Smith & Wesson New Departure Safety Hammerless

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David LaPell

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
979
Location
Upstate NY
I picked up this Safety Hammerless last week, it's in .38 S & W. The serial number is 218XXX, which puts it in the end of the 4th issue but it has the integral front sight of the 5th issue, all the numbers match.
I took it out to the range this morning, the action is excellent, considering the age and the bore looks new. I found a new box of Remington 148 grain lead RN, the target on the right was 10 yards offhand one handed, the one on the left, 15 yards. The silhouette was 7 yards but a little quicker.
All in all I was surprised how good this gun works, being made probably around 1905-1906 according to the serial number range and the fact that the front sight is skinnier than a dime.

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Joined
Jan 20, 2008
Messages
2,271
Location
Orange County, CA
Neat little guns and great for their intended purpose--self defense up close and personal. My mom had one she kept in her night stand.

When we needed to slaughter a steer at home, we used it for that because it would kill them dead, real dead and not penetrate out of the skull. Safe and effective. Those low velocity .38 S&W rounds sounded kinda like a giant staple gun when fired at close range into a cattle skull, a sound I'll never forget. Unless you're starving, makin' meat is not a entirely beautiful process....
 
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