Pre WWII Air Force Snubnose 38

Here's a picture of a 38 Special (mild target load of 148 gr HBWC with 2.8 gr. Bullseye) fired in a 38 S&W cylinder bored out for 38 specials. NOtice the "blown out" center section which will usually cause the case to get stuck in chamber and have to be tapped out with a rod. If it had been a full power or Plus P round I would have expected it to split and cause gas leakage and blow-back to happen.
IMG_1371.jpg
 
David,

Thank you very much for the valuable information. Looks like the mystery is solved. It appears that I have a modified Pre-Victory M&P, early 1942 production, converted to 38 special with updated caliber stamping added. I used a 38 S&W along with a 38 special cartridge and my Model 28-2 cylinder as sort of a go-no-go gauge. The 38 special cartridge is a go while the 38 S&W round is a no-go. Both cartridges were go in the M&P. This gun was re-blued with a high polished finish back in the 1980's. I also have a Colt Police Positive 38 S&W that had the same type of barrel conversion done, and was a companion to the M&P with the same owner for many years. Was there a company that did these conversions commercially with pre and post war surplus guns back in the 1950's? I'll be firing 38 S&W in both to be safe.

Larry
 

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Several companies were involved in conversions. There were hundreds of thousands of these revolvers available after the war. Some were converted in Great Britain and re-imported with their new configuration; others came back unchanged and were modified in this country.

I have one of the latter. As I mentioned in a higher post in this thread, I recently picked up a lend-lease victory whose barrel was not chopped, finish not upgraded, and stocks not replaced. The only thing non-standard about it is that it was bored out to take .38 Special rounds. That action was taken in silence -- there is no indication anywhere on the revolver that this was done. I will never shoot .38 Specials in it, as they simply feel too loose.

That's a satisfactory high-polish re-blue on your gun, by the way. It's possible to make a mess of those by over-polishing or ineptly polishing the surfaces before the gun goes in the bluing tank, but whoever did yours managed to avoid dishing the side plate screw holes and rounding over the edges at the sideplate/frame boundary.
 
Here's a picture of a 38 Special (mild target load of 148 gr HBWC with 2.8 gr. Bullseye) fired in a 38 S&W cylinder bored out for 38 specials. NOtice the "blown out" center section which will usually cause the case to get stuck in chamber and have to be tapped out with a rod. If it had been a full power or Plus P round I would have expected it to split and cause gas leakage and blow-back to happen.
IMG_1371.jpg

Actually, they rarely give a problem. Occasionally, cases stick slightly because the reamed area is a bit rough, but they usually eject OK. The expanded area is in the smooth part of the original chamber, with no decrease in diameter behind the expanded part of the case.
I don't believe even hot loads would split a case- they just don't have to expand that much.
I've seen tens of thousands of cases fired in such revolvers, and have never seen a split case I attributed to the expansion.
 
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