.38/200 British Service Model in .38S&W. Serial #780218 appears to date to mid 1941. Overall very good condition but unfortunately there was a bit of rust on the end of barrel and a bit on the top strap/cylinder (last picture before working on it). I've removed the rust but there is a bit of pitting

Still a nice shooter with some interesting history attached.

Nice one. I don't think that one saw much action, if any.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

The pitting is unfortunate, no doubt the result of poor storage choices by a previous owner.

However, the gun as such is in exceptionally good condition and appears unissued after Enfield acceptance. There is a turn line, but the ejector rod hasn't even been pushed enough for the inevitable wear on the blue.

Maybe some officer around the depot assigned this right away to guard duty in a desk drawer at his manor house

The absence of post-war proofs indicates it made it to you in Canada not as surplus, but since it also lacks the Canadian military property stamp, it may have crossed back from Britain post-war in some informal fashion, like with an immigrant. Since it is Enfield-stamped, it can't really be part of a Canadian BPC contract.

Great info thanks.

Before:

After:

Looks better using CLP and scraping with a penny. Not sure if I can make it any better than that.

I believe you may have an early lend lease revolver given to England in 40 or 41. Many were distributed through out the common wealth and may or may not have British proof marks. I have a lend lease Victory Model that came back from Australia without proof marks. The British requested these revolvers with 5 inch barrels, in the .38 S&W caliber with a 200 grain projectile. You can also try using a copper penny to remove some of the rust.

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Ed

Thanks. I used the penny because I didn't have any steel wool on hand. It cleaned it up pretty good.

Copper wool (such as Chore Boy) is the recommended material for rust removal use along with a light oil or bore cleaner. The mouth of a brass cartridge case can also be used.

Shudder! My rule is NEVER use steel wool on any gun. It is a bad idea. Copper or bronze wool is fine (no pun intended).

A copper penny is fine. Keep in mind that after 1980, pennies were made of zinc, with only a fine wash of copper over it. But probably still okay for this purpose.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

I've read that 0000 is soft enough to use, but had I gone that route I would have used copper or bronze. Scraping with an old penny seems to have worked pretty good. I think I'll leave it now I'd most likely make things worse working on it any further.

Chief:
No. For future reference, the easy way to exclude that is the absence of UNITED STATES PROPERTY or US PROPERTY GHD on the left topstrap. No such property stamp, no Lend-lease. The .38 S&W BSR’s without stamp were pre-L-l contract purchases.

Here’s a link to the thread when I wasn’t sure what this was. Good info on this model within:

ID Help S&W M&P .38/200?

The first Lend-Lease deliveries apparently did not begin until fairly late in 1941.