Black powder or smokeless??

[captaint]

So I have this old revolver that belonged to my Grandaddy. It's a nickle plated S&W breaktop. It has no model # or caliber designation. After cleaning it up good and getting the action to break open OK I started checking things out. It has a grip safety and is hammerless. The ejector and everything is in good working order. It appears to be about .38 cal, so I dropped a .357 case in the cylinder and it went in about half way and had a nice positive stop. Yesterday, I called S&W and inquired about it and a guy (not Roy Jinks) told me it was made between 1890 and 1898. Try to contact Black Hills for ammo or brass. Only thing is he didn't know if it was made for black powder cart or smokeless. Gun does have a serial #. Maybe if I write them a letter they could give me more info. Anybdy have any ideas on the propellant this gun was made for??? I'm thinking maybe the caliber is .38 S&W. Not sure yet though.:coffee:

[MT Gianni]

I would not take a S&W breaktop over blackpowder pressures no matter which you use.

[captaint]

Yeah, I'm not looking to blow the old girl up. I just need to know what to load up. This gun appears to have been fired very little, if ever!!.

[Muddy Creek Sam]

I would not take a S&W breaktop over blackpowder pressures no matter which you use.

+!

Sam :D

[mooman76]

I have one that is similar to yours and have yet to fire it. There were allot of them made back then and allot were copy cats. BP would probubly be your best bet and I believe you are right in thinking it is probubly 38 S&W. If you use BP make sure there is no air gap inbetween the powder and bullet.

[hydraulic]

Sounds like you have a Smith & Wesson "Lemon Squeezer" or .38 New
Departure Safety, as the company called it. Standard .38 S&W cartridge, NOT .38 Special. Several thousand of them were made between 1887 and 1907. In view of the number manufactured by S&W, as well as similar break-top revolvers made by H&R, Iver Johnson and Hopkins and Allen, the cartridge has not been loaded beyond black powder pressures. I have granddads old Iver Johnson .38 S&W, also known as the .38 Colt New Police, and I shoot it occasionally with modern smokeless .38 S&W cartridges.

[Wayne Smith]

Doesn't the 38 S&W use a heeled boolit? Or is that only the Colt?

[KCSO]

S and W uses a inside lube bullet and the old bullet diameter by my #3 Ideal tool is a 360 bullet. I use a very light charge of Bullseye to push a 146 grain r/n bullet at 650 fps. This is about all I want to go in a breaktop. My Owls head is currently in the local museum as it once belonged to John Dolphin one of the first Sheriff's of the county.

[captaint]

Well thanks everyone. This will give me something to work with. Now to slug the barrel and find some brass. mike

[pdawg_shooter]

If God intended us to use black powder He wouldn't have invented smokeless!!!!!

[hydraulic]

God didn't invent smokeless, the Devil did in order to lead us into sinful practices.

[waksupi]

Smokeless was invented for those too lazy to clean a gun.

;o)