Help identifying

[Bbb4640]

So here's what I've got (see above pics). My understanding is S&W pre victory lend lease revolver Converted to 38 special by cogswell and Harrison of London. These were sent to the British for ww2 in 38s&w. After the war they were converted by the British and sold to American consumers. Does that seem correct? Anyone have a rough estimate on what it's worth?

 

[quinn]

I think you are pretty close. The barrel appears to have been shortened and the front sight changed, though, and the grips are not original.

 

[Bbb4640]

 

[MelvinWalker]

Probably $200 to most buyers that wanted a shooter with no collector value...More to someone that didn't know any better.

 

[Alk8944]

Back in the late 1950s to early 1960s those were a drug on the market. I remember seeing them sell for as little as $6.00 then. You could buy an un-molested used commercial M&P at that time for around $30.00, sometimes $25.00

 

[Bbb4640]

Welp. I got got lol. Def got more than $6 or $200 in it lol

 

[Tijeras_Slim]

I bought the same Browning A-5 twice, sold it twice, and lost money every time. It’s a gun guy thing to have that one (if you’re lucky) really bad deal. Shrug, laugh, and raise a glass to our strange hobby.

 

[2152hq]

Your info about the conversion is correct.
C&H converted hundreds and hundreds of these Brit 38S&W service revolvers.
The cylinder was simply lengthened with a 38spcl cal reamer.
The front sight on it was typical style done with the conversions.
The grips are C&H additions from the time of the conversion.
The bbl proofs are from 1954 and forward.
They show the 38spcl case length in inches, the caliber (38) and the 'service pressure' for the caliber .
It is not the 'Proof pressure' of the test firing.
That Service Pressure is expressed in English Tonnes/ sq-inch. English Tonnes (Tons) have a different equivalent than the US Ton.
And that the proof firing was done with Smokeless/ Nitro powder.


The Proof mark itself shows the proof test was done at the London Proof Hs.
Most of these surplused WW2 revolvers were proofed at the Birmingham Proof Hs.
Same rules of proof,,The London Proof Hs carries a bit of status over the Birmingham facility especially when dealing with high class proofed firearms.

There are alot of these rechambered 38S&W to 38Spcl S&W revolvers around. Lots of back and forth about the safety of the conversions since the rear half of the chamber is oversized for the 38Spcl case.
The cases will bulge to fill that larger diameter. Occasionally a case will split right there.
But that doesn't seem to keep owners from using the guns.
Standard mid-range 38spcl ammo and you should be OK. No +P stuff!