NEW DEPARTURE Antique SMITH & WESSON .38 Safety Hammerless “LEMON SQUEEZER” 5-Shot S&W Top Break SELF DEFENSE DA Revolver

Product Description

NEW DEPARTURE Antique SMITH & WESSON .38 Safety Hammerless “LEMON SQUEEZER”

5-Shot S&W Top Break SELF DEFENSE DA Revolver

Here Ancestry Guns presents an antique 3rd Model Smith & Wesson .38 Caliber Double Action Safety Hammerless Revolver, made circa 1897-1898 with a production run between 1890 and 1898 in Springfield, Massachusetts with a serial number range of 42484 through 116002. The Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless models were produced from 1887 (1888 for the 32) to just before World War II. They were chambered in either .32 S&W or .38 S&W with a five-shot cylinder.

This revolver was made to be a simple, compact and reliable firearm that one could carry in a pocket or a holster around the turn of the 20^th Century. This revolver features an internal hammer design to remove risk of snagging or stopping the action. There is a grip safety built into the back of the grip frame. The frame is a top-break design that activates the automatic ejector.  These are very nice features from the turn of the 20^th Century! They were known as “The New Departure” to reflect the company’s new approach to designing revolvers. These were called “Lemon Squeezers” because of the grip safety that had to be “squeezed” to fire the revolver.

These were petite and handy little guns that chambered 5 cartridges, perfect for the pocket and enough to get out of most scrapes. With gangsters, and career criminals running rampant, this example would have been the “pocket advantage” a person needed.

The overall condition is good. This example is refinished. The bore is in good shape, shows a frosted appearance, with serviceable rifling. Both grips contains enough handling wear to have smoothed the checkering. Markings are legible. Numbers match. The ejector rod does not fully retract when the action is opened, but fully closes.

Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.

Barrel is 3-1/4 inches.

Caliber: .38 S&W

Overall condition as seen in photos.

Very Fast. Very Safe. FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE. Delivered directly to your door by express mail!

Guaranteed AUTHENTIC & Includes CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY.

$900
#264027