Shooting a modified Victory.

[Newsguy]

I picked up a British Lend-Lease Victory model with U.S. Property markings on the topstrap and lots of Brit proofs. Numbers match and it locks up tight. That's the good part. The bad part is that it is one of those that was "converted" from .38 S&W to .38 Special after the war. Someone did a good job on it with the bbl trimmed to 3", nicely crowned and a very nice ramp. I would like to fire the old thing. I still have a decent supply of .38 S&W if mild .38 Specials aren't a good idea. Any issues to be concerned with? Thanks.

 

[Newsguy]

I picked up a British Lend-Lease Victory model with U.S. Property markings on the topstrap and lots of Brit proofs. Numbers match and it locks up tight. That's the good part. The bad part is that it is one of those that was "converted" from .38 S&W to .38 Special after the war. Someone did a good job on it with the bbl trimmed to 3", nicely crowned and a very nice ramp. I would like to fire the old thing. I still have a decent supply of .38 S&W if mild .38 Specials aren't a good idea. Any issues to be concerned with? Thanks.

 

[m-1911]

My understanding is that the case head diameter of the 38 S&W is larger than the 38 Special and the the 38 Special cases bulge ahead of the rim when fired in one of these conversions

 

[opoefc]

There is a slight difference in dimensions, as M1911 said, however the gun, if mechanically sound, should shoot both calibers with no problems as to pressures or stresses on the gun. Accuracy will not be of Olympic standards, but neither are the sights. Go shoot it, & don't worry. Ed.

 

[bmcgilvray]

Had a LEO friend who carried one for many years. He shot countless 110 grain JHP +P loads through it as the Sheriff's Dept issued all he wanted. I remember the first time we went out and I scrounged his brass as he didn't want them. Each fired case had a distinct step in it. I asked him "what's this"?! Looked more closely at the revolver and saw that it was the .38S&W marked gun. I told him that I wouldn't have recommended using such a conversion with any .38 Special much less the +P stuff but since he'd been doing it so long I supposed it wouldn't hurt anything. His gun was quite accurate with the 110 grain loads but shot low.

 

[walnutred]

I may be wrong but it is my impression that S&W started using their .358 bored barrels fairly early in the Lend-Lease run. Once the stock of "obsolete" 38 S&W barrels were used up it would make no sense to run two production lines.