Noob!

[Wiregrassguy]

DWalt,
From what I understand, the .38 S&W had a shoulder in the chamber. .38 SPCL would not fully insert into the chamber if it wasn't reamed, due to the shoulder. Reaming allows the .38 SPCL to chamber in a .38 S&W cylinder.

 

[DWalt]

That has always been my understanding, but I have never personally tried inserting a .38 Special round into a V-model .38/200 unconverted chamber. I was addressing someone's earler comment "Because your Victory M&P was built on the same frame and cylinder as a 38 Special M&P, a 38 Special cartridge will fit very easily into a 38 S&W chamber." as it didn't make sense to me as written.

 

[Hondo44]

Well I had to find out for myself; a 38 Spl will not chamber passed the chamber shoulder of any 38 S&W models that I have. I do not have a Victory model but I have no reason to believe it's chambers are any different than mine. So I conclude that the Victory chamber shoulders would have to be reamed deeper to shoot a 38 Spl.

 

[WaMike]

DWalt, Hondo, I'm just relating my experience: two V- M&P 38 S&W revolvers in my hands allowed chambering of 38 Special cartridges.

Neither appeared to have be reamed for 38 Special (the 38 S&W chambers appeared intact). I can't speak for other revolver makes, but it makes sense: bullet diameter of the 38 S&W (aka 38-200, 380-200, 38 Super Police) is .361, which, in chambers produced under wartime con could allow insertion of the .379" neck diameter of a 38 Special.

I'm just relating my experiences. You can choose to believe them or not. Grrrrrr......

 

[DWalt]

No offense meant, I had just never tried a .38 Special in a .38 S&W V-model. But it didn't seem logical to bother rechambering a .38 S&W chamber if it wasn't really needed to accept .38 Special. And many British V-models were rechambered. On the other hand, there have several postings here about various .38 Special revolvers (not reamed- out Vs) which will accept a .38 S&W cartridge. None of mine will.

 

[Frank V]

GT
Welcome to the forum, it's been pointed out that the bore of the .38 S&W is larger than the .38 Special.
I'd encourage them to keep that old gun, it's a piece of history & very well made. I've seen the Victory model chambered for both the .38 S&W & the .38 S&W Special.
Hope they enjoy that old gun it is a piece of history.
Frank

 

[Hondo44]

DWalt, Hondo, I'm just relating my experience: two V- M&P 38 S&W revolvers in my hands allowed chambering of 38 Special cartridges.

Neither appeared to have be reamed for 38 Special (the 38 S&W chambers appeared intact). I can't speak for other revolver makes, but it makes sense: bullet diameter of the 38 S&W (aka 38-200, 380-200, 38 Super Police) is .361, which, in chambers produced under wartime con could allow insertion of the .379" neck diameter of a 38 Special.

I'm just relating my experiences. You can choose to believe them or not. Grrrrrr......

WaMike,
I take you at your word. And maybe we can determine why what you say is true with a simple measurement.

My factory 38 S&W chamber throats measure .360" for the .361" bullets. But as you said the 38 Spl at the case mouth is .379" and I don't see how it would enter a .360" chamber throat even accounting for some war time production 'slop'. That's a .019" difference. And not all Victory 38 S&Ws have that amount of slop.

Please measure your chamber throats on the your two Victorys that chamber 38 Spl. Another easier "shade tree" method to convert them was not reaming the chamber shoulder deeper, but rather just honing the chamber throats slightly larger to allow the 38 Spl case neck to get by the short shoulder.