Smith & Wesson .38 Military & Police, Model of 1905 4th Change, 4 inch, .38 Special, Bright Nickel, Round-Butt K-Frame (1919)
This pre-WWII Smith & Wesson .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 – 4th Change was manufactured in 1919 and exhibits hallmark pre-war features collectors look for. It pairs a bright nickel finish with a round-butt K-frame, a 4-inch pinned barrel, and fixed service sights. As a direct progenitor to the post-1957 Model 10, it represents a transitional moment in S&W .38 Special history.
Condition
Overall Condition: Fair condition, showing extensive signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: The revolver is in solid shape. Numerous scratches and blemishes are present across the exterior, with scattered patches of pitting. The bore shows visible blemishing while retaining defined rifling.
What’s Included
- Smith & Wesson .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 - 4th Change revolver
Built on the round-butt K-frame, this six-shot .38 Special features a 4-inch pinned barrel and a double-action/single-action lockwork. The unshrouded ejector rod uses the front barrel-lug lock typical of the period, underscoring its correct pre-war configuration.
The bright nickel finish is applied to the carbon steel frame, cylinder, and receiver components, offering a classic period look. Note: the hammer and trigger are plated bright rather than left in the color casehardened finish typical of factory pre-war production, indicating later plating of these parts. Pre-war checkered walnut service stocks with S&W gold medallions complete the round-butt profile.
Fixed sights include a half-moon front blade and a square-notch rear milled into the topstrap. The revolver retains S&W’s pre-war long-action, the checkered thumbpiece latch, and the earlier sideplate screw pattern associated with this change.
Production details align with early post-WWI manufacture: the absence of the “MADE IN U.S.A.” frame legend is consistent with pre-1922 guns, and 1919 falls in the transitional window preceding S&W’s adoption of heat-treated cylinders for .38 Special. As the forerunner to the later Model 10, this example reflects the lineage that defined S&W service revolvers for decades.