The first truly compact .38 Special revolver designed specifically for plainclothes and detective carry — short 2-inch barrel, fixed sights, and a swing-out cylinder on the compact D-frame. The archetype of the "snubnose" detective revolver that defined American plainclothes police carry for 50 years. Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe both carried snubnose revolvers of this type. Type: Revolver Action: Revolver Caliber: .38 Special Capacity: 6 Year introduced: 1927, USA Weight: 21 oz Overall length: 6.5" Status: Discontinued Intended use: law enforcement, civilian