help id and age of this

[driley]

this was my wifes great grand fathers her mother says he was the sheriff of a small town in NC when she was little it was in a old cigar box the finish is all but gone and it looks like maybe a lanyard was cut off it is action is still very good the rest is very rough

thanks for the help Daniel

 

[824tsv]

If old guns could talk!

 

[driley]

it is 38 s&w not 38 spl

thanks Daniel

 

[murphydog]

It is a .38/200 (.38 S & W chambering, as stamped on the right barrel) British Service Revolver from 1941. These were sent overseas to England and Commonwealth countries during the early part of WW II. A similar gun with a wartime finish was called the Victory Model.

It did have a lanyard ring from the factory, but aside from the wear it otherwise appears original. Many of these were converted after the war to fire .38 Special (you can try to see if one fully seats in the chamber to confirm this), which may result in split cases due to a smaller diameter case. Hope this is helpful.

 

[driley]

thanks 38 spl will not chamber
Daniel

 

[linde]

this was my wifes great grand fathers her mother says he was the sheriff of a small town in NC when she was little it was in a old cigar box the finish is all but gone and it looks like maybe a lanyard was cut off it is action is still very good the rest is very rough

thanks for the help Daniel

It appears to be what is called a "Pre-Victory" Model Military & Police. Originally chambered in .38 S&W cartridge it was made for British Commonwealth countries and their war effort. It dates to approximately September or October 1940. Later, after serial numbers reached 999,999 a "V" prefix was added to signify Victory.

I'm going to guess it has been re-chambered for the longer and more common .38 S&W Special used by law enforcement.

Very nice keepsake to honor his memory,

Russ


edit to add: I was a little late with my input . . . others covered it better and faster!

 

[Hondo44]

Great old family heirloom. Made in 1940 and later in the thousands under contract for the United Kingdom as their WW II service revolver for their service round .38-200.

Known as the pre Victory model, it's a version of S&W's ".38 Special Military and Police Model" but it's chambered in the .38 S&W CTG (cartridge), lower powered and different from the .38 S&W Special cartridge. .38 S&W is still available and safe to shoot in your gun.

Notice the English stamps on the left side. Many came back to the USA as war surplus and converted to .38 Special.

 

[DWalt]

You have a really well-used WWII pre-Victory British Service Revolver (BSR). From the SN, it likely shipped sometime during the first quarter of 1941. In that condition, its highest and best use would be as a family memento, as it has little monetary value. It could still be a usable shooter, but .38 S&W ammunition is somewhat difficult to find and will be expensive. If you want to replace the lanyard loop, they are frequently found listed on eBay. It's held in the butt with a small pin. It could be OK as a project gun if you wish to try your hand at a do-it-yourself re-blue using a rust bluing kit. Replacement grips which will fit can be found for not much money.

 

[driley]

thanks for the help
my wifes father would like to shoot it some so I am going to try and find some brass and load some for him

thanks Daniel

 

[DWalt]

I use .38 Super dies for reloading .38 S&W. .38 Special dies would probably work OK, but they do reduce the case diameter somewhat. For quite a while, I shortened .38 Special brass and used .357 lead bullets to make usable ammunition for a .38 S&W revolver. It works OK, but finding .38 S&W brass is better. You might want to keep your loads modest. 3 grains of Unique or Bullseye will work OK in your revolver.

 

[driley]

thanks for all your help