Oldiron
US Veteran
OK, since Big Daz UK has garnered interest on the Pre-Victory 38 S&Ws let me throw this batch out there. I picked up 691450 from my LGS about 6 weeks ago. Googling the U arrow stamp I came up with a post by LWCmdr45 that said..
"There are two basic categories of the S&W .38-200 British Service Revolver used by the South African forces: those that were ordered by South Africa directly from S&W (in fact, the first such order received by S&W) and those that were distributed through the Lend-Lease program.
The first category will all be pre-Victory Models with bright blue finish and checkered stocks, all with 4" barrels. The approximate SN ranges are 685xxx to 719xxx"
Two weeks later back to the same shop and there is 687614. you know I had to get it to go with the one I already had.
Two weeks later back to the same shop and there is 689351.
Second one made me say humm, third one freaked me out a little. Asked the owner where he had got the british service revolvers and he said different folks. OK freaky.
Here are some pics of the revolvers. Note: all 3 have wrong grips, all 3 have had the lanyard ring cut, 614 and 351 were apparently redirected to British use as 614 has BNP on the cylinder 351 has BNP on cylinder and frame along with the what I have seen refered to as the commercial proof and has been nickeled , 450 has the marking along the backstrap of the grip that seem to be S.A. correct markings.





Sorry the pics aren't better but I was using my video camera
Larry
"There are two basic categories of the S&W .38-200 British Service Revolver used by the South African forces: those that were ordered by South Africa directly from S&W (in fact, the first such order received by S&W) and those that were distributed through the Lend-Lease program.
The first category will all be pre-Victory Models with bright blue finish and checkered stocks, all with 4" barrels. The approximate SN ranges are 685xxx to 719xxx"
Two weeks later back to the same shop and there is 687614. you know I had to get it to go with the one I already had.
Two weeks later back to the same shop and there is 689351.
Second one made me say humm, third one freaked me out a little. Asked the owner where he had got the british service revolvers and he said different folks. OK freaky.
Here are some pics of the revolvers. Note: all 3 have wrong grips, all 3 have had the lanyard ring cut, 614 and 351 were apparently redirected to British use as 614 has BNP on the cylinder 351 has BNP on cylinder and frame along with the what I have seen refered to as the commercial proof and has been nickeled , 450 has the marking along the backstrap of the grip that seem to be S.A. correct markings.





Sorry the pics aren't better but I was using my video camera
Larry