smith and wesson model 10 victory HELP!!!

[rcman098]

So heres the story. . .
I received this gun from my great grandmother after my great grandfather passed away. only thing I know is that its the victory model because of the lanyard mount of the butt of the gun

I know very little about the gun other than the grips are not original (the ones on it are pearl) and any help and pricing info would be nice (would never sell but just curious)

Gun is a model 10 "victory", butt of gun has number V543578 on it, top of gun says "U.S. property G.H.D", side of barrel says "Smith and Wesson 38 CTG"

I know the gun IS NOT .38 special. I was told by a gun smith that it took .38 S&W or .38 "shorts" as they are called. I tried .38 special rounds in it, just to see if they fit but they are too long.

thanks for any help you guys give me. just looking to get some info about the gun. Would you recommend shooting it? it looks like its in good shape to me at least, there are no major marks on the gun or anything.

 

[OilTrader]

You'll get a faster response to your questions HERE.

 

[rdtompki]

Or, look at Wiki:
Model 10

 

[dullh]

As long as the bore isn't rusted or obstructed and the cylinder timing is OK, I see no reason why it couldn't be fired...the .38 S&W cartridge is the forerunner to the .38 S&W special. The case is shorter so you won't be able to shut the cylinder if you load with .38 Special. In fact, it was the inadequacy of the .38 S&W/146gr LRN bullet in the Philippines that sparked the development and introduction of the .38 S&W Special...then the .357 Remington Magnum later on...lineage, ya know.

Most people with .38 S&W revolvers hand load due to the lack of a selection of factory loads...but I'm sure some manufacturers may still offer the round. If you can't find any ammo, fine...respect it's age and put it on display in a case on the wall...

Revolvers are one of man's greatest inventions, but they do require a little more care and attention than autoloaders...if you're unsure about it's condition a trip to a local competent gunsmith is not at all expensive and could be worth it...

 

[rcman098]

As long as the bore isn't rusted or obstructed and the cylinder timing is OK, I see no reason why it couldn't be fired...the .38 S&W cartridge is the forerunner to the .38 S&W special. The case is shorter so you won't be able to shut the cylinder if you load with .38 Special. In fact, it was the inadequacy of the .38 S&W/146gr LRN bullet in the Philippines that sparked the development and introduction of the .38 S&W Special...then the .357 Remington Magnum later on...lineage, ya know.

Most people with .38 S&W revolvers hand load due to the lack of a selection of factory loads...but I'm sure some manufacturers may still offer the round. If you can't find any ammo, fine...respect it's age and put it on display in a case on the wall...

Revolvers are one of man's greatest inventions, but they do require a little more care and attention than autoloaders...if you're unsure about it's condition a trip to a local competent gunsmith is not at all expensive and could be worth it...[/QUOTE

Gun looks quite good. lo rust as far as I can see and nothing is broken or missing. Do you happen to know the age or branch that the on was used in based on the info?

 

[murphydog]

These were shipped in large quantities during WW II to the British, and smaller number to Commonwealth countries like Canada. Yours likely shipped in 1944.

Historically, the .38 S & W cartridge was first chambered in smaller top-break revolvers. The British adopted it for military use as part of their large/slow bullet theory of stopping power, first with a 200 gr lead bullet then a 174 gr full metal jacket. It was never in widespread US military use - the round that performed poorly in the late 1800s/early 1900s was the .38 Long Colt, which has a shorter but same diameter case as the .38 Special.