Over the Hump

When I first saw it, the little humpback Smith & Wesson J-Frame Model 38 revolver raised my eyebrows and got my juices flowing.

Here was a classic design dating back to the mid-1950s — this particular specimen was manufactured in the 1980s — and I’ve always considered the Model 38 to be a stroke of genius. With its hammer shroud protecting the exposed hammer on both sides, this design was my interpretation of the best of both worlds. It had a hammer, which can be cocked for careful shots, yet it can be carried in a pocket, drawn and fired double-action in an emergency without fear of having the hammer hang up in the process.

Naturally, I checked with some of my colleagues at the Smith & Wesson forum and got all sorts of information pertinent to the design. If S&W’s legendary historian Roy Jinks were ever cloned, you’d find his Doppelgänger in this forum.

Backstory

The humpback S&W was introduced in 1955 as the Bodyguard Airweight. It had a steel barrel and cylinder, fixed sights, aluminum frame and was chambered for the .38 Special cartridge. My first introduction to small S&W revolvers came in a James Bond novel titled “Doctor No.” Author Ian Fleming described 007s mandated transition to a Walther PPK and a S&W Centennial Airweight, another five-shooter and something of a parent to my own Model 442.

The passage grabbed my young teenage attention, when the fictional armorer “Major Boothroyd” tells Bond, “To keep down the weight, the cylinder holds only five cartridges. But by the time they’re gone,’ Major Boothroyd allowed himself a wintry smile, ‘somebody’s been killed.” If you’re 14 years old and into novels about international spies with a “License to kill,” this is a sentence you’re going to always remember.

The humpback Bodyguard revolver didn’t become the Model 38 until 1957. A steel-framed version came along two years later and was designated the Model 49. During the ensuing years, there were other variations including a stainless steel/aluminum alloy version and an all-stainless model, a sample of which I cannot recall ever having seen.

Now what about this particular five-shooter? The revolver thrust into my giddy palm had a factory nickel finish except for the blued extractor star — confirmed by the “N” stamped into the cylinder — a black rubber Pachmayr Presentation grip, a superbly tight cylinder fit, remarkably clean bore. Although I knew it had been fired sometime in the past, the cylinder did not bear any residue marks. Someone had laboriously cleaned up this snub gun before putting it away.

The double-action trigger squeeze was not so hot, but the single-action let-off was just shy of superb.

Alas, the original box and papers had long ago gone to the land of lost-and-that-means-forever. The shiny revolver now in my hand had languished, I presume, for more than two decades in a small case, hidden inside a larger bag. It was a gem, and I could see my homely face reflected in the nickel surface.

Packin’ Leather

There are several ways to carry a small snub gun — in a belt rig, an IWB, pocket holster, shoulder rig and ankle holster. I’ve owned all five types over the years and for my money, one is as good as the other. It’s a matter of personal preference.

For IWB, I’d go with the Mitch Rosen tuckable model called “The Workman,” a design I came up with some 30 years ago. Mitch does a superb job and I’ve carried a J-Frame in it, with a shirt tucked over the rig, and nobody was any the wiser.

DeSantis does a sweet little pancake-style belt rig called the Speed Scabbard into which the Model 38 tucked perfectly. It rides high enough to vanish under a vest, sport jacket or even a heavy shirt — and it’s fast.

In my opinion, only one ankle rig makes sense and it is also a Rosen product called the Duncan’s Ankle. What sets this one apart is the heavy elastic safety strap snaps down over the trigger guard rather than the hammer, so any S&W snubbie or similar-sized Taurus, Rossi or Charter Arms revolver should fit just fine.

My first .38 was carried in an old Safariland upside down shoulder rig. Alas, it went with the gun I had at the time in a swap for a bolt-action .257 Roberts rifle, nearly 40 years ago. My bad.

These and other holster makers have a variety of models for J-Frame wheelguns, so anybody looking for carry leather has a lot of choices.

Range Time

Of course, a wheelgun needs to do more than just look good and carry well. It needs to shoot.

It was a mild afternoon with typical spring rain, and with a couple of different handloads to fiddle with, the little snubby was put to work. With targets set at 8 yards, using a two-hand hold off a bench, I discovered the Model 38 was surprisingly accurate, putting everything in the black.

The double-action shots were nothing to brag about, but single-action mode allowed for some nice tight groups. My loads consisted of 110-grain Hornady JHPs over 6.5 grains of CFE Pistol, and 125-grain Hornady XTPs propelled by 6.2 grains of CFE Pistol. Both loads clocked above the 1,000 fps mark, but more importantly, the bullets went where they were aimed.

There are witnesses who agree the four holes — produced with the 110-grainers — are from a five shot string of fire. Two of the bullets went almost exactly through the single hole at the top of the group. I cannot recall ever having pulled that off before, and I’ve never claimed to be kin to Wild Bill.

As a downpour began, I decided to shoot at chunks of broken clay disks at the 15-yard line while my ammunition held out. Using a 6 o’clock hold, hits with both loads caused the clay fragments to disintegrate and misses were so close as to convince everyone the bullets would have caused serious damage to a live target.

Final observations

The Model 38 snubbie, whether blue or nickel, was a very good idea. It is considered a classic by its admirers, and if they all shoot as well as the one I fired, they’re definitely worth having as a primary carry piece or a backup.

The experience also reminded me the .38 Special is no slouch when accuracy counts. While I know what the round will do to animals such as rabbits and raccoons, it is also potent in coyote country and certainly for self-defense. It’s got ample muscle to discourage bad behavior and one can find ammunition just about everywhere.

Meanwhile…

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill which will require people wanting to purchase a firearm to first get a permit to purchase from the State Patrol.

In order to get the permit, one must first take an approved/certified training course which includes a live-fire element involving a minimum of 50 rounds, get fingerprinted and go through a background check. The law does not take effect until May 1, 2027, which presumably will give the state time to create the required safety course, provide enough range facilities to accommodate somewhere north of a million people annually, certify the instructors and get through the 2026 election cycle.

Retired former state Senator Lynda Wilson reacted by observing, “One of our most fundamental and inalienable rights has been demoted to the status of a privilege — subject to permission, payment, and government approval.

“The right to keep and bear arms — the right that secures all others — has now been reduced to something you must apply for, pay for, and qualify for, under criteria determined by the very government it is meant to restrain,” she stated.

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