New on here, so I hope this is the correct place to post.

Dad just handed me an old revolver that belonged to my deceased grandmother. Pictures would not upload. Here's what I can see...

S&W Trade Mark - Made in USA
6 shot revolver
J46859 on frame behind yoke
15493 on cylinder yoke
Serial # V687327 on grip butt - looks like swivel removed
.38 guessing Special because found a box of .38 Special ammo
Barrel 2 1/4"
Fixed sight
Cylinder stamped ENGLAND on side and 71344
Strain screw with 5 screws
Wood grips but not checkered. They look like tree bark.

Hoping for a treasure, expecting less. Thanks for any help!

A picture would help, but from your description it appears to be a late 1944 S&W Victory model M&P revolver, as made for the British Commonwealth military. These were originally made in caliber .38 S&W (which was the WWII British military revolver cartridge). But in the 1950s and 1960s, many of those revolvers were imported and modified by US surplus gun dealers by boring out the chambers to accept .38 S&W Special cartridges. They sold better that way. They also cut the barrels shorter, and that appears to have been done to yours also. Unfortunately, with those modifications, yours has no collector value, but it is likely to be OK as a shooter. But not a (monetary) treasure.

Unfortunately it will definitely bulge the brass cases when it is fired as the .38 S&W was shorter but fatter than .38 special. Its not horribly dangerous, but you won't be able to reload the brass if you are so inclined.

It's not dangerous to fire .38 Special in the converted chambers, just unsightly. Some reload the bulged brass by re-sizing only the upper part of the case in .38 Special dies. And that's the smartest way to do

By the way - Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly used the same type revolver to kill Dallas PD Officer J. D. Tippett.

The fact that the chambers are stamped ENGLAND suggests to me that it was rechambered by one of several firms based in England . . . such as Cogswell & Harrison or Parker - Hale.

Russ

Could be, but at least C&H usually engraved their name somewhere on the frame. I have not seen a P-H identification on a Victory.

Welcome to the forum. Don't despair, even if grandma's gun had no modifications, these were made by the thousands for WW II and still wouldn't be a treasure. Maybe worth twice as yours which is in the $300 ballpark, just to give you some idea of value.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

I appreciate all the feedback. Thanks.