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06-25-2017, 12:59 AM
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Smith and Wesson 38 special
Can someone tell me a year or model all I found on it was the number 740428
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06-25-2017, 01:05 AM
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SWCA Member Absent Comrade
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Welcome to the forum.
The absence of the front lug under the barrel for the ejector rod means the barrel has been cut. Is there a letter, maybe a V, in front of the number, and did you get the number off the butt of the grip?
I suspect this is a refinished British Service Model from WW II, but to ascertain that we need the entire serial with any letter prefix. With the cut barrel, the caliber stamping is likely no longer readable. A picture of the butt stamping would help.
You say it is a .38 Special. Does it say that anywhere, or is that based on the fact that it fits .38 Special cartridges?
Last edited by Absalom; 06-25-2017 at 01:07 AM.
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06-25-2017, 01:30 AM
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Hand ejected snub noze
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06-25-2017, 01:35 AM
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It is the only thing on the butt is 740428 and it match the number on the yoke other than the Smith and Wesson stamp and made in USA
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06-25-2017, 01:37 AM
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It has no other markings
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06-25-2017, 01:44 AM
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It's worn but doesn't look cut
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06-25-2017, 01:44 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biglos88
Hand ejected snub noze
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biglos88
It is the only thing on the butt is 740428 and it match the number on the yoke other than the Smith and Wesson stamp and made in USA
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It may be a snub nose now, but it didn't start out as one. If the number 740438 is all there is on the butt, it is an early-war so-called "pre-Victory" M&P, either an original .38 Special or a British Service .38 S&W that was possibly converted, which had its original barrel cut. If the number on the butt matches a number on the yoke, that's fishy too because there was no serial on the yoke back then. The grips are post-1968.
PS: It does not matter whether the barrel looks cut or not, a short barrel without the underlug on that square-butt frame cannot be original.
Last edited by Absalom; 06-25-2017 at 01:50 AM.
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06-25-2017, 01:53 AM
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That's The but
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06-25-2017, 02:01 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biglos88
That's The but
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That fits. You can see the plugged hole where the lanyard swivel was attached.
I assume the ammo I see in your other picture is .38 Special. To find out whether it was originally a .38 S&W British version that had its chambers converted, you can either try to insert a .38 S&W round if you've got one (they will in most cases not fit an original Special chamber), or if not, check the chambers for "ghost rings" about half-way in where they were reamed to lengthen them.
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06-25-2017, 02:04 AM
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The yoke really small it its there
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06-25-2017, 02:11 AM
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I think I do see ghost rings is it common to see this kind of work dun to an old pistol
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06-25-2017, 02:39 AM
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So is it a service pistol? If so is it still worth anything
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06-25-2017, 03:00 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biglos88
The yoke really small it its there
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biglos88
I think I do see ghost rings is it common to see this kind of work dun to an old pistol
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biglos88
So is it a service pistol? If so is it still worth anything
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That's not the yoke, that's the cylinder, and having the serial there does jibe with Absalom's evaluation.
Unfortunately, it is common to see this kind of chop & bore work on former British Service Revolvers. They were brought in by the boatload as surplus and modified in an attempt to make them more attractive to U.S. buyers.
Since it has been so modified, it has no interest for collectors. It's basically worth what someone wants to pay for a crippled old .38 that will be shot very little. Maybe $250 - $300 on the outside.
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06-25-2017, 08:59 AM
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this one is chromed but the Brits got at it too before sending it home.
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06-25-2017, 08:59 AM
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and welcome to the forum.
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06-25-2017, 09:08 AM
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740428 would make it a pre-Victory BSR which likely shipped in early 1941. No question it is a chopped and re-bored BSR. No collector value, maybe worth $200 to whoever is interested and knows what it is.
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06-25-2017, 10:18 AM
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SWCA Member Absent Comrade
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biglos88
So is it a service pistol? If so is it still worth anything
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More than half a million of these were originally shipped to Britain and used there as service sidearms during WW II to supplement their Enfield and Webley revolvers. Many ended up surplus in the 1950s and re-imported to the US, modified to be more attractive to US buyers. That explains yours.
The others have given you a realistic value. Not a collector piece. But if you keep those hollow-points in it, it will outlast you and do the job when things go bump in the night.
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06-25-2017, 10:29 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Absalom
The others have given you a realistic value. Not a collector piece. But if you keep those hollow-points in it, it will outlast you and do the job when things go bump in the night.
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Very good photos and description. Welcome to the Forum!
One note:
Best practice is to unload the revolver before photographing it. I hope I don't sound like an old lady, but you can never be too safe where guns are concerned!
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06-25-2017, 01:43 PM
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Lol thanks for the welcome y'all AND for the help appreciate it the only think I didn't see see is the hole for the lanyard strap did they always have them or did they just hide it that good
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06-25-2017, 01:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biglos88
Lol thanks for the welcome y'all AND for the help appreciate it the only think I didn't see see is the hole for the lanyard strap did they always have them or did they just hide it that good
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Most of the military issue revolvers had lanyard loops.
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06-25-2017, 02:28 PM
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I can see in your picture a faint trace of the plugged lanyard swivel hole.
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06-25-2017, 05:38 PM
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So one more ? Would be ok to try to fire an 38 s&w out of it
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06-25-2017, 06:47 PM
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Sure - that is if you can find any .38 S&W. Still made,but not widely distributed. And it is usually considerably more costly than .38 Special. .38 Special is probably best, but you may find fired cases stick in the chambers. Only way to find out is shoot it - best if only standard velocity ammo with lead bullets is used.
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06-25-2017, 07:58 PM
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Good thread! Thanks for posting.
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06-25-2017, 09:41 PM
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If it chambers & fires .38 S&W, you'll know what the original caliber of the gun was. And as others have noted, most likely a modified British service revolver. It's just a shooter and would make an excellent night table gun.
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06-26-2017, 08:38 AM
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38 S&W ammo is not that hard to find. Midway USA has some in stock for $23 a box and I can almost always find availability from other online vendors.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
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06-26-2017, 09:17 AM
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Back to my chrome BSR. I cleaned it (I thought) and took it to the range. After four rounds of .38 special it became hard to rotate the cylinder and the brass cases bulged and or ruptured.
After a few minutes of freaking out I shut down the range session and brought the gun home. This time I really cleaned it to the point where the .38 special would fit into the cylinder chambers and come out very nicely.
I still am working up the nerve to go back and put some .38S&W through it. I think whoever did the reaming of the chambers just did a bad job at this point.
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Last edited by Targets Guy; 06-26-2017 at 09:19 AM.
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06-26-2017, 01:12 PM
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I would stick to 38 s&w.....from what I've read, what you experienced is what one might expect.
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