s&w info

[jpparker88]

I didn't know where to post this so i figured here might work. My great grandfather was a huge gun collector. Mainly long guns but he did have a few revolvers in his collection. One of them is a m&g .22 revolver that from what I gather is just a junk gun, but it was the type of gun used to shoot Reagan, so that's interesting. But, I digress, the other 2, those seem older and amazing. They are both smith and wesson revolvers, and from what I gather "victory" models, but other than that I don't know age, what ammo to shoot in them etc. So I figured I would turn to you guys and see if you could help shed light on the situitation

Gun 1:
Serial: v2952
Caliber: 38 s&w special
no other markings
checkered wood grip, blued, 6 shot

Gun 2:
Serial: v688147
Caliber: 38 s&w
Marked US Property GHD, with a proof mark
Pearl grip, chromed or stainless, 6 shot, inch longer barrel than the first one

any info would be greatly appreciated, I would contact s&w themselves but they want $50 each gun, and right now, that's a lot of money I don't need to spend for just a fancy letter.

[Fjold]

Gun 1 is chambered in 38 Special
Gun 2 is chambered in 38 S&W (not the same)

[jpparker88]

age? approx value?

[BigDogatPlay]

You can learn a bunch of general info about Victory models at this page.

Serial V2952 would be early in the run, most likely 1942 production. The guns from V1 to V39999 were mostly in 38 S&W. You identify yours as a 38 Special, which would make it a bit of a rarity. If the gun's finish is something of a matted or sandblasted blue, similar to a Model 28 Highway Patrolman if you are familiar, then the finish is correct to the period. A bright blue would be indicative of a refinish, IMO. Later guns were parkerized. This gun, being in an odd caliber for the period and original (if it is as described) may have some collector value, and it is likely a good shooter to boot.

The second gun in 38 S&W is most likely a 5 inch barrel. That length was most common in that caliber. The grips are certainly aftermarket, not original, and the hard chrome finish is a refinish for sure. Stainless steel wasn't used by S&W until decades after the war so it can't be that. Probably zero collector value on this gun. It will be a good shooter.... if you can find ammo.

38 Special and 38 S&W are NOT interchangeable. Some .38 S&W chambers can actually accept a 38 Special but firing it risks damage to the gun.

ETA... an unknown number of 38 S&W guns have been modified over the years to fire .38 Special. You would need a gunsmith to check your chambers to see if this has been done. If it has, and was done well, you have a great shooter.

[556MikeMike]

I would take ask the guys at http://smith-wessonforum.com/ there's a bunch of folks there with a wealth of knowledge.

[jpparker88]

turns out my grandfather, the son in law of the collector, had some mis-information. they're both blued. the early one has some slight holster wear, but is polished to almost a mirror finish, the other one, the blue is muted. So, would they be alright to shoot? I mean they're over 60 years old. they seem sturdy enough, but I don't want something exploding in my hand.

[BigDogatPlay]

I've got one rifle in my safe that will celebrate it's 100th birthday next year and shoots as good as the day it left the hardware store my grandfather bought it at. Assuming no abuse, they are most likely to be just fine with standard pressure ammo. If there is sign of abuse or you are concerned then bring them to a competent pistolsmith and have them checked.

[BillCA]

I didn't know where to post this so i figured here might work. My great grandfather was a huge gun collector. Mainly long guns but he did have a few revolvers in his collection. One of them is a m&g .22 revolver that from what I gather is just a junk gun, but it was the type of gun used to shoot Reagan, so that's interesting. But, I digress, the other 2, those seem older and amazing. They are both smith and wesson revolvers, and from what I gather "victory" models, but other than that I don't know age, what ammo to shoot in them etc. So I figured I would turn to you guys and see if you could help shed light on the situitation

Gun 1:
Serial: v2952
Caliber: 38 s&w special
no other markings
checkered wood grip, blued, 6 shot

Gun 2:
Serial: v688147
Caliber: 38 s&w
Marked US Property GHD, with a proof mark
Pearl grip, chromed or stainless, 6 shot, inch longer barrel than the first one

any info would be greatly appreciated, I would contact s&w themselves but they want $50 each gun, and right now, that's a lot of money I don't need to spend for just a fancy letter.

The Victory models are simply a Smith & Wesson Model of 1905, 4th Change that was produced during wartime with a special serial number prefix. The finish of the gun started out as a low polish blue (matte) and then went to parkerized for the remainder of the war.

Your early Victory model .38 Special revolver may be a rarity as BigDog said.

The .38 S&W specimen (aka the K-200 or later the Model 11) has a 5-inch barrel. With the US PROPERTY GHD marking (GHD was the inspector's initials), look around on the gun for other markings, such as a small "crown" or "crossed cannons". These are sometimes marked near the symbol with a stamping like "2.5 Tons" or similar. These indicate British proof markings from the Lend-Lease Act. These guns were in British inventory and returned post-war. Some nice history can be gleaned if unit markings or stampings exist on the gun too.

Neither if these guns is likely to have the hammer-block safety bar inside the action. Certainly not the .38 S&W specimen. A gunsmith can easily tell you if one was installed in the .38 Special specimen (note: not all specimens with the safety bar are marked with an "s"). This means the gun can discharge if dropped and the hammer strikes a hard surface.

The .38 S&W cartridge is still manufactured and available in a mild loading. Winchester still makes it and you can probably find it from Magtech and a few other sources.

The .38 S&W cartridge is shorter and slightly fatter than the .38 Special. It should not fit in a .38 Special chambered revolver. Originally, the .38 S&W used a bullet of .360" diameter instead of .357. Shooting modern .38 S&W may be less accurate due to ammo companies using a .357" diameter lead bullet. When reloading, a 148gr hollow-base wadcutter at 800 fps will usually expand the hollow-base skirt enough to give good accuracy.

.38 S&W vs. .38 Special cartridges


For the .38 Special revolver, do not fire +P ammo as these guns were never intended for a diet of "hot" loads. Standard velocity ammo only. I don't know of any +P made in .38 S&W, but obviously you should avoid any such critter offered as well.