S&W .38 HAND EJECTOR MODEL 20 REVOLVER GRIPS

Commonly called the 'thirty-eight on a forty-four frame', this followed the design of the .44 Hand Ejector but was chambered for .38 Special and had a five-inc barrel. A special Hi-Speed cartridge was developed, offering a muzzle velocity of 1,115 ft/sec, compared with 870 ft/sec for the standard .38 Special. Intended mainly for police use, the .38 Hand Ejector may be seen as a forerunner of the Magnums.