shot was clearer), I would guess the shortening work wasn't done in the last 50 years, but rather was something done when the gun was either new or nearly new. Those modifications were useful to anyone who needed to keep a fairly powerful handgun concealed in a coat or pants pocket. Considering that at the time of this gun's manufacture, the only other options were the safety hammerless (which didn't give the option to shoot single action and had the safety, which some people didn't want) or other small, single action .32 calibre handguns, a 5 shot .38 was the period's equivalent to the subcompact glocks or kahrs that are floating around now.

[Guest 85rx-7gsl-se]

Ok yeah thats what I meant was that the spur was removed. And yes the work looks old. This gun was my great-grandmothers and she lived in the city so a nice, concealable .38 would have probably been of great appeal to her.