I was handed down a Smith and Wesson revolver not sure what bullets to use vin number is V667746P. Model number is 30604 with big V stamped over the number it has a five inch barrel and is a 5screw. And has the tapered heavy barrel. Can any one help if so that would be awesome and thanks

Welcome aboard!

It sounds like a British Service Revolver, chambered in .38 S&W (NOT .38 Special). Photos would help...

Video Tutorials on Posting Pictures

This thread should also be helpful:
To IDENTIFY your Gun >

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could be a S&W M&P revolver in .38 S&W caliber used by Great Britian during WWII. Five barrel. IIRC (?) the "Victory" M&P had a four inch barrel and was in .38 Special and used by U.S. A.

So even though it has the heavy barrel it could still be 38 smith and Wesson not 38 special

Now I'm really confused. Pictures please.

OK, the P is not part of the serial number. If I'm wrong someone will correct me. They sometime stamped the Ordnance Dept "flaming Bomb" on the butt, but the P usually is for "proof". 30604 is not a model number, but an assembly number for internal factory use.

It should NOT have a heavy barrel. No M&Ps built during WWII had heavy barrels. Is there a serial number on the bottom of the barrel, on the flat where the extractor rod sits when the cylinder is closed? That number should match the one on the butt.

As Retired W4 stated, it would be good to see some photos.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

The OP obviously isn't versed on S&W revolvers. With a "V" serial number prefix and a 5" barrel, there's little doubt it's a BSR.

Am I missing something?

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Trying to figure out how to do the picture I'm on my phone soon as I do I will put them on here

Hey, ole timers, this is a new guy! Lets see what happens.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Who you callin' an old timer. I resemble that remark.

Yeah I have no clue how to get these pictures on here but I did look up bull barrel and it does not match this one I'm new so I have no idea how to get the pictures on here sorry I'm trying I do no there is no serial number on the butt of the gun just on the barrel underside

Oh no. That doesn't sound good. The main S&W SN's are on the butt, with some exceptions, like the 22/32 HFT's and 22 Single Shot's. If the SN was removed for some reason the ATF can authorize it being placed elsewhere. I'm not up on those laws.

The link s&wchad posted will help with posting pictures.

Hey, W4, if you trim your eyebrows three times a week, you are an ole guy. AH, Sn. who needs them. Just a way the factory keeps tabs on production.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

You got me laughing on that one. My wife has to do my eye brows (twice a week. At least I have them back after 4 months of chemo.

But I digress. i want to know more about Jason71's revolver.

The only number is on the underside of the barrel V667746 P. And the same number is on it where u load it and it has made in USA on one side of frame and it has s&w ctg on barrel with some kind of little stamp on each side

Really just trying to find out about what year it was and what bullets to use in it no big deal if I figure the picture thing out lol I will put them on here thanks guys or should I say old guys lmao

Smith has made that base model for a long long time and a lot of parts are reverse compatible. I recall reading that Bill Jordan liked the old "long action" but wanted a heavy barrel, so he had one screwed in.

Close clear pictures will tell the tale.

If the SN on the butt has been removed or defaced, you basically have a worthless revolver. No licensed dealer would touch it. It is actually illegal, so it is not a good idea to advertise you have it. It is possible (maybe) to get a new number assigned to it by BATFE, but probably not worth the hassle.

It was bought from a gun store so did they sell it illegally then

Ok oh well guess I got a worthless gun then lol but it sure does shoot good lol I been shooting the Remington 148 grain in it and it's a lot of fun

I would say that more than 50% of gun shop owners would not know where the legal serial number is on a S&W. I might be over stating the number of owners. The SN will appear in several other location on the Victory model, but the butt is THE place. I have purchased guns from dealers who thought the assembly number in the yoke cut was the SN.

Are those 148 grain 38 SPECIAL cartridges? If so the chambers have been reamed out from 38 S&W to 38 S&W Special. A common practice after WW II.

No they are smith &Wesson 146 grain and I really don't no if they are the right bullets so I'm not gonna shoot it no more till I find out it's only been shot 4 times but it shot ok

I no the number on the underside of barrel matches the number on the sillender

Sorry I meant 146 grain s&w

How can I tell if chamber has been bored out

If 146 grain 38 S&W caliber bullets fit then the argument is over. That's what it is made for.

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S&WHF #946
S&WCA #3824

Ok thanks that's what I wanted to no I would like to no what model gun it is but I can't get the picture on here from my phone not sure how to do it so thank u for all the info

Without a serial number on the bottom of the grip frame, it's probably just contraband...I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I wouldn't go showing it off to others......Ben

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Without pics, it's really hard to tell anything

Agreed, and from what I've read in this thread, it's probably best left that way......Ben

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Ok thank u still a good gun either way just not worth anything I'm fine with that

Hopefully I get some pictures on here today the gun was bought from a licensed dealer so if the sn missing on bottom is a big problem I will take gun back and find out what's going on hopefully, I was told the serial number should be somewhere else on the gun somewhere but I don't no if that is true I'm hoping so or the gun store has some explaining to do

Once again...

Click here > Video Tutorials on Posting Pictures

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"I also cook."

I reached out to Jason71. Here are images he sent me.

I don’t have an image of the butt, so …

What I found odd was the rib on the barrel. I thought this era barrels were plain, not ribbed. Someone help me out on that point.

Kevin

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[quote=Jason71;141988525]I'm hoping so or the gun store has some explaining to do[/quote}

To borrow a phrase from Ricky Ricardo, "You got some splaing to do."

That's the first time I looked at that tutorial. Wiregrassguy did a pretty good job.

The barrel rib is a mystery to me.

The numbers on the cylinder match the numbers on the underside of barrel I took wood handles of there is a number stamped in the back right side of wood handle I can not read there is also a V and the number 5 stamped on the frame under handle

An aftermarket rib has been added to the factory barrel.

Jason71, I hope you have an understanding gun dealer. Some folks don't like being told they are wrong, but with early S&W revolvers, the number stamped on the frame behind the yoke (the part that holds the cylinder) is an assembly number, NOT the factory serial number. The factory serial number is supposed to be stamped on the butt of your revolver. Since the barrel and cylinder are replaceable parts, the BATF-E does not consider the SN stamps on those parts as the true serial number.

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WAR EAGLE!

Ok thanks I'm not sure what to do lol and not even sure what bullets to use in it cause I can't find out what model it is so it's probably just a piece of ****

May I suggest you return with it to the seller and see about trading it for a gun you will have a legal basis to own...A legitimate dealer will do this......Ben

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You have a WW II version of the .38 Military & Police revolver, known as the British Service Revolver aka British Victory Model. It is chambered in .38 S&W. Some of these have been rechambered to .38 special. If so, both rounds can be fired in this handgun.

S&W did not adopt model numbers until 1957, so your revolver has a name, not a model number.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Ok really appreciate all the info this site is amazing very good information I think I will try to take it back like ben said and see if they will trade for another gun cause I don't wanna get caught with this one that's for sure thanks guys

So I took it back to the gun store they told me some guns back then didn't have serial numbers and that the gun is perfectly legal so I am really confused lol

Wow, that just highlights what I said in post #22.

How can u carry a gun that has no serial number on it and it be legal that makes no since to me !!

To me that would be like carrying a ghost gun so someone is wrong and I'm still to scared to carry it all my other firearms are legal and in my name this one has nothing and they are telling me I can carry it legal that sounds crazy to me am I wrong

Yes and no...Yes, no guns were required to have serial numbers prior to 1968 with the Gun Control Act becoming law, and when I logged one in to my bound book, I wrote in "NSN" for "No Seral Number"...After the GCA became law, all newly manufactured and imported guns were required to have a S/N unique to that manufacturer or importer...No, your gun has no legitimacy because the original serial number applied to the gun by S&W has been obliterated, and is therefore just contraband in the view of the ever-zealous ATF...I personally know some compliance inspectors and enforcement agents who would just look the other way while telling you not to show it to anyone...Others, looking for a quick path to career advancement, would confiscate it and initiate an investigation...The seller in your case, if an FFL holder, knows the law and is just trying to cover his own tracks while leaving you holding the bag...The simple answer is you can't...I would advise making a big enough noise with your dealer until he feels compelled to refund your money, then take your business elsewhere......Ben

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I am not aware of any S&W revolver that left the factory without a serial number. Even the experimental piece had a number from what I have been told.

This “dealer” is not honest or he is just plain ignorant.

Ben, what would ATF do if they found he was making up information to put in the book? Bet they would not be too happy.

Jason, if it were me, I would be back there tomorrow and ask again for a refund. If they refuse, let us know the name and location of the shop.

Kevin

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I can only guess at that, Kevin...Some of the compliance inspectors I've known seem to be on individual power trips, trying to make a name to move up the ladder...Others just want to do their jobs, assure compliance with the laws and rules...The code governing the behavior of FFL's is so complex, and sometimes contradictory, that no one person can possibly know or comprehend the intent of all...

At one time I knew an inspector from the Houston office whom I could and did call to get interpretations on vague rules...After a time, he began to call me for my opinion of interpretations since he became convinced that I dealt on the up and up...Some of our most spirited discussions involved PLR's (Private Letter Ruling) in which an FFL would write a letter to the ATF concerning a point of law, receive an answer, and the letter exchange became a defacto ruling applied to all FFL's under a certain circumstance...

in the case of the subject of this thread, if the buyer gets no satisfaction from the dealer, and consequently presents the case to his local ATF office, it's almost guaranteed the gun would be confiscated as contraband...My guess is that no action would be taken against the buyer who acted in good faith, and willingly took the gun to the ATF for counsel and advice...

However, the seedy FFL would almost certainly become the subject of a thorough investigation in which he would be examined in every orifice for more infractions...Depending then on results of the investigation, the FFL could face a heavy fine, suspension or loss of license and possibly criminal charges...The FFL would have to be a total moron to deny the buyer a complete refund rather than face the kind of hell the ATF can put him through...

My advice to our member here, the buyer, would be arrange a meeting with the licensee of this gunshop, not just a counterman, tell his story and ask for a complete refund of his money...Unless the licensee is a low-grade moron, he'll get it...If not, my next stop would be the local ATF office...There the worst he could likely expect, since he is voluntarily presenting the evidence, would be the loss of the firearm...That itself is more favorable than being found in a situation in the future holding a defaced gun...He could also sue the licensee in small claims court for the loss......Ben

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