Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .38 Special

I think that's probably what they mean when they say as good as it gets.

who did the work? How is that sight affixed?

Any competent machinist can do the work, following the clear instructions which XS provides with the sight. Then, the XS sight is simply epoxied onto the stud which was created by machining down the old front sight. If the POI was at the top of the original front sight, it’ll be behind the center of the dot on the XS sight.

It's certainly a possibility, but who knows. Since I was the "kid" in the shop, they had me mostly working on the easier stuff like action jobs; so a LOT of revolvers crossed my bench when it came to action work...it was our bread and butter. I had built a few Smolt's and Cougers, and I was well practiced on Ruger double actions, so it's a possibility.

A joy to read this thread. My first handgun soon as I was an official Texas resident was a 3” Mod 60 in .38 Special. As soon as soon as they made it a .357 I upgraded. That Model 60 served as a do everything handgun for years, also kept on hand for home defense.

My first cc gun was a blued Mod 39 Bodyguard Airweight, after they revamped the j-frames I replaced that with the grey Airweight version (the ones where they took the firing pin off the hammer and made all Airweight cylinders .357 length, I dunno the Model number).

My Ex recently took that grey Bodyguard because, technically, it was hers.

So I went back to the blued 39 but by now I treasure it so much I’d rather leave it in the safe. Been looking around, at this time of civil unrest all I’ve been seeing is the hammerless 442’s.

So just yesterday there was gunshow in town, other than a high-priced original 60’s version there were only two Airweights on display in the whole show, both 442’s.

So I bought one, though I’d much prefer a shrouded hammer. I put my preferred Uncle Mike’s “Combat” grip on it and it’s good to go.

One thing I had forgotten about tho is the fuggin “safety locks” it’s been that long since I’ve bought a S&W.

Of course I intend never to use it, do these “safety locks” ever cause problems?

The only ones I’ve ever seen cause issues were on 329 Scandium 44 mags. They would lock themselves under heavy recoil.

I don’t own any guns with the lock but I’d get a “Plug” from the guy on the S&W forum if I did.

Hey, tks, might be the same guy online too.

https://www.originalprecision.com/lock-delete-kit.html

Yep, that's him. Have a couple on J frames.

The S&W lock does have one good use. If your flight connects through Chicago, and should your baggage with the gun in it go “missing,” it is at least of some small consolation to know that the thief will be thinking unkind thoughts of you.

I could never get the lock to deploy spontaneously.

Nor I, but I’ve talked to two guys it happened to. One with a scandium .44 and the other with a .460.

I’d not have a new S&W with the lock unless it was disabled.

I've had a few; only have one now... 617. My 617 has an obscene number of rounds through it and it has never given me any hint of trouble; absolutely fantastic revolver. I had a 340 J frame .357 which developed WAY more recoil than any .44 or .460 and I could never get it to deploy. I also had a 431 that, while not a .357...it's still a banger you don't want to shoot all day...never a problem.

Wish they made a 340 or 340PD in 38 special only.

The 437 PD that I have will lock itself if you shoot fast double action, until I removed the lock

At last! A legit reason for a lock

On the topic of the .38 Special in general a friend of mine has said “despite the rapid advances in bullet technology and the subsequent increases in the effectiveness of other calibers, specifically the 9mm, and the guns that fire them, all the bad guys killed by the Cops back then with their .38 Special revolvers are still dead.” 🙂

To summarize a story I read some time ago among the gun literature discussing the relative merits and stopping power of various handgun rounds:

In the 1970's a black NY Transit Authority cop had a shootout with a wanted bank robber. The cop had his .38 revolver and the bad guy had a 1911 .45. Both of them emptied their pistols at each other from spitting distance, just a few yards apart. When it was over the cop was standing unscathed and the bank robber was dead.

When asked about it later, the cop said, "shootin' straight with my thirty eight beats him givin' me jive with a forty five."






Hmm, something about accuracy or hitting the target being the most important factor might make a good sig line...

What he said.

Few things are as fun as a .38 Special for punching paper:

Google Jim Cerillo (spelling?)… 38 worked for hi,…aLOT