38 767"

[gordie57]

I hope some of you knowledgeable guys can help identify this 38. I'll post pics if if can figure out how. Left side barrel,
?38 S.?W.CTG?
Right side,
BNP 38" 767"
3 1/2 Tons per ?"
Smith & Wesson
It has a pinned barrel & on the frame below the pin is BNP. A 38spl case does not fit so I'm assuming it's a 38. On the backstrap below the hammer is a stamping of some kind & the numbers 13275.On the bottom of the backstrap in back of the lanyard clip is 737581, front of the clip is the letter P. Behind eeach flute on the cylinder is BNP & the frame is stamped inside the crane & on the crane 73361. It has checkered wood grips, blade site,ribbed trigger & knurled hammer. Sorry to be so long winded but trying to give as much info as possible. Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[Goony]

Sounds like the British Service Revolver variant of the Military & Police Model of 1905, 4th Change, caliber .38/200 (.38 S&W). The serial number on the butt (the number inside the crane is of no significance) would suggest it shipped in 1940-41. The proofing marks are typical for guns released in the U.K. to the civilian market.

How about posting a photo or two?

 

[gordie57]

Thanks Goony. I'll try but last time I tried, I failed miserably.

 

[Texas Star]

Photo or describe the stamping on the backstrap. Is it a stylized arrowhead in a U? In a C? The first means Union of South Africa. The other is the Canadian version of the Broad Arrow, denoting Crown property.

These guns are becoming more popular with collectors. Over 568, 000 of them were shipped in WW II.

 

[Art Doc]

Similar to this?

 

[DCWilson]

Look for a stamp like BNP somewhere on the gun, which stands for Birmingham Nitro Proof.

The .38" identifies the caliber; .767" identifies the length of the .38 S&W cartridge case; 3 1/2 tons per square inch (a symbol, probably) is the pressure proof the gun survived in order to be certified for sale in the civilian market after it was released by the government. If you look closely there may be other stamps on the gun.

 

[gordie57]

Pics of .38

Hope these help.

 

[bigbounty71]

I have a 38 767 1 and a half tone can some one tell me what ammo this uses

 

[murphydog]

I have a 38 767 1 and a half tone can some one tell me what ammo this uses

Welcome! This would be the .38 S & W (sometimes called Short, but not the Special). It is shorter and of larger diameter than the .38 Special, and is more difficult to find.

 

[DCWilson]

BB71, welcome.

Many of the commercially released British Service Revolvers in .38 S&W had their chambers bored out after the war so they could chamber .38 Special. This may have happened to your gun, in which case you can shoot either .38 Special or .38 S&W. But if the gun was not converted, it will take only the ammo that Alan mentioned. Some European ammo manufacturers produce this round under the name .38 Corto. Prices for Italian or Czech ammo are not bad, and it can be ordered from ammunition suppliers on the Internet.

If your gun will chamber .38 Special, you should expect to see some slight case swelling (or at worst even a split case) in the half of the case near the rim. The .38 S&W round has a slightly greater diameter than the .38 Special, so the longer brass can be fire-formed to fit its chamber.

If you can shoot .38 Special in your gun, it's probably a good idea to avoid +P rounds. Your gun won't detonate on you, but with the additional pressure you increase the chances of case deformation and --just guessing -- possible extraction problems.

I know you said your gun is stamped one and a half tonnes, but I think the first digit should be a three. I don't know of any British revolvers proofed at 1.5 tonnes, which is a pretty low pressure for ammunition, and not adequately safe for even the .38 S&W round, which is the one with the .767" case.

 

[DWalt]

As previously stated, a great many of these WWII-era .38/200 revolvers were imported back into the US after the war, and were sold very cheaply by numerous dealers in surplus arms during the 1950s and 1960s. Back in those days, mail order gun sales were legal. As the .38 Special was a more powerful and more popular caliber in the USA, the importers frequently arranged to have the .38 S&W chambers bored to accept .38 S&W Special ammunition. While not an ideal conversion, it was acceptable, and stimulated sales to American buyers. It is also common to find these .38/200s with shortened barrels and/or blued or nickel plated finishes.

Unfortunately any of these modifications negates any collector value.

.38/200 revolvers with bored chambers can use either .38 S&W or .38 S&W Special ammunition, and normally the only indication is a bulge in a fired .38 Special case. I have never seen a split case under these circumstances. The .38 Special bullet diameter is slightly small, but they seem to shoot OK.