I purchase what I believe is an 38 M&P with parkerized finish. The shop owner was calling it a K38 but it looked to me to be a pre or post WWII era M&P. No US property makings and non military looking grips. Any insight as to manufacture date or other information about the pistol?

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It is a pre-Victory WWII .38 Special (.38 M&P) revolver made in 1942 before S&W shifted the serials over to the V series. It is obviously missing its lanyard ring. They are available if you want to replace it. Take the grips off and see if the serial is stamped on the back of the right panel. The grips are typical for pre-WWII commercial revolvers.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Guy nailed it, with one minor correction: The grips are actually from the 19-teens.

Yep. I got the gold-silver color blindness...

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

The inside of the right grip is penciled 244715 so the grips are not original as noted. What grips would be and where would be a place to find the lanyard ring? The finish kind of looks parkerized but I’m not sure and ideas here? Thanks guys for the input.

Stocks would be smooth walnut, service style (about the same size as the ones on it). Numrich has reproduction butt swivels of the proper type, you may also need the small pin that holds it in place.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The finish is either Parkerizing or S&W's form of it called "Black Magic." The grips should look like these:

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

That serial allows dating the grips to 1915.

They seem in decent shape, and by themselves, are worth more than a set of the correct style of smooth walnut. So don’t discard them

Since this has no V prefix and no military markings was it made for the police market in 1942?

No. It was made for the war. However, it may have never left the US. It could have wound up at a military or important civilian facility for security or law enforcement purposes.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Thank you I appreciate all of the input.

And it is a nice looking revolver from that era. Grips are probably a bonus.

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“Look life in its iron face”

I just found one of these with blued small parts, had no clue they existed, also in the same serial number range as this one.

You should make a new post of your own and throw in a few pics of yours.

Mark

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S&W Forum Member #721

Curious as to why this would be a pre victory? The pre victory models were 38 S&W and this one is 38 special and numbers in the 1905 4th change serial number range. If this were a 38/200 pre victory, with that serial number it should be 38 S&W?

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Not necessarily Robert. Pre Victories are US military guns made for World War II that have serial numbers that do not start with a V. The British Commonwealth guns are known as British Service Revolvers (BSR). Many of them also have serials starting with a V beginning in April 1942.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Guy, what makes this a pre victory, the lanyard hole?

Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I would guess its a DSC guns. Technically, there is no such thing as a pre Victory same as a pre Model 10.

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Don Mundell

DSC? Forgive my ignorance.

Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

There are features that indicate it is a military gun, not a commercial gun, such as the finish, the lanyard ring and, most importantly, the serial number. There may be other indicators such as the military proof stamp (P) which usually shows up on the butt but is missing from this gun and the grips which should be plain, non-checkered walnut. As has been noted before in this thread, the grips on it are much earlier...from the 19 teens period ... and not numbered to the gun. So, they replaced whatever was on this gun.


Of course, Don is correct about terminology. However, it is a lot easier to label this category as "Pre-Victory" than to call them ".38 Special K-Frame Revolvers made for the US Military in WWII but with serial numbers that don't start with a V." Just MHO.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Guy is correct. It would be hard to fit all that in a letter.

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Don Mundell

Guy, I started a thread 4/12 titled 38/200. Similar gun. Maybe check it out and give me your thoughts.

Defense Supply Corporation.

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Don Mundell

My comments in your thread per your request.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

And it's a mouthful to say. Doesn't exactly roll off your lips.

The Defense Supplies Corporation was a government agency concerned, among numerous other functions, with facilitation of distribution of handguns to essential civilian users such as domestic law enforcement agencies and defense plant guards during WWII. Such guns were generally devoid of markings such as property stampings applied to guns destined for military service. Basically, DSC was sort of a gun shop for qualified civilian users. Ordinary civilians would find it impossible to buy any new guns and ammunition during WWII, with a few exceptions. Same was true of new cars and many other normal peacetime items.

It's difficult to define a pre-Victory revolver. Generally, one could consider a S&W revolver not having a V-SN prefix made after the fall of France in 1940 until mid-1942, which was of the same type as those supplied to the US and Allied forces during WWII, as being a pre-Victory. But that is not in any way "Official."