K38, V-prefix serial, United States Property marked

[CapeFearElvis]

Hey all,

I've been going over this new addition to the collection and I'm curious if I've properly ID'd this pistol. I'm primarily seeking more information on the year of production, but all comments and information are welcomed.


Particulars:
Hand Ejector, Model K38
5" barrel
Serial: V182738 (mfg. 1942-1944??)
Frame: 5-screw with Butt Swivel
Sights: Fixed front and rear sights
Strain Screw: Yes, on front strap
Latest patent date: December 2X, 1914

Though this pistol hasn't been taken care of the best, it appears unfired to me. Why? There is no imprinting or wear on the breech face around the firing pin hole where the cartridge head would rest during firing.

The gun also has a parkerizing type finish on it that's consistent with military-issued small arms and came with a military-style canvas holster.

A few photos are shown below.

Thank you!

 

[CapeFearElvis]

A few more photos

I find the additional marks on the butt interesting. G H D is stamped on the opposite side of the butt swivel; is that a maker's stamp, i.e. the person that assembled this K38? There is also a small "P" stamp.

 

[Truckman]

The lines running lengthwise down the barrel on the left side are puzzling to me...Also the V in the S/N looks kind of "off"...What do the numbers under the barrel on the flat, on the back of the cylinder, muzzle end of the extractor and inside of the right grip panel indicate?......Ben

 

[RM Vivas]

Looks like a rather nice Lend-Lease Victory to me.

GHD is the US inspector.

The hardcore Victory guys will wander around in a wee bit and engage in an in-depth dissection of your gun.

Nice looking gun and holster.

Best,
RM VIvas

 

[reddog81]

K38 is a commercial model with adjustable sights. That doesn’t have target sight and it looks lik it has the .38 S&W barrel from a British Service Revolver. GHD is US military inspector stamp.

What cartridge fits in the cylinder? .38 Special or .38 S&W or both?

 

[reddog81]

The lines running lengthwise down the barrel on the left side are puzzling to me...

I’d guess the barrel has been replaced and those line happened then.

 

[murphydog]

It appears to be a standard .38/200 (.38 S & W chambering) British Service Revolver from WW II, informally named the Victory Model due to the V serial number prefix. Likely dates to late 1942.

The various finish and metal "defects" were due to hasty wartime production. This one is unusual due to the missing British commercial proof stampings placed when large numbers of these were sold as surplus in the mid-1950s. This one may have been a wartime bring back.

In this condition, and minus the proof marks, this is probably more scarce than .38 Special Victory Models here.

 

[JP@AK]

Alan gave you the straight scoop. I can't disagree with anything he wrote.

I'm curious if I've properly ID'd this pistol.

Not really, but close. As reddog81 pointed out, it definitely is not a K-38. Yes, it is chambered for a .38 caliber cartridge (in this case the .38 S&W, not the .38 Special) and it is built on the K size frame. But that does not make it a K-38. The K-38 Masterpiece was always a target sight revolver and in 1942, those were not being made. Nor did the K-38 ever carry a V prefix serial number.

Added. Others have noted the inspector stamp. GHD are the initials of Colonel (later Brigadier General) Guy H. Drewry. He was the chief of the Springfield Ordnance Depot during WWII.

 

[rct269]

You got it all------nothing left to be said; except count your blessings for that holster!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[DWalt]

You have what most here would call a Victory BSR (British Service Revolver) from WWII. It is a wartime version of the S&W Military and Police Model made fior the British Commonwealth Military and supplied to them by the U. S. under the 1941 Lend-Lease Act. It was chambered for the British .380 Mark I or Mark II revolver cartridge, essentially identical to the U.S. .38 S&W cartridge. The lack of British proof marks is probably because it was a WWII bringback by some American soldier. The finish is actually blued, not Parkerized. If it has not been rechambered for .38 Special, it does have some collectible value. As others have said, it is NOT a K-38. Some might call it a K-200 or a .38-200, but it is best to just forget I ever said that. The official British military nomenclature was "Pistol, Revolver, Smith and Wesson, No. 2."

 

[snw19_357]

K38 is a commercial model with adjustable sights.

Not really, but close. As reddog81 pointed out, it definitely is not a K-38. Yes, it is chambered for a .38 caliber cartridge (in this case the .38 S&W, not the .38 Special) and it is built on the K size frame. But that does not make it a K-38. The K-38 Masterpiece was always a target sight revolver and in 1942, those were not being made. Nor did the K-38 ever carry a V prefix serial number.

A Model 10 is a K38.

The Models 14 & 15 are K-38 Masterpieces but they are KT38's.
OP never called it a Masterpiece.

 

[Retired W4]

After all is said and done, that looks like a very nice example of a BSR. As previously stated it seems to be a GI bring back. That holster is the cherry on top. Hopefully no one has ruined it with the 38 special modification.

Nice case colors on the butt swivel too.

 

[CapeFearElvis]

K38 is a commercial model with adjustable sights. That doesn’t have target sight and it looks lik it has the .38 S&W barrel from a British Service Revolver. GHD is US military inspector stamp.

What cartridge fits in the cylinder? .38 Special or .38 S&W or both?

Interesting you should ask. When cleaning it, I noticed a very distinct lip about 5/8 into the cylinder. With your question, I had to go see if it would take a 38 spl round, and it does NOT.

About 3/8" of the head end of the cartridge is still hanging out the back of the cylinder - must be, as the barrel shows, 38 S&W, a cartridge I know NOTHING about.

 

[CapeFearElvis]

It appears to be a standard .38/200 (.38 S & W chambering) British Service Revolver from WW II, informally named the Victory Model due to the V serial number prefix. Likely dates to late 1942.

The various finish and metal "defects" were due to hasty wartime production. This one is unusual due to the missing British commercial proof stampings placed when large numbers of these were sold as surplus in the mid-1950s. This one may have been a wartime bring back.

In this condition, and minus the proof marks, this is probably more scarce than .38 Special Victory Models here.

Alan, Thank you for the insight. My late stepfather-in-law served in the Army from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s. This was his pistol that found its way to me via my mother-in-law. Did he ever use it? I don't know. How did he come to possess it? I don't know. He never served overseas either...

My searches led me to a sight that believed these "victory" models were only produced from 1942-1944. Here's a quote from that sight that I saved: "The Victory Model by Smith and Wesson was produced from 1942 to 1944. The serial numbers had a V prefix. After a half million of these guns were produced and distributed under lend/lease programs during World War 2. Another 350,000 were produced for use by the United States during WW2."

Hasty production was my thought on the barrel too. Again, thank you!

 

[CapeFearElvis]

The lines running lengthwise down the barrel on the left side are puzzling to me...Also the V in the S/N looks kind of "off"...What do the numbers under the barrel on the flat, on the back of the cylinder, muzzle end of the extractor and inside of the right grip panel indicate?......Ben

Marks inside the crane show 33962, and that number is also on the frame. As I understood that number, it was to simply keep the parts of the gun with each other during production. A photo of that number on the crane is below:

 

[CapeFearElvis]

After all is said and done, that looks like a very nice example of a BSR. As previously stated it seems to be a GI bring back. That holster is the cherry on top. Hopefully no one has ruined it with the 38 special modification.

Nice case colors on the butt swivel too.

It will not chamber a 38 spl round, so it must still be 38 S&W... I like the holster too!

 

[CapeFearElvis]

You got it all------nothing left to be said; except count your blessings for that holster!

Ralph Tremaine

Are the holsters hard to come by?

 

[murphydog]

.38 S & W - case length 0.767", diameter 0.3855", bullet diameter 0.361".
.38 Special - 1.115", 0.379", and 0.357", respectively.

The usual postwar modification (for US sales primarily) was to ream the .38 S & W length charge holes to .38 Special. This would make the Special case the correct length but too narrow, and in theory the bullets too small. Bulged or split brass is the rule with these conversions.

 

[CapeFearElvis]

You have what most here would call a Victory BSR (British Service Revolver) from WWII. It is a wartime version of the S&W Military and Police Model made fior the British Commonwealth Military and supplied to them by the U. S. under the 1941 Lend-Lease Act. It was chambered for the British .380 Mark I or Mark II revolver cartridge, essentially identical to the U.S. .38 S&W cartridge. The lack of British proof marks is probably because it was a WWII bringback by some American soldier. The finish is actually blued, not Parkerized. If it has not been rechambered for .38 Special, it does have some collectible value. As others have said, it is NOT a K-38. Some might call it a K-200 or a .38-200, but it is best to just forget I ever said that. The official British military nomenclature was "Pistol, Revolver, Smith and Wesson, No. 2."

Great information! Thank you! I'll have to reword my searches to gather more information on this pistol.

 

[murphydog]

The V prefix guns started production in April 1942 and production ended in 1945. Very similar guns in the commercial SN series (with the phosphate finish) were made starting in 1941, and the very last military contract guns were very similar to early postwar examples, but the latter resumed the blued finish and omitted the butt swivel (lanyard ring).