Help Identifying Inherited Revolver

[les.b]

Actually, looking at the location of the pronounced shoulders in the chambers in the cylinder photo, I'm fairly certain it's the original .38 S&W even without the cartridge test.

I concur. The only reason that I'm not 100% on this is that it's hard to tell whether there may be some "foreshortening" in the viewing angle. I think you are right, which makes it even more interesting; if one were going to the trouble of putting in a new cylinder, why not put in a 38 special cylinder?

Of course, we need to OP to try dropping in a 38 spl cartridge, and if he can find one, a 38 S&W cartridge, and see which one fits.

Best Regards, Les

 

[Muley Gil]

If memory serves, some of these revolvers were sold domestically, during the war, for police and security guard use at dams, war plants, etc. May be one of these.

Those were 4" .38 special revolvers, not 5" .38 S&Ws.

 

[Absalom]

When and where would the "P" proof been applied?
Any chance that it was before the "U.S. Property" mark and production stopped between the two times?
In that case wouldn't completed but unassembled parts just be boxed up and surplussed out regardless of where they were in the production line?
This gun could have been completed from surplus parts bins....... (or even a "lunchbox special")
(The apparent lack of assembly numbers is also interesting)

The property and inspection marks were definitely applied after proofing, although the completed gun was proofed for the P proofs, so the frame should have been part of one at some point. The "production stop" idea won't work because of the 1943 time for the frame serial. But the lack of assembly marks on the frame is a puzzle indeed.

If we could get a member of the S&WCA interested in checking with Roy or Don, I believe they could find out whether this serial even shipped as a complete gun (my application is in the mail ).

 

[JoeN.]

I should have noticed this before but the numbers on the yoke are C or G 1 and below that 3084 but the number on the crane is 28248. After reading more about revolvers I understand these are some kind of production numbers and should match. It seems a new/different cylinder was added at some point.

I did find an old box of S&W 38 and they fit the cylinder but are really loose. If I tilt the cylinder up at all the cartridges fall out. Is this normal? I have no experience with revolvers but I assumed the cartridges would fit a little snugger than this. I will have to try to find a 38 Special to see if it fits. The cartridge only fills about 3/4 of the length of the cylinder. Is that normal? I am really ignorant when it comes to revolvers but I am learning.

 

[Art Doc]

If the 38 S&W fits then that's the correct caliber. The 5" Victory Model should be in 38 S&W so it seems correct. The 38 Special will be even looser but is longer. When converted they reamed the cylinders to be longer. That's why the 38 Special cases will bulge or even split in the reamed guns. The 38 S&W is a little hard to find but easy to reload if you really get into shooting. I have several revolvers in 38 S&W and I load my own ammo for them.

 

[Absalom]

......
I did find an old box of S&W 38 and they fit the cylinder but are really loose. If I tilt the cylinder up at all the cartridges fall out. Is this normal? ........... The cartridge only fills about 3/4 of the length of the cylinder. Is that normal? I am really ignorant when it comes to revolvers but I am learning.

It shouldn't normally fall out, but as SP says, if it fits, it's the right caliber; it can't be anything else, the .38 S&W is a little fatter than the Special. The .38 S&W does appear to be very short for the length of the cylinder because it is; the frame and cylinder length were designed to accommodate cartridges of the length of the .38 Special (and also the .32-20). The British edition in .38 S&W was basically a wartime adaptation, but for that caliber everything except the diameter is bigger than it needs to be, to keep changes from the basic design to a minimum. This way, all that was different in production was the barrel and the boring of the chambers in an otherwise identical cylinder.