Lend Lease Conversion

[McShooty]

This recently showed up in my local gun shop. My dealer didn't think it would get much interest. He made me a price and I took it home. It appears to be a lend lease 38 converted to 22 rim fire, circa 1940. Conversion is made with chamber liners and is a good job. I can't tell if the barrel is lined and there is no indication of origin on the barrel. There are Birmingham proof marks on the barrel, cylinder, and frame. Good target sights were installed but unfortunately the rear sight adjustment screw has been relaced, looks like a scope base screw and it doesn't adjust the sight. The ramped front sight is very nice.The serial number 896647 appears on frame and cylinder but not barrel. I love to have any comments you might want to make.

 

[schutzen-jager]

many of those post WWII conversions were sold thru Kleins in Chicago in the 60's - you can find ads for them in old gun magazines -

 

[DWalt]

This is one of those old Klein's ads. 896647 would put it in the late 1941-early 1942 period. A pre-Victory. BTW, multiply Klein's price by about 8.5X to convert to today's dollar value in purchasing power. Maybe you could do a range report about it to tell us how it shoots.

 

[McShooty]

Thanks, Dwalt. Good information in that ad. I was happy to see it was probably a new .22 barrel. According to your multiplier I got a pretty good deal at $200. And, it shoots pretty well. I need a little more shooting before I can make a good range report but it looks like it will stay within 2 inches at twenty yards. An that is with my eyes.

 

[DWalt]

I'd pay $200 for it just as a curio. I haven't seen one of those for many years.

 

[K Frame Keith]

I like those old conversions, especially when they show nice workmanship. Nice find!

 

[Absalom]

....
It appears to be a lend lease 38 converted to 22 rim fire, circa 1940. Conversion is made with chamber liners and is a good job. I can't tell if the barrel is lined ....

At that serial there were only 5" barrels made for the standard .38 caliber, so the 6" target .22 barrels were all new replacements, as the Klein's ad above points out, not lined originals. On those where chamber liners were use to convert to .38 Special, the original barrel was usually retained, and often shortened.

 

[Benton Quest]

I have the twin to yours...what's the value of something like that?

Would be a good shooter.

Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk

 

[Igiveup]

I wouldn't hesitate to get one of those. Looks like it could be a good shooter, and what a conversation piece!

 

[Jack Flash]

That was a steal for $200. It looks fantastic for something that went through a war. It will be a great for an economical target shooter / plinker that doesn't sling brass all over creation. Great find.

 

[Green Frog]

The British Arms trade/business was old and honored, in spite of idiotic laws that began in about the first quarter of the Twentieth Century. After the Second World War, rebuilding revolvers from the glut of surplus was a way to provide a relatively steady income during those tough post-War days... people certainly weren't buying many Best Grade shotguns!

Just because the prices they commanded then seem paltry to our eyes, many of the surplus revolvers opened the door to the shooting sports for our fathers and grandfathers, and kept the shops open for their builders. Further, since many were built by highly skilled British craftsmen, the quality was often quite good.

Froggie

 

[red9]

I have the twin to yours...what's the value of something like that?

Here is one that sold recently at auction. A steal considering the pre-war magnas.

Bob

Smith & Wesson Victory Revolver .22 lr |




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[jcelect]

Interesting!

I would love to see that gun up close! I look at the pictures and ask "How did they do that", in regards to the firing pin and extractor. It appears to be the original firing pin but slightly reshaped. What did they do to the nose bushing to make the gun rim fire? How did they make the extractor larger in the cartridge area? The people that done this conversion were NOT shade tree mechanics!

OP, look at the link to an ended auction that Red9 posted. The guns appear to be identical down to the large rear sight screw!

jcelect

 

[Benton Quest]

Yep...exactly like the one I have.

The work is top notch.

Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk

 

[MrG5122]

I'm also curious about how the geometry of the firing pin works.

 

[AlanDavid]

I'm also curious about how the geometry of the firing pin works.

I was wondering about this as well.

Quite a lot of work in doing this conversion.

 

[moosedog]

I always wondered how those shot. They appear very professionally done and it should be a good shooter.

 

[steelslaver]

Yes, some close ups of the firing pin bushing would be interesting.

Neat gun and nice work by someone. Be nice to have just for the curio aspect, but probably shoots well.

 

[mikerjf]

And did they put stronger springs in for the rimfire?

 

[mtgianni]

Nice pick up. I would verify that there is a spring under the sight first off.