Dad's .38

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I used to be JustInCase
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I never owned a revolver before, but recently received this from my parents' estate. My dad ran a wrecker, and was called out many nights to pull someone out of a ditch, or clean up an accident. I know he always took a gun with him, so it was probably this one. One very cold and rainy night, probably around 1974, the Highway Patrol called him to take away a car that was in the ditch. Everyone had left except Dad and the Patrolman. The officer was supposed to wait there until the tow truck drove away, but it was miserable out, so Dad told him to go on. As he pulled away, Dad reached under the car to attach the hook to the axle. Something went wrong--I don't know what--and Dad was caught under the car, alone, wet, and freezing. He took his gun and fired it, and it got the Patrolman's attention, who returned and rescued my Dad. This is probably the gun that saved my Dad's life.

Can anyone identify it? Yesterday, I bought a box of .38 and took it to the range. I wasn't very accurate with it, but it was fun to shoot, and I enjoyed learning the mechanics of it, the simplicity of the design. I'll be shooting it more, that's for sure.
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Love the sentimental value of that storied gun. Thanks for sharing.
 
I have my Dad’s 38 special somewhere around here. I took it to a guy and asked him if it was safe to shoot. He said no way. The cylinder would move backwards. I shot it anyway. I couldn’t hit a standard size piece of paper from five yards. I think it was shooting knuckle balls. A guy told me it was manufactured in 1941 but who knows if that is correct. I’m never selling it.

It belonged to my grandfather before passing it to my Dad. Last time I saw it my son had it in his nightstand with his Glock19. I’m going to give it to him and make it a fourth generation hand me down. I only have one memory of my grandfather. A gathering at his house. He died of a massive heart attack when I was three years old. The gun is the only item I have that belonged to him.
 
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