Hello, just was checking out the forum. Reading the replys. I'm wondering if the South Africa guns were 38 specials or 38/200? I'm still waiting on my letter from S&W. I'll post the findings when that happens. It made be helpful to others.
Bill
They were.38-200's, and South Africa was not the only Commonwealth country to receive them. (South Africa did not leave the Commonwealth until about 1960-61, over the apartheid issue. It then phased from being the Union of SA to the Republic of SA.)
Until April, 1942 barrels of four, five, and six inches were sent, thereafter only five-inch, and the finish went from blue to dull gray, with more tool marks. Checkered commercial stocks gave way to smooth walnut.
This is not arcane rocket science. The knowledge is available in Jinks's, "History of Smith & Wesson" and other references.
If a .38 Special ctg. chambers easily in the cylinder, it has probably been opened up to allow full seating of the longer ctg. This is not a wise conversion, but many surplus dealers made it because .38 Specials are easier to sell!
If the ctg. case splits on firing, you probably have one of these converted guns, although they're supposed to be marked as converted.
However, it wouldn't amaze me if some chambers were just made long enough in manufacture for a .38 Special to chamber, although it shouldn't. I say this because I had two M-19 .357's in the 1960's that were so sloppily made that they'd accept FIRED .38 S&W (not Special ) cases shot in a .38-200! Cases bulged a little, and extraction was difficult. I wrote to Speer about this and to a leading gun scribe. Both told me that S&W was just doing some sloppy work then. Those were the Bangor-Punta ownership years.
It is somewhat possible that similarly sloppy chambering took place in wartime guns, but usually, if a .38 Special ctg. drops in okay, that cylinder has been altered!
I do think that fewer four-inch barrels were sent to Commonwealth countries than five and six inch barrels. I've seen far more of those. Of course, in US useage, the four-inch barrel was normal, in .38 Special chambering. The gray-finished ones with smooth stocks are called Victory Models. (Some collectors insist that the serial number begin with a V or VS. In my view, any of the rough-finished ones are Victories.)
