Would the marking of " /380 " beside the military proof (Enfield, crossed flags) on the frame (not the barrel) of a .38 Special marked gun indicate conversion to .38-200?

It does not appear to be a light struck 38/380.

This is a 1938 serial number. There are no post-war commercial proofs.

I have to make a decision based on photos only.

Waidmann I'm not sure on that question. I think IIRC that in that time frame Commonwealth orders were filled with whatever was on hand. I think really the only safe way of knowing what the pistol is is to actually get it in hand. Over the last 70+ years so many of those guns have been chopped, swapped and otherwise altered that it would be hard to tell from a picture.
If the price is right, buy it. I am playing with one now that was a bored out chopped pre victory that now has a 2" mod 10 barrel and a real .38 spec. cylinder. Trying to decide finish now. I would give $100-150 for those all day long to have project material. JMHO
Larry

Thanks Larry, I'll be curious as to the answer. The price was about retail but given how WWII stuff is selling......... good blue, grips nice (and correct), butt swivel missing but I picked several in deal.

Bill

The .380 stamp would not be indicating a conversion ( conversion from what?) , it would be indicating to a British user of the gun that their .380/200 (or .380/180) caliber is the caliber of the gun. The gun is probably a Pre-Victory purchase, or one the the guns donated to the Brits by US civilians in the " Guns for Britain" drives in 1940-41. More likely the latter. Ed.

Opoefc, conversion of a .38 Special to .38-200 (etc.) which of course makes a little more sense than the inverse alteration post-war. Pate's book indicates these conversions did happen.

Apparrently the 38/380 stamp on the barrel was a hit and miss thing. I had never noticed a proof (crossed flags)/380 on the frame.

I realize it was a period of expedience, turbulence and haste.

You also see the "380" stamp on Webleys, Enfields, Colts, etc., without the 38/prefix. That style of stamping was also common on British handguns going back to the 1890s, so your gun probably never had a 38/ prefix to the 380 stamp. A lot of the Battle Of Britain donated guns never got proof stamps, if they did, it would have been stamped in each cylinder flute, for a revolver, and would be a Crown over a BP or BV, for the Birmingham proof house, or a Crown over a GP or V for the London proof house, per the 1925 rules. A few got the stamp " Not English Made" however do to the urgency of the situation, attention to little details often got by passed. The crossed flags stamp is the military proof/acceptance stamp. It would not be on a gun that did not go to the military. Many of the donated guns ( Rifles, shotguns, revolvers, semi-autos, etc.) donated to Britain went to Home Guards, Air Raid Wardens, Police, etc. and not to the military. Surplus handguns coming back to the US after WW2, via British gun dealers that converted or "improved" by them got the full treatment , proof wise, as we see guns with many different stamping, indicating rebores, caliber changes, etc. Stamps will indicate the power of a proof load used to test the gun, such as "2 1/2 TONS" meaning a proof load of 2 1/2 tons per square inch was used to test the gun, and where the proof test was done, etc. Ed.

As stated in the OP no commercial proofs London or Birmingham, This piece however went through Enfield.

Pate's Table 6-3 sort of covers the topic of markings, but offers no conclusion other than the possibility of conversion.

FWIW it is now established the chamber diameters in this piece measuer at .394, so I suppose its safe to presume it was altered.

That's a generous alteration! .38 S&Ws and .38/200 average .382 - .384 case diameter. Ed.

Yeah, I know. When I get to it I am going to compare to my others. My Official Police .38-200 is also odd and will chamber a .38 Colt (but not a Special).

I suppose slugging the barrel is also indicated.