What the &@%#

[Durango Flinthart]

If you have a copy of Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms 9th edition, check out page 229, illustration 5G-080,
S&W 38 Double Action Perfected Model.
Does anyone else find anything strange about this revolver?
Just how the heck did this thing work?

[St. George]

It works like any top-break - except that the thumb latch and barrel latch have to be activated simultaneously in order to load the weapon.

This model has the triggerguard integral with the frame, and not a separate part.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

The notation in the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson by Supica and Nahas is 'apparently for the belt and suspenders kinda guy'. Really.

The explanation I have heard is that the idea was that when in close quarters with a bad guy, if he were to try to grab the top latch and open the gun to disable it, he would not be able to since the thumb latch must also be pushed forward to open the gun.

I dunno if I believe that explanation, but I have heard it.

These things were one of the last top breaks S&W designed. They were only produced from 1909 to 1920. The first hand ejectors with the now familiar thumb latch showed up in 1899. Notice the frame of the perfected model already has the modern shaped trigger guard integral with the frame. They always seemed to me to be kind of a transitional model between the top breaks and the hand ejectors.

[Books OToole]

I saw a dvd with Roy Jinks demonstrating the "reach over and pull the latch up and render your opponents std. top-break useless."

Books

[Montana Slim]

I saw a dvd with Roy Jinks demonstrating the "reach over and pull the latch up and render your opponents std. top-break useless."

Books

Have to wonder how many thugs....today & of yesteryear would know to try that trick...or even dare 
Give them one or two taps on the trigger....that would discourage such Tomfoolery

Slim

[Books OToole]

Have to wonder how many thugs....today & of yesteryear would know to try that trick...or even dare 
Give them one or two taps on the trigger....that would discourage such Tomfoolery

Slim

Like the other tricks:

Pushing the slide back on 1911.
Shoving the web between your thumb & index finger between the hammer and the frame (ouch).
or just grabbing the cylinder so it can't rotate.

I'm pretty sure that I don not want to do any of those.

books

[St. George]

Just keep arm's length from the other guy, and it's not an issue.

That's part of the idea - to back the other guy off...

If he's trying to lift the topbreak's latch, and the trigger isn't being pulled - something's wrong.

Same's true of the .45 - sure, it'll lock up if the slide's out of battery - but a half-step to the rear and it's 'in' battery.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Shotgun Franklin]

Shoving the web between your thumb & index finger between the hammer and the frame (ouch).

Some years ago a friend/shooter was shooting a stage with me timing. He was in the process of shooting one of his revolvers. I heard a click that he didn't, as he cocked to fire the next round I grabbed his gun exactly like this and caught the hammer in the web of my right hand. We found a bullet not quite half way down the barrel. Pinched like crap though.

[Qball]

Some years ago a friend/shooter was shooting a stage with me timing. He was in the process of shooting one of his revolvers. I heard a click that he didn't, as he cocked to fire the next round I grabbed his gun exactly like this and caught the hammer in the web of my right hand. We found a bullet not quite half way down the barrel. Pinched like crap though.

Wow.. very quick thinkin' there sir.
You might have saved his hand and revolver by doing that.