What 38 do I have

[Saigon1965]

You bastards are creepy - Stay away from my guns -

[EBR Works]

[Spiggy]

NOBODY knows what happens inside gun safes when the lights are off and the door is locked closed.

You bastards are creepy - Stay away from my guns -

Hold on, he might be onto something here!

[Saigon1965]

Yeah - Like Impacto wants to use my sutff to breast feed -

[EBR Works]

Right, I think I'm done here.

[Saigon1965]

Just yanking your chain Impacto -

[BillCA]

OK, now that's interesting. .38 Special as a "Navy" version? My Dad was in Naval Aviation, WW2 & Korea. He carried this gun in a shoulder rig with spare cartridge loops. Most of the rounds he carried then were government issued .38 Special tracers to use for a rescue signal if downed in the ocean. So are the .38 Special chambered guns called Navys because they could shoot the standard US issued tracer round? I know he purchased the gun near a Navy base somewhere in Florida.

Oji, the Navy models are simply marked as Navy property. The fact that all of them should be .38 Special has more to do with the procurement specifications than anything else.

During Lend-Lease, most of the guns shipped to the Brits chambered the .38 S&W cartridge - what the Brits called the .38/200 cartridge. The .38 S&W is shorter and fatter than the .38 Special (see below) and will not chamber in .38 Special guns. Victory models are usually marked "US Property" on the left topstrap. Those that were sent as lend-lease to the UK usually have a proof stamp on the left side of the barrel near the frame that shows a crown or a crown with .38/200.

The .38 S&W version is properly the K-200 model for pre-model series guns. After 1957 it became the Model 11.

During the war, .38 S&W guns were also procured by the DOD for use as security guard guns at war materiel plants, dockyards and other locations. These lack the British proof marks.

In the post-war years, many of the lend-lease guns were sold and several companies bored out the chambers to accept the .38 Special cartridge. If this was done properly the gun shoots well. Alas, some companies did not perform the job correctly. Problems include chambers bored off-center, at an angle or bored straight throught. The latter is the most dangerous as it will permit the chambering of a .357 round which will be catastrophic for the gun and possibly the shooter.

The Navy issued pilots six rounds of tracers plus six rounds of .38 Special "ball" ammunition for defense. Many of the early USAAF fighter pilots were issued a .38 Special for defense if shot down (and quite a few eagerly sought to trade theirs for a 1911).

The .38 S&W is a mediocre round, barely sufficient for home defense in most cases. I know of a former USAAF waistgunner who used one in his home and dispatched the intruder with a well placed shot.

Caution:
Many of the Victory models lack the S&W safety bar inside the action. This means they may discharged if dropped on a hard surface. The safety bar was added during the war ca. 1943 but not all specimens were retro-fitted. If yours lacks the safety bar or you're in doubt, keep the chamber under the hammer empty, like the old Single Action sixgunners do.

[mj1]

Try finding .38/200. I have one box of Wichester but when it's gone I will have to find a source for pellets and hand load the round.

[usmcchet9296]

OK, now that's interesting. .38 Special as a "Navy" version? My Dad was in Naval Aviation, WW2 & Korea. He carried this gun in a shoulder rig with spare cartridge loops. Most of the rounds he carried then were government issued .38 Special tracers to use for a rescue signal if downed in the ocean. So are the .38 Special chambered guns called Navys because they could shoot the standard US issued tracer round? I know he purchased the gun near a Navy base somewhere in Florida.

No its just a matter of preference
In Europe they preferred the .38 S&W or as they called it the 380
In the US they preferred the .38 special
I just want the Navy model because it only came in a 4 inch barrel but if I run into a Army in 4 inch id take that too.

[usmcchet9296]

Caution:
Many of the Victory models lack the S&W safety bar inside the action. This means they may discharged if dropped on a hard surface. The safety bar was added during the war ca. 1943 but not all specimens were retro-fitted. If yours lacks the safety bar or you're in doubt, keep the chamber under the hammer empty, like the old Single Action sixgunners do.

I just wanted the Victory for nostalgia/curio reasons
I would and still do prefer the 38 special because the ammo is cheap and later I intend to get a .357 home defense gun and just figure it would be nice to have to guns that can fire the 38 special

[ojisan]

Thanx, guys, for all the great info!

D'oh! Now it's time to get a Victory 5" and a Navy 4".

[Spiggy]

Sal had a great story about his grandpa doing guard duty at an airbase.

His grandpa was sitting in a guard box during a heavy sandstorm, there was no good sight on anything and his comm was out. From a distance he saw a large body moving towards him, going really fast. So his grandpa calls for the thing to stop or it'll be shot. The large mass didn't heed him and charged faster. Sal's grandpa, armed with a K-frame .38 fires 3 rounds into the thing and it runs into the guard box dead.




It was a giant 5ft wide tumbleweed

[ojisan]

[BillCA]

Try finding .38/200. I have one box of Wichester but when it's gone I will have to find a source for pellets and hand load the round.

The .38 S&W cartridge is still available from several suppliers. It may be hard to find when manufacturing priorities are on other high volume products.

Midway USA has .38 S&W
Fiocchi - 50 rds 145g FMJ $26.99 243344
Fiocchi - 50 rds 145g RNL $26.99 723849
Magtech 50 rds 145g RNL $21.99 195948
Remington 50rds 146 RNL $31.99 877063
Win SuperX 50rds 145g RNL $31.99 198984

Ammunition to Go
Fiocchi 145g 50rds $27.95
Remington 146gr RNL $29.95
Win-SuperX 145g RNL $29.95

Outdoor Marksman Corp (OMC) 50 round boxes
Winchester Super X 145g RNL 23.50
Winchester Super X 145g RNL 33.19 (X38SWP)
Miwall New 158g RNL 18.95
Remington 146g RNL $29.95
Remington 146g RNL $34.00

[mj1]

I found the box I have at Reed's ten years ago. Thank's for the shopping list of sellers.


...MJ...