Gun Questions for the Experts.....
 

Yeah, I said the bad word, so what....anyways here are the questions.

What is a "38 special on a 44 frame"

Since it shoots "tombstone bullets and a ball and chain" what kind of bullets are they?

Extra credit....................what song is this gun in?

Double extra credit................who was the first to sing it?

38 on a 44 frame is a revolver built in 38 special (normally S&W K frame size) but using the larger size frame needed for 44 magnum (S&W N frame). Either super heavy duty police stuff or target competition stuff. 38spl only though would be target work, anything for police would be 357 (S&W mdl 27)

Not sure on tombstone bullets - at the time of the famous tombstone bullets were heavy (for caliber) soft lead moving at moderate velocities. Winning combination for short range killing.

Ball & Chain - more applicable to ship borne cannon, but 2 balls separated by a length of chain. Would start spinning around itself (in theory) and the chain section would cut folk in two, or remove masts from ships.

Too lazy to google the song and singer

I think the song pre-dates the magnum calibers id.
One can't always expect the blues to be lyrically correct.
Jim

38 Special on a 44 frame.........
 

Smith & Wesson used to make a revolver known as the 38/44. It was an early effort to put the 38 special round into a heavier frame which would (theoretically) make it last longer shooting heavy bullets and powder charges. Since the 38/44 came with adjustable sights, it was typically more accurate.

Tombstone bullets, ball and chain........... While the 38 special now uses 100-125 grain bullets, early loads used up to 200 grain slugs. Some believed that the heavy bullet was more deadly. Maybe the reference to ball and chain had to do with the fact that the 38/44 was popular with law enforcement members.

Song / singer
 

The song was "I'm ready", sung by Muddy Waters.

"I'm drinkin TNT I'm smoking dynomite in case some screwball wants a fight.."

32-20 was another popular "Blues Gun"

Great job getting the singer. I have Muddy's version along with 5 or 6 others on an album in my car. I like Bo Diddly's version too.