Please identify this old 38 S&W

[Timber Wolf]

Picked this up a few shows back and don’t know anything about it. 6” barrel, .38 S&W cartridge, serial 704XXX. What say ye?

 

[DCWilson]

That's a British Service Revolver in .38/200, also known as .38 S&W. It is NOT the same as .38 Special. It probably dates to about 1940. These guns were provided by S&W under contract to the British Government. A few went to other Commonwealth countries too, like the Union of South Africa. Do you see any British proof marks or ordnance stamps on it?

The six inch barrel is a little unusual. Most of the commonwealth revolvers had five-inch barrels.

Those are the wrong stocks; that wood dates from after 1968. If you look up the words "Victory" and "Pre-Victory" with the forum search function, you will find some picture of the way it looked when it shipped.

That gun is a little rough, but not too much so. If you went after it lightly with some oily 0000 steel wool, or maybe some bronze wool, you could knock back some of the light surface rust and make it look a little shinier.

Safe to shoot, but .38 S&W ammo is hard to find. Periodically it comes available through the Internet ammuntion retailers. I just bought about 10 boxes to make sure I have some on hand for my British (and older American) S&Ws. Most people who shoot these shorter .38 revolvers reload for them.

Some of these commonwealth guns had their chambers deepened after the war so they could accept .38 Special. That's not necessarily a good thing, as the shorter round has a slightly wider case, and .38 Special cases can swell or even split when fired in the converted K-200s (as they are called by collectors).

 

[Art Doc]

The 38 S&W is not a good choice for a shooter if you don't reload. Ammo is scarce and pricey. If you reload, get the dies and I find lead bullets sized .358" work OK.

 

[Timber Wolf]

I ordered up a couple hundred brass and borrowed a mold from a bud that is supposed to throw the correct bullet (.361?) for .38 S&W. I had not thought to check the chambers, that is sound advice. I should have thought of that after all the rechambered .455s I have messed with over the years. I suspected the grips were wrong but they feel good and fit well and I like them on a shooter. It feels just right to me as it “hangs” well in the hand, if that makes any sense. In other words, with this barrel the gun just seems well balanced. I run a Tyler or similar adaptor on most of my factory stocked revolvers but this gun feels fine as-is. It has a few odd additional marks but not nearly the number I saw on another 5” .38 S&W (tagged as “lend-lease”) at the show this past weekend. I am definitely going to load for it and enjoy it for what it is.

 

[Oldiron]

Wish one of mine had a 5 or 6" barrel. All three of them have the 4". All of them were in the 1940 shipments.
Larry

 

[Muley Gil]

Timber Wolf,

Your revolver should be wearing service grips like the bottom revolver in oldiron's post, either with or without medallions.

 

[robertrwalsh]

I have had good luck loading for mine with a soft 158 grain .358 bullet with a cupped base. It apparently spreads well enough to seal the bore.

 

[Timber Wolf]

Your revolver should be wearing service grips like the bottom revolver in oldiron's post, either with or without medallions.

Thanks, it is always nice to know what to look for if I get next to box-o-grips at a show or old gun shop.