I D Help, Please

[Larry from Bend]

A friend recently acquired this old Hand Ejector and would like to learn about it.

38 S&W (not Special)
Serial # 9048XX ---- On butt and rear of cylinder and underside of barrel
W. B. ---- On butt
P ---- On butt
45399 and a LARGE 6 in yoke
38/380 ---- On left side of frame above yoke
"UNITED STATES PROPERTY" --- On left side of top strap

Could I please ask?

Model Number?
Manufacture date?
Any idea what gov't agency used it?
Any idea on valuation? It has some minor pitting and rust spots. The grips DO appear to be Stag.

 

[Art Doc]

I think it's a Lend Lease gun supplied to Great Britain 1940-41. Basically a Military & Police Model in 38 S&W for the Brits. Condition precludes any real value. I'd pay $250 for it as a shooter. Others may pay more. The stocks are not original. If genuine stag they are worth a few dollars.

 

[glowe]

Could I please ask?
Model Number?
Manufacture date?
Any idea what gov't agency used it?
Any idea on valuation? It has some minor pitting and rust spots. The grips DO appear to be Stag.

Model Number: This revolver pre-dates model numbers by 15 years or so. It is technically a 38/200 British Service Revolver, built from a 38 Military & Police, 4th Change K frame, also called these Pre-Victorys. They were issued in the serial number range of 700,000 to 1,000,000. Another 800,000 were issued with "V" serial numbers before the end of WWII.

Manufacture date: S&W documented their guns by ship dates and this one would have been shipped from the factory in 1942. Most likely this revolver was in the last shipment of Pre-Victory guns totaling 264,000 from July 16, 1942 to November 11, 1942.

Any idea what gov't agency used it: As SaxonPig stated these were Lend Lease guns to Britain. They were issued through the U.S. Army.

Any idea on valuation: I would have said this revolver would have been worth $150 five years ago. Today, there is some interest in this model and prices have risen significantly. I have seen well used factory original guns go for over $400, but without original smooth walnut stocks maybe a little less.

 

[gordonrick]

The 38/380 refers to the British designation for the 38 S&W caliber (.380). The stag grips are worth something. You can find replacement smooth walnuts grips like it originally had if you prefer.

Many of these Commonwealth guns were reamed to chamber the longer 38 Special round when they were imported (reimported?) for sale in the U.S. If it is not reamed it is worth more to collectors. Even if it has, these are generally good shooters (although it will bulge the cases). I paid $250 for an unmolested specimen a year or so ago, but prices vary considerably by location etc.

 

[Larry from Bend]

Thank you, all 3, for taking the time to respond. I've sent your responses to my friend. You surely know a lot about these lend-lease S&Ws.

It's kind of a neat, old revolver. It does NOT accept .38 Special rounds.

It seems odd that Great Britian wouldn't have rather had .38 Specials. Apparently the .38 S&W was more to their liking or tradition.

 

[DWalt]

Yours would likely have been shipped in early 1942. It's fortunate that the chambers have not been reamed to .38 Special. The grips pictured are not original, but as noted the correct smooth wooden grips can be found at reasonable prices.

These are often referred to a pre-Victories, i.e. those military revolvers made prior to the use of the V (Victory) prefix to the serial number which began shipping in approximately mid-1942.

It should be a good shooter, but unfortunately, ammunition is somewhat difficult to find locally (and expensive), as most retail outlets and gun shops do not stock it. It generally can be special ordered, and it is also available from internet sources and at many gun shows. Reloading is the best answer to ammunition supply problems.

 

[DCWilson]

The P on the butt is an inspection and acceptance mark. The initials W.B. stand for Waldemar Broberg, who was the Inspector of Ordnance for the Hartford/Springfield district from mid 1941 to mid 1942.

If you want to buy several boxes of ammo -- say a few hundred rounds -- you can sometimes get decent prices from American distributors for ammunition made in Europe. Fiocchi and S&B are a couple of good European manufacturers. .38 S&W is sometimes called .38 Corto in Europe.