davet
.30 Stingray
Posts: 114
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Post by davet on Jul 10, 2017 17:13:44 GMT -5
I have a long running interest in this old cartridge and the guns that were made for it. It's the original "+P 38 Special" but puts todays loadings by that name to shame. It is the immediate forerunner of the 357 Magnum and was introduced by S&W in 1930. Info I have found on the factory loadings back then ran about 1125 fps with a 158g lead bullet from a 4" Heavy Duty. From the more common 5" barrel the velocity was more like 1140 fps and from the Outdoorsman's 6.5" barrel it topped 1150 fps. This is my 1946 HD. It has one of the smoother factory DA triggers I've ever tried. Got it in trade for a gun I paid $700 for. Not a bargain but I'm happy with the deal. I hand load a Berry's 158g FP over 11.7g of 2400 and it duplicates the factory specs listed above almost perfectly, at least in my 4" and 5" barreled guns. I'm still looking for a shooter grade Outdoorsman. (smile) Dave
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Post by jfs on Jul 10, 2017 17:18:23 GMT -5
NICE.........................
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robrcg
.30 Stingray
Posts: 301
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Post by robrcg on Jul 10, 2017 17:48:19 GMT -5
Sweet! I really like the old Heavy Dutys.
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Post by mk70ss on Jul 11, 2017 5:26:28 GMT -5
That sure is a beauty. Always loved those, always wanted one.
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Post by Rimfire69 on Jul 11, 2017 10:45:42 GMT -5
The hand full that I've seen have been out of my price range, but what a beauty, that picture inspires me to keep looking.
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Post by timothy on Jul 11, 2017 10:46:34 GMT -5
Ive always been intrigued by the heavy duty's and commercial 1917's. Fixed sighted fightin guns for those ahead of their time.
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Post by ezekiel38 on Jul 11, 2017 11:38:09 GMT -5
Great old shooters, born out of necessity, in a time when 38 just wasn't cutting it.
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Post by azshaun on Jul 14, 2017 15:33:18 GMT -5
Wow! I never knew I needed one of those before today. Gorgeous!
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Post by JSutter on Sept 9, 2017 22:56:41 GMT -5
Yes that looks great, congratulations
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Post by rooster on Sept 10, 2017 7:55:30 GMT -5
Brings back a lot of memories. When I hired on with the State Highway Police in the early 70's all the "old guys" were carrying issued HDs. I was given a M28 which I carried for 3-4 years and we then all transitioned to M66s.
After the transition I managed to aquire one of those much carried HDs for a song and shot it a lot. Loved that slick old action! Sadly I loaned it to a buddy and it was stolen from his house. Never got another. Rooster
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Post by tinkerpearce on Sept 10, 2017 9:16:22 GMT -5
I've a few antique S&Ws and they never fail to impress with their quality and smooth triggers. Nice find!
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cmh
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 3,745
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Post by cmh on Sept 10, 2017 9:17:44 GMT -5
You did well 😊
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Post by needsmostuff on Sept 11, 2017 10:20:06 GMT -5
Got it in trade for a gun I paid $700 for. Not a bargain but I'm happy with the deal. Actually these guns always generate a lot of interest due to their history and application. That is not a bad price at all. Enjoy it.
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lah
.30 Stingray
Posts: 421
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Post by lah on Sept 11, 2017 21:19:59 GMT -5
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davet
.30 Stingray
Posts: 114
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Post by davet on Sept 12, 2017 11:15:02 GMT -5
Since this thread continues to draw some interest I thought I would up-date it by adding another acquisition I made a few weeks after I traded for the 1946 HD. Because of the earlier trade, I still had some disposable income available when I found the above 38/44 HD. This one is from the early 1950s ('53 or '54 as near as I can tell) and came with the pictured, non-original smooth target stocks. Why would I want another 4" HD? Well the '46 is a "Transition Model" meaning it has the long action of the pre-War guns. The second HD from the early '50s has the short action of the "Model of 1950" guns. I thought it would be interesting to compare the two "actions" as I'd read about them for years but never had the chance to make such a comparison. Both guns have the same barrel length, same chambering and roughly the same condition. Neither have been altered in any way, other than the replacement stocks on the newer HD. And both have surprisingly smooth actions, particularly in regard to the DA trigger pulls. Neither is "light weight" but both are as smooth as glass. I'm looking forward to comparing them side by side, shooting my 38/44 hand loads (a 158g @ ~1125 fps). I've read about the smoothness of the older long action, but then I've also read about the improvement in the short action Model of 1950. As soon as the desert cools down enough to enjoy a day at the outdoor range I'll start the journey (smile). Dave
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