Model 38 Smith & Wesson

[PawPaw]

Wandering around a pawn shop this morning, I came upon an orphaned Model 38 Bodyguard. It's got a pinned barrel, which indicates manufacture some time prior to 1981. The price was very, very attractive and it came with Herritt grips which happen to fit my hand just fine. I gave it a Jim March checkout and it passed. I've been looking for a good clean Model 38 for several years, and there it lay.

I decided to give it a good home. Unfortunately, Milady saw it and decided that she likes it a lot. She's planning to take the CCW course in March.

 

[amd6547]

Nice!
My Model 38 is in my pocket right now. Great little revolver.

 

[bossman]

Nice find, I love the Smith Humpbacks. Can't hardly turn one down. I'll bet it will be a fine shooter with those grips.

 

[richardcorey]

PawPaw, just remind your Lady that she might lay claim to that Model 38, BUT you still have visitation rights from time to time. Congrats on a great find. In fact I cannot think of any Smith revolver that does not grab my attention, but what do I know.

 

[Chesster]

Best "pocket gun" ever made. I recall using one when in LE years ago in a jacket pocket for backup. It could be fired from the pocket if needed.

 

[PawPaw]

Chesster - I like that two-tone Model 38. I was reading Xavier's Thoughts several months ago and he talks about his Bodyguard with a blue frame and stainless cylinder coming from the Michigan State Police.

In another post he also talks about having Jim Clark work on a Bodyguard and mod it with a tritium front sight from a shotgun. That makes me drool.

 

[Armybrat]

Bought my Airweight years ago from a Texas LEO friend. It lives in my nightstand drawer.

 

[psyfly]

Okay, I love that this has turned into a Model 38 pic thread. Thanks, PawPaw, and congratulations on your find. Here's mine:

Not a better pocket gun out there.

Best,

Will

 

[camsdaddy]

I once owned a blued M38 yet sold it for what I thought was greener pastures. I actually found one yesterday while out of town. It was a M38 no dash in nickle with box and looked like it had not been out of someone sock drawer in 30 years. It was beautiful.

 

[PawPaw]

It was a M38 no dash in nickle with box

I don't believe that the Model 38 ever used the dash number system. I'm sure that someone will come along to correct me if I'm wrong, but everything I've read is that quite a few of the J-Frame guns never used the dash-number system.

 

[Clifford L. Hughes]

PawPaw:

I had very little experience shooting double action. I shoot five Smith & Wesson revolvers. I constantly promised myself too practice double action; unfortunately, I never did. When I came to purchasing a Smith J frame I choose the model 442 over the model 38 because it is a dao only and it would force me to learn double action shooting. Your model 38 will shoot as good as my 442 and you have the advantage of both double action and dao. Enjoy you 38.


Semper Fi.

Gunnery sergeant
Cliffprd L. Hughes
USMC Retired