What does it mean if the 38 caliber bullet is too long?

Question

I have a harrington and richardson hammerless pistol. I think it is a 38 caliber gun. I am not sure though, my grandpa left it to me. I tried using 38 special. If I put the bullet in the muzzle and it doesn't fit does that mean it is not a 38? Because it fits in the cylinder(but it won't close because the casing is too long) and it is pretty snug, it is not too loose. Can the bullet seem too small for the muzzle, but then work fine when fired? I don't want it blowing up in my face.So I need two answers really. What bullet has a smaller casing that would fit into the cylinder, and how can I be sure it doesn't take a smaller caliber like a .32 or something?

Answer 1

Bound's hubby here:

STOP! LOOK! LISTEN!

I would venture a guess that you did not tell us something! I will wager that you have a Harrington & Richardson "break-top" revolver. Your revolver has a small latch on the top strap that serves as the rear sight that you must fiddle with to open the revolver, in order to access the cylinder, ... correct?

I believe that your revolver is a H&R "break-top" in .38 S&W (a.k.a. 38/200) or .38 Short Colt. When you tried to fit the .38 Special in the cylinder, was there loose "wiggle" play near the cartridge rim? If so, the revolver is chambered for .38 S&W .... this is NOT a .38 S&W Special cartridge! If there was not "wiggle" play, chances are better that your revolver is chambered for the .38 Short Colt round.

Either way ... DO NOT SHOOT THIS REVOLVER!!! This revolver is 1890s technology. On firing, the old "break-tops" have a tendency to "fly open" ... a very dangerous situation. Shooting this revolver now would be comparable to driving a Peterbuilt at 100 mph while towing a trailer that is attached to the king pin plate with the thinnest rubber band you have ever seen!

Bottom line ... retire the revolver to a place of honor, and buy a safer revolver with modern technology behind it!

Good luck!

Answer 2

Well..it should say on the gun somewhere..on the barrel is the most common place. If not, take it to a gunsmith or reputable gun shop.

Chances are that since the S&W SPL cartridge fit diameter wise, but not length wise, the gun is *A* [is one of the] .38 caliber family. A .38 would not fit in a .32.

Since the Special case is too long, it could be a .38 Short Colt or a .38 Long Colt pistol.

There should be no wiggle room for the cartridge in the cylinder and regarding your comment about it "seeming too small", you should not be able to fit even the proper bullet in the muzzle if that is what you tried as a "test". Don't stick things in the barrel - if you get one stuck and try to fire it out, you will blow the gun up in your face - you won't have much of a hand left.

Bullets are slightly larger than the barrel diameter to seal the gasses behind it when the powder burns, and to engage the rifling in the barrel.

Answer 3

The H&R Hammerless is chambered for .38 S&W, NOT .38 special. You may have to call around as most chain stores don't carry .38 S&W, but a local gun shop or smaller sporting goods store may have some in stock or be able to order ammo for you.
The Hammerless was made in a 5 shot .38 S&W and a 6 shot .32 S&W. The number of rounds it holds will tell you the caliber.
The link below is some info on the .38 S&W cartridge.
http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/p38sw.html

Answer 4

It could be a .38 Short, or a .38 Colt or possibly even a .38 Long Colt which are all shorter than the .38 Special but the same diameter. The .38 Special will shoot the .38 Short, Colt & LC but not the other way around.

Second answer, a .32 would be way too loose in a .38 cylinder. Sounds like a .38, just not a .38 special. Have a competent gunsmith check it out.

Best,

H

Answer 5

i've got faith you're speaking approximately 38 particular cartridges. between the flaws you would be wanting to overview quickly is that the bullet is barely the bite of metallic interior the front end of the cartridge. 38 particular is an previous cartridge. Older revolvers (and a few new ones) can merely face up to the pressures of the generic cartridges, and the field would be labelled "38 particular." it's going to even have the load of the bullet listed, as there's a style, and the form of bullet. you would be wanting to become familiar with diverse shapes and shape which you would be able to pick in a bullet. interior the U. S., very practically all cartridges are regulated by employing a collection noted as SAAMI, the carrying hands and Ammunition manufacturers' institute. They make confident your cartridge is exactly appropriate suited dimensionally. additionally they regulate the pressures of the cartridges. generic 38 particular cartridges produce a optimal conventional tension of 17,000 PSI while they flow "bang." extra cutting-edge, extra suitable revolvers can face up to greater pressures, are loaded with a sprint extra propellant, and the cartridges labelled +P generate pressures interior the variety of 18,000 PSI, too plenty for previous revolvers, yet secure in some cutting-side ones. you will could desire to confirm your proprietor's instruction manual to work out in the event that they are secure on your particular handgun.

Answer 6

Since there are a number of calibers in the .38 range it is not possible to tell from your description exactly what you have. It is quite possible that it is chambered in an old .38 caliber other than the .38 special. Depending on when it was made, it could have been made for an old round that was loaded with black powder. if this is the case, it would not be safe to fire a modern round of smokeless powder in it even if the caliber was correct. The best and safest choice is to take it to a competent gunsmith and have him tell you what you have and what you can safely shoot in it.

Answer 7

if the cartridge fits in the cylinder it's probably a .38 caliber but not a .38 special. Take it to a gun shop & have them tell you what cartridges it should use

Answer 8

Without knowing more about the gun I can't tell you what kind of ammunition it is supposed to shoot. H&R made a lot of firearms for a long time in a lot of calibers, some of them now obscure and no longer available. Please do not attempt to fire this weapon without having it checked by a competent gunsmith. Older pistols were not designed to work with modern, more powerful gunpowders in use today. You are inviting serious self injury and possible nomination for a Darwin award.

Answer 9

it maybe a 3.2.And yes it can so use the 3.2s ok