In House Shipping:
Make: Smith & Wesson
Model: .38/44 Heavy Duty/Outdoorsman “Police Target” Model
Serial Number: 42091
Year of Manufacture: 1933
Caliber: .38 Special
Action Type: Double / Single Action, Swing-Out Fluted Cylinder Revolver
Barrel Length: 6 1/2″
Sights / Optics: The factory fitted front sight is a “Call” gold bead Patridge blade pinned on a ramp pinned to the serrated rib of the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch adjustable “rear sight slide” target sight adjustable for windage and elevation that is screwed to the top strap. This was before the introduction of the "adjustable sight Outdoorsman".
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut Service stocks with “S&W” silver-colored medallions at their tops and “smooth diamonds” around the grip screws. There are some little nicks and dings, the most noticeable of which are on the bottom faces. There are some scattered light handling marks. The checkering is strong. Overall, the grips are in about Excellent Condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10/10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 99% of its metal finish. There is a bit of finish loss at the muzzle. There are some scattered scuffs and draglines, most noticeable on the barrel. There are some scattered light handling marks. The cylinder has a very thin light turn line. The hammer and trigger show light operational wear. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this handgun rates in about Excellent Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder produces hardly any movement in full lockup of all 6 chambers. The double action trigger pull is smooth, single action is crisp. We did not fire this handgun. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes in a Smith & Wesson two-piece blue exterior, red interior cardboard “THE / “.38-44” / OUTDOORSMAN’S Revolver” box with metal-reinforced corners and a label on the bottom of the tray which has a serial number that is barely legible. We have acquired the Historian Letter, a copy of the original S&W invoice and articles pertaining to Rolla Prater from the archive of The Daily Camera newspaper archive. Also included is a book titled “Behind the Badge, 125 Years of the Boulder Colorado Police Department”. The Book contains articles about the original owner of this revolver, Chief Rolla Prater of the Boulder CO. Police Department, a rather colorful character that operated on both sides of the law.
Our Assessment: “When S&W began development of a more powerful round than the standard .38 Special (a process that eventually culminated in the development of the .357 Magnum), they wanted a stouter platform than the standard K frame. The obvious choice was the big N frame, originally developed for .44 caliber rounds. The .38/44 (.38 caliber on a .44 frame) Heavy Duty and Outdoorsman series was the result. The .38/44 round was basically a hot-loaded .38 Special, and was also called the .38 Super Police.” The above information courtesy of the “Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson” by Supica and Nahas. The Heavy Duty configuration had fixed sights, while the Outdoorsman version had adjustable sights. This example comes between the two models as a special order for the police of the time, and is often called the “Police Target” Model today. , such as this, with target sights. This example comes between the two models as a special order for the police of the day. According to the S&W invoice it was ordered with “Target with “Call” Gold Bead sight” and “one Rear sight slide for 1/16” bead.” It was produced around 1933 and is in astonishing shape for a gun of its age. It has a 6.5″ round barrel and is equipped with its original factory installed magna stocks. The bore is great and the mechanics are exceptional. This revolver has its box and a lot of history to go along with it. This revolver was originally owned by Chief Rolla Prater of the Boulder Colorado Police Department and the Smith and Wesson invoice shows that it was shipped to the attention of Chief Rolla C.Prater of Boulder Police Department on May 19,1933. The Smith and Wesson Historian Archive Letter re-iterates this finding. This revolver along with all the documentation would make an unbelievable addition to a Police handgun collection or most definitely any Smith & Wesson collection.