Dardick Corp. Model 1500 .38 Caliber Tround 4 & 6″ Internal Magazine Revolver, Barrels, Box & AMMO!

SOLD FOR $5,147.39
LSB#: 180502PT08

Make: Dardick Corp.

1Model: 1500

Serial Number: 1124

Year of Manufacture: 1958-1962

Caliber: .38 Caliber Tround

Action Type: Single/Double Action Revolver with Internal Fixed Magazine

Markings: The left side of each barrel is marked “DARDICK CORP. / HAMDEN, CONN. .38 CAL”. The left side of the receiver above the loading gate is marked “HAMDEN, CONN. / PAT. NO. 2865126 / MODEL 1500” and it appears that above this, where the loading viewport has been cut, was markded “DARDICK CORP”. Each of the grip panels has a Dardick Corp logo.

Barrel Length: One 4″ and two 6″ barrels are included.

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a tall, ramped, serrated blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch in a base fixed to the top-rear of the receiver, screw adjustable for windage.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece brown-copper colored panels fixed to the sides of the grip frame. The grips show light surface wear with a few scattered light marks and well-defined checkering. There are no chips or cracks. The grips are in about Very Good-Fine overall condition.

Type of Finish: The barrels and other steel parts are blued, the alloy frame is black.

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bores are bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bores.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 87% of its metal finish. One of the 6″ barrels has thinning at edges and some scattered light marks. The installed 6″ barrel and the 4″ barrel have only a few scattered light marks. The loading gate has thinning at edges and some light marks. The frame has scattered spots of finish wear, mostly in the grip frame and at edges. The hex-screw heads are undamaged. The slot screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear with the exception of that milled out by the loading viewport. Overall, this handgun rates in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. This firearm has a three-chamber cylinder with open-sided chambers and a fixed internal magazine in the grip. As trounds are pushed up, they feed into the left chamber and are rotated into firing position when the trigger is pulled or when the hammer is cocked. When the cylinder rotates, the tround in the firing position rotates to the ejection port on the right side and falls out the side. This revolver does not have a manual safety. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes in a light blue Dardick Corp Model 1500 box with its two replacement barrels, four Dardick Corp marked Trounds, one display unprimed Tround with translucent casing, the two replacement barrels as described, Dardick Corp diagram explaining function of the Tround cartridge and a clipping of an article about shooting the Dardick. The dardick has wear at corners and edges with the lid’s edges reinforced with tape where it has torn, internal wear from the hammer and rear sight of the revolver and some scattered discoloration, in about Good-Very Good condition. The trounds have some residue and discoloration on their exterior, in about Very Good-plus condition.

Our Assessment: Internal magazine revolver sounds like a contradiction, but this revolver is proof that it can be done, with no remark on whether it should be done. The Dardick Corp was founded by inventor David Dardick and developed this design. It was found that triangular rounds, or trounds, store more efficiently than round cartridges and provide a better seal. At a time when police departments still tended to prefer a revolver over a semi-auto, this handgun gave them the operating principle of a revolver with the higher capacity of the semi-automatic, in theory. The Dardick went through many designs, even including a three-barreled salvo model which fired three projectiles at once. The main models were the 11-round capacity Model 1100, the 15-round capacity Model 1500, such as this one, and the 20-round Model 2000. The design was not a commercial success, however, and after being introduced in 1958, the firearms were discontinued in 1962 with sources varying on the number of guns produced but agreeing it was only a few hundred at most. This is a very rare and mechanically interesting handgun, a testament to innovation in design if not to commercial success. This example is in Very Good condition with about 87% of its metal finish, box, barrels and even some trounds. It would make a great addition to any collection and is sure to be a good conversation piece that will catch the eye with its unorthodox appearance and design. Please see our photos and good luck!

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This C&R eligible revolver CAN be transferred as a dealer sale in California and CAN be sold as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) at our Simi Valley shop. All cartridge firing handguns (even C&R’s and antiques) sold to a California resident must be DROS’d. This does not apply to out of state residents.