Nope, it's a .38
S&W intro'd the J frame for one particular reason. What was it?
This is fun!
JUST TELL ME ALREADY SO I CAN GO TO BED!!! 
Well...it's got a trigger guard like a K frame/Military & Police, but the cylinder lock notch is between the chambers, which tells me it's a five shot.
Gettin' closer! But notice the size of the trigger guard in relation to the frame.
*sigh*
The Chiefs Special J-frame was developed from the very popular .38/32 (.38 S&W) Terrier I-frame revolver. The I-frame was a 5-shot hand ejector double action revolver. It was very popular because it was so small and light, but it was not strong enough to handle the more powerful .38 Special round. The demand was great for a snubby that was small like the Terrier but able to handle the .38 Special. Smith & Wesson lengthened the cylinder and frame of the I-frame, and beefed it up a bit. They dubbed it the J-frame. It was introduced at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in October 1950. In a stroke of marketing genius, S&W named the gun the Chiefs Special and thus it has remained ever since. In 1957, S&W went to a number system for designating guns. The Military & Police became the Model 10. The Chiefs Special became the Model 36. The Terrier became the Model 32, and so on. This is why you get the curious pre-Model # designations. Most of the guns that got a model number had a pre-model number name. A pre-Model 36 is a Chiefs Special made before 1957.
The J-frame .38 Special was immensely popular from its inception, especially among law enforcement and civilians, but even aircrews often used them because of the size and weight. Several variations followed: the shrouded hammer Bodyguard (Model 49) and the hammerless Centennial (Model 40). Airweight variations having aluminum alloy frames were developed on the three basic forms: Chiefs Special Airweight Model 37, Bodyguard Airweight Model 38, and the Centennial Airweight Model 42. In 1965, the Chiefs Special was rendered in stainless steel and designated the Model 60, becoming the first stainless steel handgun.
There...satisfied?
NOW can I go to bed?
*sigh*
The Chiefs Special J-frame was developed from the very popular .38/32 (.38 S&W) Terrier I-frame revolver. The I-frame was a 5-shot hand ejector double action revolver. It was very popular because it was so small and light, but it was not strong enough to handle the more powerful .38 Special round. The demand was great for a snubby that was small like the Terrier but able to handle the .38 Special. Smith & Wesson lengthened the cylinder and frame of the I-frame, and beefed it up a bit. They dubbed it the J-frame. It was introduced at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in October 1950. In a stroke of marketing genius, S&W named the gun the Chiefs Special and thus it has remained ever since. In 1957, S&W went to a number system for designating guns. The Military & Police became the Model 10. The Chiefs Special became the Model 36. The Terrier became the Model 32, and so on. This is why you get the curious pre-Model # designations. Most of the guns that got a model number had a pre-model number name. A pre-Model 36 is a Chiefs Special made before 1957.
The J-frame .38 Special was immensely popular from its inception, especially among law enforcement and civilians, but even aircrews often used them because of the size and weight. Several variations followed: the shrouded hammer Bodyguard (Model 49) and the hammerless Centennial (Model 40). Airweight variations having aluminum alloy frames were developed on the three basic forms: Chiefs Special Airweight Model 37, Bodyguard Airweight Model 38, and the Centennial Airweight Model 42. In 1965, the Chiefs Special was rendered in stainless steel and designated the Model 60, becoming the first stainless steel handgun.
There...satisfied?
NOW can I go to bed?
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Aw hell...I'll go ahead and give y'all the REST of the story. 
The Model 36 Chiefs Special was produced from 1950 to 1999. It still survives in modern metals in the form of the Model 637, the Model 60, the Model 36LS, the Model 340, the Model 360, and their variants. Contemporary J-frame S&W revolvers are actually built on the J-Magnum frame rather than the true J-frame. If you compare a current J-frame with an original Model 36 or 60, you will notice that the frame and cylinder are slightly longer on the new guns. They are all built to the length that will accommodate .357 Magnum, even the models that are chambered for .38 Special. All of the new stainless J-frames today are chambered for .357 Magnum rather than .38 Special. (There have been variants produced in the Model 60, 66, and 640 that are "re-issued" in .38 Special, so check the gun you're looking at.) If you go to the store today to buy an all-stainless J-frame, if it is new, it will be chambered in .357 Magnum as will be the Model 360 and the Model 340. You can, of course, shoot .38 Special in the .357 Magnums, but Smith & Wesson finds it necessary to enable their new snubs to chamber .357 regardless of how painful they may be to shoot. The stainless and alloy Airweights are still chambered in .38 Special and rated for +p, and IMHO, they're the best value and most utilitarian members of the class.
The question of using modern +p ammunition in these old revolvers often comes up. While the all steel early models will probably stand up to a limited amount of +p, they were not designed to handle it. Loads like Speer 135g +p and Cor-Bon DPX did not exist when these guns were built. The safest course with the Model 36 is to stick with standard pressure loads if you choose to shoot it. +P absolutely should not be used in the early Airweights, the Model 37, 38 and 42. And, of course, the all aluminum "Aircrewman" revolvers should not be fired at all, even with standard pressure loads. The new Airweights, the Model 637-1, 638-2 and 642 are rated for +p and will handle it without damage to the gun.
The Model 36 and its children have endured for half a century and the odds are good that they will be around for quite some time.
See y'all tomorrow!
The Model 36 Chiefs Special was produced from 1950 to 1999. It still survives in modern metals in the form of the Model 637, the Model 60, the Model 36LS, the Model 340, the Model 360, and their variants. Contemporary J-frame S&W revolvers are actually built on the J-Magnum frame rather than the true J-frame. If you compare a current J-frame with an original Model 36 or 60, you will notice that the frame and cylinder are slightly longer on the new guns. They are all built to the length that will accommodate .357 Magnum, even the models that are chambered for .38 Special. All of the new stainless J-frames today are chambered for .357 Magnum rather than .38 Special. (There have been variants produced in the Model 60, 66, and 640 that are "re-issued" in .38 Special, so check the gun you're looking at.) If you go to the store today to buy an all-stainless J-frame, if it is new, it will be chambered in .357 Magnum as will be the Model 360 and the Model 340. You can, of course, shoot .38 Special in the .357 Magnums, but Smith & Wesson finds it necessary to enable their new snubs to chamber .357 regardless of how painful they may be to shoot. The stainless and alloy Airweights are still chambered in .38 Special and rated for +p, and IMHO, they're the best value and most utilitarian members of the class.
The question of using modern +p ammunition in these old revolvers often comes up. While the all steel early models will probably stand up to a limited amount of +p, they were not designed to handle it. Loads like Speer 135g +p and Cor-Bon DPX did not exist when these guns were built. The safest course with the Model 36 is to stick with standard pressure loads if you choose to shoot it. +P absolutely should not be used in the early Airweights, the Model 37, 38 and 42. And, of course, the all aluminum "Aircrewman" revolvers should not be fired at all, even with standard pressure loads. The new Airweights, the Model 637-1, 638-2 and 642 are rated for +p and will handle it without damage to the gun.
The Model 36 and its children have endured for half a century and the odds are good that they will be around for quite some time.
See y'all tomorrow!
And no, I did not conjure up all this info. 
This article, as well as a plethora of other "valuable" information, can be found here.
http://www.snubnose.info/
One of my very favorite websites!
This article, as well as a plethora of other "valuable" information, can be found here.
http://www.snubnose.info/
One of my very favorite websites!
And no, I did not conjure up all this info.
This article, as well as a plethora of other "valuable" information, can be found here.
http://www.snubnose.info/
One of my very favorite websites!
Cool site. Done a little digging out there. This Terrier will hopefully be the end of my gun-purchasing rampage, at least for a bit. I still blame my brother on my quest to get an I frame. It's all his fault.
But I have ended up with some darn cool snubs in classic, old school calibers that are a blast to shoot.Similar threads
South West OK
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