[Bob Wright]

Frind of mine here at the Senior Center was browsing and showed me a photo of a top-break revolver, with which I am unfamiliar.

The gun looked to be .38/.357 caliber, six-shot. (The photo showed the gun broken open) The barrel and cylinder apparently blue steel, the frame plastic, looking like many of the wonder pistols now in vogue.

Any ideas? (About the gun)

Bob Wright

[ScottG]

Have any pictures?

Uberti makes top breaks in .38, but they all look like cowboy guns. Is this gun a new one, or an old one?

[Dillinger]

Look anything like any of these?

Beretta

Webley Mk.4

S&W Frontier 1791

Schofield

My best bet, without having any idea what you were looking at, is that your friend is showing you one of the old Schofield models. They were famous for having breach break revolvers and were very popular for a time in this country. My second guess would be the Webley's, which was another line of breach break revolvers, though not as popular in this country. I believe one was even shown being used by one of the bad guys in the movie Sahara.

JD

[c3shooter]

Cannot (off the top of my head) recall ever seeing a .357 mag in a topbreak- pressures are too high for the frame design. 38 S&W seemed to be upper limit. And sure never saw a polymer frame top break. The top break revolver is about 1890 technology. If you can find out what this is, please let the rest of us know!

[fapprez]

My top break is a .22. I'd like to see the one you speak of as well.

[Catfish]

The old Schofields could be had in .32, .38 and .44 calibles, so while it could have been a .38 cal. it was not a .357 is it was an old gun, it would have been a .38 S&W.

[Bob Wright]

Originally Posted by Catfish

The old Schofields could be had in .32, .38 and .44 calibles, so while it could have been a .38 cal. it was not a .357 is it was an old gun, it would have been a .38 S&W.

I beg to differ-the Schofield was made only in .45 S&W caliber, most of the production went to the US Army. Very few commercial Schofields were made. The Wells Fargo models were all Army Surplus guns that had been re-worked. Hartley & Graham was one of the distributors of these.

But the gun I was shown was polymer framed, withs grips integral with the frame.

As to the .32 and .38 caliber No.3's, they were chambered for the .32-44 S&W and .38-44 S&W (not the .38-44 S&W Special) cartridges. These rounds have a long case with the bullet seated entirely within the case. These were intended to be target guns, with the cartridge case supporting the bullet full length of the chamber. The bullet "jumped" from the case mouth into the forcing cone of the barrel.

Bob Wright

[Bob Wright]

As to a top-break in .357 Magnum, Detonics (I believe) displayed a stainless steel top-break revolver around the mid-'sixties, though it never made it to production.

Bob Wright

[Bob Wright]

Originally Posted by Catfish

The old Schofields could be had in .32, .38 and .44 calibles, so while it could have been a .38 cal. it was not a .357 is it was an old gun, it would have been a .38 S&W.

(My original response seems to have gone astray, so I will repost)

I beg to differ-the Schofields were made only in .45 S&W caliber. Most of the production went to the US Army, with only a few commercial models being made. Around 1880 or so, the Army sold all their Scholfields off as surplus. Most of these went to two distributors in New York, one of whom was Hartley & Graham. Many of these had their barrels shortened to 5", the muzzles re-crowned and front sights relocated, and were sold to Wells Fargo Express Agency.

Incidentally, the .32 and .38 caliber guns were the No. 3, and were chambered for the .32-44 S&W and .38-44 S&W. These cartridges had long cases, as long as the cylinder, with the bullets seated entirely within the case. This case supported the bullet until it "jumped" the gap into the forcing cone.

The .38-44 S&W is not to be confused with the .38-44 S&W Special, a 1930s vintage +P .38 Special round.

In both cases the "-44" indicates it is intended for .44 framed guns. The shorter .38 S&W cartridge, also known as the .38 Colt New Police, was intended for the smaller framed top-break revolvers.

Bob Wright

[Bob Wright]

(I have tried to reply with a quote to Catfish's response, but for some reason it does not come up, so will try to respond in this manner)

The S&W Schofield was made only in .45 S&W caliber. Most Schofield models went to the US Army, very few commercial models being produced. In 1880, or so, the Army sold off their Schofields as surplus, going to two New York distributors, one being Hartley & Graham. Most of these had their barrels shortened and were sold to Wells Fargo Express Company.

As to the .32, .38, and .44 Caliber guns, these were the No. 3 Model. The .32s and .38s were chambered for the .32-44 and .38-44 S&W cartridgers. These rounds had cases full length of the cylinder, with the bullet seated entirely within the case. Thus the bullet was supported by the case as it "jumped" into the forcing cone.

The .38-44 S&W Special was a 1930s vintage round that was the .38 Special +P of its day. Winchester called it the .38 Special Hi-Speed round.

In all cases, the "-44" indicates the round is adapted to .44 Framed guns.

And, the top-break .44s were chambered for the .44 Russian, while the older guns chambered the .44 S&W American.

Bob Wright