Please Help me to identify .38 Pre-Victory?

IngloriousFuzz · #1 10-21-2011, 12:48 AM

Hello to all,

I just purchased a gun and holster and wanted to tract down the history via the serial number. I think it is Pre-Victory but not sure.

Smith and Wesson .38
Serial number 957XXX
stamped "WB"
"United States Property"
All serial numbers (including wood stock) match.
Barrel length is 5 " from cylendar or 4" from frame

The holster is a pilot shoulder holster, brown leather stamped "US" on the outside.

I have attached a photo of both.

Thank you for any input, im looking forward to finding out the possible history.

Tim

DCWilson · #2 10-21-2011, 01:05 AM

That's a lend lease gun shipped in early 1942, probably to Britain. The caliber is .38 S&W, not .38 Special. This chambering was also called .38/200 by the British and other Commonwealth countries.

The gun may have been converted to take .38 Special. This happened to a lot of .38/200 revolvers in order to make them more marketable in the United States when they were reimported after the war. If you can slip a .38 Special round into the chambers, then it was converted. If not, it has not been modified. That makes it more interesting to collectors, but less powerful and more expensive to shoot unless you reload.

The gun looks to be in pretty good shape.

I'm not sure the holster is original equipment for this revolver. Other people here with better knowledge of military equipment may be able to address that.

hoarder · #3 10-21-2011, 01:29 AM

how about a 6.5 inch barrel .38special #160629 last pat date 9/14/09

DCWilson · #4 10-21-2011, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoarder

how about a 6.5 inch barrel .38special #160629 last pat date 9/14/09

That's a .38 Military & Police Model of 1905, third change. It probably shipped about 1911-1912.

murphydog · #5 10-21-2011, 07:27 AM

Regarding the first post, the holster appears to be the standard issue item for the 4" Victory Model in .38 Special as used by the USN and USMC. The 5" .38-200 usually had a canvas hip holster.

Texas Star · #6 10-21-2011, 08:53 AM

I don't think that holster was ever officially connected to that gun.

This is not to say that some Allied troops didn't make swaps and other acquisitions from one another, but it'd have to have provenance to be credible today.