.357 magnum marked .38

gearchecker · 09-17-2009, 07:16 PM

According to the Standards Catalog of S&W the Model 581 was chambered in a .38 Special for the NY Transit authority. The .357 cylinder would be 1.62" They do not list dates for those versions. What is the Model dash number on the crane? should be 581-(X) Anc curoius, what is the serial number range. The 581 was produced form 1980-1988

gearchecker · 09-17-2009, 07:21 PM

Oh, by the way.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
If the barrel is original to the Model 581 that you have, I would never even consider having the barrel swapped back to the .38 The error by S&W would be a production error and it would have higher value if you can get it papered as such. Also the .357 barrel, if that's what is actually on your revolver is designed to hold up to the .357 pressures. You could shoot .38 +P's all day long and not worry about the barrel getting hurt.

Billyz · 09-29-2009, 06:14 PM

I ended up sending in the old cylinder and got the new one for free. yeah

sunwheel29 · 10-14-2009, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madcratebuilder

Highly doubtful it's a factory error.

If the barrel is marked .357 and the cylinder only excepts .38, bubba changed barrels.

Any photo's??????????????????

From what I remember back in the seventies and eighties it was not uncommon for some police to buy a .357 and .38 on the same frame and have a gunsmith swap out the cylinders. (I think the .357 barrel had to be turned back one full rotation in the frame to keep the cylinder gap from being too big).
The reason for this was pretty simple.
Many of them worked for police agencies which allowed .38 revolvers but not .357.
So these ole boys would swap out cylinders and load hot .357 rounds in .38 cases and load them in their tampered with guns for extra performance without worryng about getting caught by your sargeant and fired for carrying a non department approved weapon.

This left you with a .38 revolver with a .357 barrel.
Its possible your gun is one of these.

09-29-2009, 06:14 PM	#43
Billyz Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 241	I ended up sending in the old cylinder and got the new one for free. yeah __________________ COG #47

09-17-2009, 07:16 PM	#41
gearchecker Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: North Idaho, Bear Country Posts: 5	According to the Standards Catalog of S&W the Model 581 was chambered in a .38 Special for the NY Transit authority. The .357 cylinder would be 1.62" They do not list dates for those versions. What is the Model dash number on the crane? should be 581-(X) Anc curoius, what is the serial number range. The 581 was produced form 1980-1988

09-17-2009, 07:21 PM	#42
gearchecker Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: North Idaho, Bear Country Posts: 5	Oh, by the way. FOOD FOR THOUGHT If the barrel is original to the Model 581 that you have, I would never even consider having the barrel swapped back to the .38 The error by S&W would be a production error and it would have higher value if you can get it papered as such. Also the .357 barrel, if that's what is actually on your revolver is designed to hold up to the .357 pressures. You could shoot .38 +P's all day long and not worry about the barrel getting hurt.