She just got a .38 from a death in the extended family and was curious as to its age.
I'm 500 miles removed and without a standard catalouge. I've done some surfing with no luck.
All I've found out from her is that its a .38, has a lanyard ring and a serial number of V224xxx.
It sounds like an old victory model if I'm not mistaken.
She also aquired what she called an 8mm"Kaiser".
I said its probably a Mauser, but may have come from the "Kaiser".
I think she has some war guns!
She just told me that the revolver is stamped" US Property GHD"

V= victory.

And you are probably right about the 8mm also.

Interesting heirlooms I'm sure.

The .38 is indeed a Victory, from early 1943. With the info we have so far, it is not possible to tell whether it is a US version or a British Service Model, since everything so far fits both, so find out whether the barrel says .38 S&W CTG or .38 S&W SPECIAL CTG.

Is that 8mm "Kaiser" supposed to be a handgun?

Good information on the date for the .38.

As for the "Kaiser", since you assume it is a Mauser, I am guessing it is a rifle. However, Mauser made handguns as well. More information (perhaps a detailed description including all markings if photos are not available) is required. Then maybe we can help clear up if it is a "Kaiser" or a "Fuhrer".

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You're shy a few manners.

Sounds like two interesting guns I will leave the victory to the experts here. I do collect Mauser rifles and agree with Jack we need all the markings on the rifle and photos would be great as originality and condition affects these just as it does Smiths.

Jessie,

Two great heirlooms! Congrats!

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Jim
S&WCA #819

There are several important pieces of information needed for a better ID, and a picture would help. One is the exact barrel length, measured from the front face of the cylinder to the muzzle. The other is whether there is a lug on the bottom of the barrel with a detent which snaps into the extractor rod tip. If she has a .38 Special cartridge, or even a fired case, it would be good to find out if it goes all the way into the chambers.

V224xxx (a Victory model) would likely have left the factory in early 1943. There are many variations of the Mauser rifle, and pictures of the rifle and its markings (especially on the front receiver ring) would be needed to pin down an ID.

If I'm not mistaken, Mauser even made a version of the Pistole Parabellum 1908 (aka "the Luger"). And certainly there was the Mauser C96. So I'm still holding out hope that it could be a handgun.

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You're shy a few manners.

Mauser made many different handguns. I don't think any would have been 8mm.

Yes you are correct. Mauser acquired DWM's luger tooling in 1929/30. DWM was the first maker of the luger aka parabellum pistol. The Germans officially called the "luger" the "P.08" refering to pistole of 1908, which was the year it was first adopted by the German army. There were other luger manufacturers in Germany, but DWM and Mauser made the most. Calling the pistol the "luger" is more or less an American (non-German) nickname for the pistol which refers to its designer, Georg Luger.

Mauser also got the blue prints for the P.38 in 1942. Mauser made P38s are either marked "byf" or "svw" which were secret maker codes to disguise from the allies who was making German arms in the 1930s and during WWII. Mauser made lugers can be marked S/42, 42 (maker code, not year), or byf. In addition, Mauser made some commercial lugers in the 1930s, and police contract lugers of which both are alternatively marked with the famous Mauser banner logo. Mauser made lugers from 1934 to 1942, and in late 1942, Mauser switched to P.38 production.

Mauser did in fact make several handgun models including but not limited to: the C96 aka broomhandle (you mentioned), the models 1910, 1914, 1934, HSc, and the P.38. Mauser also made a revolver prior to the broomhandle which was known as the "zig zag" which was introduced in 1878. The P.38 was developed by Walther but during WWII there were 3 manufacturers of the P.38: Walther, Mauser, and Spreewerke. Before I got deeper into S&W collecting, I collected WWI and WWII era German handguns.

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}-----Jim----->
~SWCA #2732~

Before we turn this into a Mauser thread, let's keep in mind we have no evidence that we're dealing with a Mauser other than that was the only German name somewhat similar-sounding to Kaiser that the OP could think of .

Maybe we should wait for confirmation.

Thanks for all the replies. Revolver does have the barrel lug and am waiting for barrel length. I did get a pic of it, waiting on more info and pic of the rifle.

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It's a 5" barrel

Thanks, I agree. Too bad they're not mine. They are my sister-in-laws'.

I'm waiting on more info and pics if the rifle.
When it comes I'll post it up on the "Other Brands" thread, not here.

With the 5" barrel, we can be certain that it is a British Service Revolver in .38 S&W. In the photo I think I can make out importer markings on the frame. The finish seems mostly gone (hard to tell with the lighting), but otherwise it appears unmodified.

This is the time for the standard advice to at some point check whether a .38 Special round will fit, to ascertain whether it's been modified post-war.

PS: On a second look, the finish may be okay. If you can get her to take a picture sometime in resonably natural light, without the flash, that would be helpful. And while she is doing that, maybe one of the other side; most BSR's tend to have the British post-war proofs (if any) on that side.

PPS: The importer marks on the sideplate almost certainly say VAM Dist Co LLC, WOOSTER OHIO. This stamping has appeared before. I know nothing about that particular importer, but the fact that the gun is marked indicates importation after 1968 (the GCA). Those guns are generally less likely to have been extensively modified, compared to 1950s imports, at least based on my observations.

I don't think they made a "Kaiser" either.

The information is pretty sketchy and I am not sure what part of it the SIL provided, what part OP provided, and what is conjecture. So I am not taking anything as carved in stone. But soon enough we will have pictures / more complete information.

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You're shy a few manners.

She is legally blind so all pics happen only when someone else is there. It's a slow process.
The Kaiser reference was about a rifle she got and apparently happened due to her auto-spell.
She sent
A couple more pics, one shows a missing cylinder thumb latch. Are they obtainable or would one from an M&P or model 10 work?
I don't know what the "GHD" stands for?

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Barrel with caliber

Attached Images

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Most any vintage K, L, or N frame size S&W thumb latch will work.

But to be authentically shaped for the vintage of the gun, the thumb latch must be a K or N frame latch from before WW II. You need a special threaded cap nut as well. They are not hard to find on ebay and Gunbroker auctions.

You need this ‘double hourglass’ or ‘double pinch' around screw hole thumb piece with relief cuts/flare under checkered pad shown here:



See the Flared or relieved edge:


(photo by JP@AK)

(Note: When the modern 'Classics Series' was introduced, an exact copy of this pre-war style was introduced on them and can be bought new. It's an MIM cast part.)

GHD = Guy H. Drewry inspector from 1930-1957.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

G.H.D. was Guy H. Drewry (with various increasing ranks in front of his name), who was in charge of inspections for the Hartford Ordnance District and under whose authority and name ordnance contractors stationed at the S&W factory inspected guns both for Lend-lease and for ASP (Army Supply Program) contracts.

I'll pass all this on to her. Thanks!
I love this place!