I love finding the odd ones. This one turned up here local from a WW2 collectors collection that is being dispositioned. At first glance it looks like a Victory British Service Revolver in 38 S&W. But is has no flaming bomb or U.S. Property marks. There are some other marks on the frame. I haven't removed the grips to inspect yet. It is in really nice condition, hardly any wear on it. The looks to be parkerized and all numbers match. It has not been bored for 38 special. Anyway, here it is. I would love to get any information that I can about it.
Pre-Victory?
- Thread starter mcb66
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kwill1911
Member
Australian. Do a search on this forum and you can find lots of others.
DWalt
Member
It is a 1966 Australian rebuild of a BSR. It actually does have a phosphate (Parkerized) finish, which is what the Aussies used. There were quite a few of them imported sometime back in the 1980s and they are fairly common. Not sure why it does not have a property stamp, it could easily have been removed when it was rebuilt and refinished, as the stamp is shallow and easily buffed off. Or maybe it actually is a pre-Victory. What is the full SN?
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Targets Guy
US Veteran
Probably shipped around Oct 1941.
8333xx, a .38/200 and an Aussie return, shipped 10/1941.
8333xx, a .38/200 and an Aussie return, shipped 10/1941.
kwill1911
Member
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding but the original BSRs were not marked UNITED STATES PROPERTY because they weren't. England paid for them. The later guns shipped under the Lend-Lease Act were marked USP. I'm guessing it shipped in August, 1941.
DWalt
Member
The first lend-lease revolvers with property markings were shipped around October 1941. Those were pre-Victories, no V-prefix to the SNs. That did not begin until early 1942. Yours is a pre-Victory that likely would not have been property stamped. It is likely that it originally had checkered round top wooden grips with silver medallions, likely replaced with smooth grips later.
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I have had or have several of the Australian versions that were imported by an outfit in Sacramento, Ca. I used to go to their retail or wholesale places and buy them, a good price back in the '80's. Yours looks to be FTR'd in 1955. Most I have seen were either 55 or '54.
