A E&W? What is this?

[Sir William]

OK. A friend is in visiting. We went shopping. We discovered something odd. We mistook it for a S&W M36. It says it is a ERMA-WERKE Mod. ER 440. This is a 5 shot, J frame ize, RB, 3" barrel, 38 Special and fixed sight revolver. This model had a transfer bar safety. The dealer said it was about 30-35 years old. Anybody know more about these? I know Erma made 22 rf Luger clones.

 

[omegapd]

I might can put you on the right track but it's a bit fuzzy...

I had a revolver made by them at one time. It was either marketed under the Arminius brand or EAA's Windicator.

One of the two...

 

[Sir William]

Thanks. I just opened a gift of books. Ian V. Hoggs' German Handguns is one book. I will read through it and see what he has on it.

 

[Sir William]

Interesting. I didn't realize that Erma produced as many types/models of firearms. Erma seems to have infringed on the S&W pattern J frame. They produced the solid-frame, left side-opening models using transfer bar safeties in the 70s. There were four models. The ER422 (22 rf), ER423 (22 wmrf), the ER432 (32 S&W ? long or short) and the ER440 (38 Special) along with ER442 in it seems 22 rf and 22 wmrf. 22s were 6 shot and others were 5 shot. There were varied barrel lengths with 2" and 3" being most common. There is a picture of one on p.51 in Ian V. Hoggs' German Handguns. Greenhill Books.