5 Screw Snubby 38

[wweste]

Unfortunately my brother was involved in a traffic crash on Friday night and had a brain bleed which caused his demise. We went to his house on Monday and secured several firearms. We went back today to work on cleaning his house out and found several more firearms.

Included is this 5 screw snubby 38. The serial number is 747XXX to the rear of the frame and a P to the right.

Thoughts on age and possible value. I don't think I will ever part with it.

 

[Elroy]

sorry for your loss but your example is cut down from longer barrel. there's no lug.

 

[JP@AK]

It appears to be a British Service Revolver from late 1941 or early 1942. The barrel has been chopped from 5" to about 2". Very likely it is still chambered for the .38 S&W cartridge, not the .38 Special.

 

[alwslate]

As said not a high dollar gun. Barrel pin appears to be missing.

 

[jimmyj]

It appears to be a British Service Revolver from late 1941 or early 1942. The barrel has been chopped from 5" to about 2". Very likely it is still chambered for the .38 S&W cartridge, not the .38 Special.

and/or chambers reamed out to .38 spl.

 

[steelslaver]

Sorry for your the loss of your brother.

The frame looks great. I would check the cylinder to see if it was originally a 38 S&W or a 38 special. A 38 special K frame cylinder is easy to find and decent barrel for either is also easy to come buy. There is a 4" 38 special barrel on Ebay right now for $29 +$6 shipping and a 5" 38 S&W barrel for $49+$6 shipping. Lots of K frame 38 special cylinders for under $50

 

[444 Magnum]

Sorry for your loss, OP.
My father had a Victory model that was chopped, nickeled, re-gripped, and bored to .38 special. Not much value to collectors, but it was the first firearm he ever bought. He was a young Marine stationed at Pendleton and this first purchase meant a lot to him and now it means a lot to me as it's present caretaker.

See if a .38 special cartridge fits--it probably does--if so, leave the pistol as is and remember your brother with it. Nice family heirloom.

No caliber markings on mine either-but it was bored to .38 special when it was chopped and nickeled.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Unfortunately my brother was involved in a traffic crash on Friday night and had a brain bleed which caused his demise. We went to his house on Monday and secured several firearms. We went back today to work on cleaning his house out and found several more firearms.

Included is this 5 screw snubby 38. The serial number is 747XXX to the rear of the frame and a P to the right.

Thoughts on age and possible value. I don't think I will ever part with it.

My condolences on your lost.

What is the Serial Number on the bottom of the grip. Include the letters too. Like "V" or "VS" or "S" or "C".

 

[Green Frog]

western, first let me express condolences in the sudden loss of your brother. Im sure you and the rest of the family will want to hold on to things that connect you to his memory.
As for the value of the revolver, which is likely an altered, perhaps reblued, example. The grips also seem to have been replaced with a newer set, so right now, its value is sentimental only.
You mention "finding" this gun separate from his other guns… was this because he kept it someplace handy for defense perhaps, or did he just have it tossed aside? If the former, it takes on special meaning as is to his survivors, if the latter, these suggestions on how to "improve" it might be worth consideration.
If you do keep it as is, and if it has special meaning, be sure and write down whatever you can find out about the gun's history for his descendants to enjoy.
Regards,
Froggie

 

[JP@AK]

Include the letters too. Like "V" or "VS" or "S" or "C".

At that number, the only possibilities are no prefix or SV. It is much too low for S or C. There is no evidence that VS was used, despite what is published in various books (one late example does exist, but it is clearly mismarked, perhaps after the fact).

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

At that number, the only possibilities are no prefix or SV. It is much too low for S or C. There is no evidence that VS was used, despite what is published in various books (one late example does exist, but it is clearly mismarked, perhaps after the fact).

I assume because when the OP wrote; "The serial number is 747XXX to the rear of the frame and a P to the right." I thought he was reading from the crane area.

 

[wweste]

I assume because when the OP wrote; "The serial number is 747XXX to the rear of the frame and a P to the right." I thought he was reading from the crane area.

Sorry for the confusion. The serial number I provided is on the base of the grip frame. There is no letter prior to the numbers.

It has a pinned barrel frame but the current barrel is not pinned (the pin is in a small jar) and it has an extra matte finish 4 "barrel without a pin hole marked 38 S&W Special. The snubby barrel on the gun is not marked. 38 Special ammo will chamber but 357 Mag will not. It does not have a recessed cylinder.

I found the revolver in a pistol rug in his gun safe.

 

[JP@AK]

Given that other barrel, it probably was not originally a BSR. Does the serial number on the bottom of the barrel match the one on the butt of the gun?

Also, the swivel hole has been plugged. That and the barrel swap indicate postwar work.

 

[Enzo Rules]

Condolences

 

[Green Frog]

Sounds like it may have been a project your brother started but never got around to finishing. Many of us here have such projects around somewhere on a back burner. Now you need to decide what you (or any descendants of his) want to do with it to enjoy it the most. As previously stated, its current value is virtually nil except sentimental of as fodder for a build project. Based on your familiarity with your brother's ideas and habits, do you have any idea now what he might have planned for the gun?

Froggie

 

[wweste]

I have no idea what his plans were for the revolver. He had an interesting collection of firearms with some modern sporting arms and some military surplus rifles from the US and eastern Europe. There two S&W 669 semi autos, one with either Arabic or oriental markings on the slide, like it had been shipped overseas and then returned.

I am still unclear on when the revolver was manufactured or model it would have become once model numbers were added.

 

[JP@AK]

I am still unclear on when the revolver was manufactured or model it would have become once model numbers were added.

As mentioned previously, it is from "late 1941 or early 1942."

In 1958, basically the same revolver became the Model 10.