Posted: 8/12/2026 10:05:51 PM EDT
| Have the opportunity to buy a 38-44 prewar revolver. Has some wear but it's in pretty good shape over all. Is 850 a fair price. Lock up is not as tight as some of the other smiths I have. Anything else to look for? |
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A super tight lockup isn't really necessary or the way these were designed. They need to be slightly loose so that they can work even if there is some debris there. Back then most of these guns were sold to serious people for serious stuff (cops, agents, etc.) so they needed it to work under real conditions. You should check it by slowly cocking the hammer and seeing if it locks on each chamber though. Always do that on every revolver before buying it. Don't buy one with a timing issue. Once you get it, you should send in for an S&W factory letter. |
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Originally Posted By Cwc: Unfortunately it was out of time. Going to go a little more research and talk to a local gunsmith on the possibility of getting it repaired. Not even sure where to start with that issue. A typical local smith? Could be good or bad depending on who it is  Smith & Wesson 38/44 Heavy Duty History Nelson Ford #S&W #revolver357 #357 #thegunsmith #s |
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I don't hate the price, but without pictures we can't really assess. The other posters have hit the main points: prewar H-Ds are pretty rare and many have interesting LE provenance. Non-police buyers opted for the Outdoorsman or the Registered Magnum. A lot of them were cut for .357 Magnum...honestly for shooter grade guns this doesn't affect the value much. An otherwise 98+% example would be really hurt by the modification. I had a postwar 5" H-D and typically ran Winchester "Treasury" +P+ loads through it, though even these are pretty weak (147gr@950fps) when compared to the .38 Special Hi-Speed specs of 158gr@1125fps. If you want that kind of performance you'll have to roll your own or look up boutique ammo makers like Buffalo Bore or Underwood. |
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that was done to my Outdoorsman, but it still one of my favorite gun to shoot(38spl) and has an amazing trigger Originally Posted By cigardad: Back when Moby Dick was a minnow, folks were knocking the shoulder out of the cylinder to allow .357 mag to fit. You may want to ask to chamber one before purchasing. |