What is this? K frame size, cut down barrel, non original grips, .38 special?

[357Manglem]

Picked this up because when it comes to Smiths I can hardly help myself... Might have gotten overexcited.

K frame size, .38 special (appears to be, anyway).

Cut down barrel, no cracks in forcing cone, good timing... Hammer on nose, five screw, serial number matches on butt, cylinder, and underside of barrel, non original grips. Even has what appears to be a social security number very lightly electropenciled down on left side of gun near grips.

No model number.

http://i.imgur.com/sI8D6NZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XGqg22p.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/X0fejn8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/58EPmqZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7nfVegP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xQhfaXT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/A1TCrP1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/J4Xw4BT.jpg

 

[Absalom]

I hope you didn't get too excited price-wise .

Former British Service Revolver, a.k.a. British Victory Model, summer 1942. Originally .38 S&W, if it now takes .38 Special, it has been converted. It originally had a 5" barrel and has been refinished; the stocks aren't original either, but you knew that. It should have (or have had) a US property mark on the left topstrap, but that may have disappeared in the refinish; the same may apply to any post-war British proofmarks usually to be found on these.

It would have originally looked as the gun in the picture attached below.

 

[357Manglem]

How do I know if it's been converted to .38Spl?

 

[murphydog]

If a .38 S & W chambered gun bored out to accept .38 Special, both will seat fully in the charge holes. (With certain exceptions - there was a recent thread about a .38 S & W to Special conversion in which metal sleeves were inserted, the proper way to do the conversion.). If an unaltered .38 S & W, a .38 Special will not fully seat by almost 0.4".

 

[alwslate]

Notice that in having a cut down barrel the front locking lug has been
removed leaving the ejector rod unsupported. I have seen several guns
converted like that on GB and often refinished in nickel. Some of them
are hyped by the seller as being rare, meaning original, and often sell
way high for what they really are in my opinion. Definitely a buyer
beware situation I think.

 

[Camster]

I hope you didn't get too excited price-wise .

Former British Service Revolver, a.k.a. British Victory Model, summer 1942. Originally .38 S&W, if it now takes .38 Special, it has been converted. It originally had a 5" barrel and has been refinished; the stocks aren't original either, but you knew that. It should have (or have had) a US property mark on the left topstrap, but that may have disappeared in the refinish; the same may apply to any post-war British proofmarks usually to be found on these.

It would have originally looked as the gun in the picture attached below.

Yep,a war gun that lost it's dignity,(and some structural integrity)most likely in the 1950s.You're not the first to succumb to the lure of a snub that should be avoided.

 

[JSR III]

It is definitely an old "Victory" model that has been bubba'd. The give away is the V that precedes the barrel serial number. That should match those on the cylinder face and butt. The V on the cylinder may be separated from the numbers by one charge hole.

I'm not a gunsmith but not sure that the removal of the barrel lug will necessarily make the gun unsafe. There are many Colt's out there as well as other manufacturers that have a free floating extractor rod. Weaker than originally designed yes but not necessarily unsafe IMHO.

Hopefully you did not pay too much for it as it is basically only a shooter version of the Victory model with no collectible value unless one collects oddities.

 

[JP@AK]

There are many Colt's out there as well as other manufacturers that have a free floating extractor rod.

Yes, but Colt's revolvers have a cylinder that rotates clockwise. S&W HE revolvers, with a counter-clockwise rotating cylinder, started without front locking lugs. The matter was quickly corrected in 1902.

But I do agree that the removal of the locking lug does not necessarily result in an "unsafe" condition. Just a lot weaker lockup.

 

[357Manglem]

Well, I picked it up because it was neat. In the pics I was provided when I went to meet the guy it looked tiny, I thought it was some sort of smaller revolver. Imagine my surprise.

It does actually chamber .38spl by the way.

 

[DWalt]

A teachable moment in your life. You shouldn't buy anything without first knowing what it is. At least it does have some historical significance. Lee Harvey Oswald (allegedly) used one just like it to shoot Dallas police officer J. D. Tippitt. Back in the 1950s-1960s, literally boatloads of these were sold mail order for prices in the $25 range.

 

[alwslate]

Well, I picked it up because it was neat. In the pics I was provided when I went to meet the guy it looked tiny, I thought it was some sort of smaller revolver. Imagine my surprise.

It does actually chamber .38spl by the way.

A sometimes unfortunate fact of life is that lessons learned
the hard way are the ones that tend to stick, so it's not all
bad.

 

[Art Doc]

Try to get your money back.

 

[DWalt]

One of my minor joys remaining in life is to find one of these at a gun show table (and sometimes in a gun shop). I act dumb (easy for me), ask what it is, and wait to hear whatever rehearsed BS story the vendor always has about it.