POTD: S&W 38 M&P Target “Mexican Model of 1946”

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Smith & Wesson that exists thanks to leftover parts and a Mexican government order. This is a 38 Military & Police Target known to collectors as the “Mexican Target Model,” chambered in 38 Special with a 6 inch barrel.

Right after World War II, Smith & Wesson put together roughly 3,500 of these to fill an order from Mexico. They were built from parts made and stocked before the war, which is why they wear the older click-adjustable micrometer rear sight and a gold bead front that sits noticeably tall. If you’re used to postwar K-frames, those sights are the giveaway.

Most of them went south in 1945 and 1946 to the Mexican distributor, and this is the part I love. That distributor was Col. Rex Applegate. During the war, Applegate ran close combat training for the OSS, served as a bodyguard for FDR, and wrote “Kill or Get Killed” in 1943, which is still a go-to manual on hand-to-hand fighting. After the war he stayed in Mexico for years, selling guns and advising the government, and they reportedly made him an honorary general. A handful also went to Uruguay and Costa Rica, and only a trickle reached American dealers.

This one went out on May 12th, 1947, bound for a buyer in Mexico City. I’d call it a neat snapshot of S&W clearing out its prewar parts bin while one of the most famous close combat instructors of the war handled the sales.

Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!

“Smith & Wesson .38 M&P Target ‘Mexican Model of 1946’ Revolver.” Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4097/1513/smith-wesson-38-mp-target-mexican-model-of-1946-revolver. Accessed 29 Sept. 2026.

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