[Dubar]

My neighbor wanted me to look at 2 pistols her dad left her. The 1st one was easily identified, a FN Model 1922 32 ACP:

However, the 2nd one has me stumped.

The stamping on the barrel says it's a .38 Long Cartridge and made by BEISTEGUI BROS, EBAR(?) (SPAIN)

Here's the pics:

I've cleaned/oiled the FN, but not the .38 yet.

Any ideas on the 38???

 

[Dubar]

So it's a Beistegui Hermanos Brothers 38 Long, 6-shot revolver, made in Eibar Spain 1920s-30s. That's all I was able to find out so far.

 

[Dagwood]

The Star firearms were also made in Eibar, Spain. The Ruby's were as well iirc. Maybe this mfg is related in some way.

 

[OVERKILL]

A Spain Special as Pap used to call them. Cheap copies of S&W revolvers. They were made by a lot of small cottage producers, mainly pre WWI, after that they moved more towards 1911 clones and look alikes. Trocaola ( with an elephant mark) is one seen a bit, can't recall ever seeing the HB (probably Hermanos Beistegui), but I've only seen a couple. I get a kick out of seeing them though because of all the stories Pap would tell about people getting ripped off or trying to rip people off and convince them it was a real S&W. I ran into one about 3 months ago and was almost fooled, luckily the guy was asking higher than hand ejector prices and I gave it another look over and discovered what it was and only worth a third or less of what he wanted.

Not 100%, but I reckon the 38 Long was a black powder cartridge with a case the length of a 38 Special, not 38 Long Colt. The steel wasn't very good and shooting smokeless 38 Specials would loosen them up quick. Also some of the small parts, like hammers, were cast and could break if dry fired. Neat little things though.

 

[Dubar]

She said her dad found it in the middle of a main downtown street in a neighboring city, got a feeling it was junk then or a throwaway after a crime. Looks like it was laying in a puddle from all the rust on the cylinder. Bore looked OK, as did the inside of the cylinder, but the extractor face is badly worn down and the cylinder release doesn't have any spring left to it. Also, the end of the barrel that's fixed in the frame is deformed, maybe a round was fired and things didn't lineup like they should have? Parts are available but the gun isn't worth what the parts cost. Still, if it was mine I'd be fixing it.

 

[OVERKILL]

Yeah, something about non working guns laying around, they either get fixed or sold. With that being her dad's it'be up to be fixed, the story's cool and it might be more interesting to leave it as found.
Pap's got a rifle thrown over the fence from a block riot when he lived in Chicago.

 

[RACHGIER]

Yeah, something about non working guns laying around, they either get fixed or sold. With that being her dad's it'be up to be fixed, the story's cool and it might be more interesting to leave it as found.
Pap's got a rifle thrown over the fence from a block riot when he lived in Chicago.

My ex brother in law found a Winchester Model 1300 Defender mixed in with the trash on his recycling truck. Had a Syracuse PD ID tag on it. The tube was crushed but he gave it to his father. I ended up doing the repairs on it. Was supposed to be mine when he passed, but the ex is the ex for a reason.