Radagast
Member
griffin2004:
You probably have a British Service Revolver manufactured in 1941 or 1942 for the British govt.. This was a .38 S&W chambering of the .38 Special Military & Police Model of 1905 4th Change.
The barrel length would have been 5 inches originally, post war it was sold as surplus, the barrel cut down (hence no caliber markings) and the chambers bored out to accept .38 Special.
The base of the .38 S&W case is wider than the .38 special. Fired brass will deform to fit the oversize chamber and may split. Because of this use of jacketed, semi jacketed, Plus P & +P+ ammo is probably unwise. If the locking lug under the barrel is missing, then definitely only use lead standard pressure ammo. I sprang the crane on a gun without the crane. It only took 5 rounds of PlusP.
The gun also lacks a positive hammer block safety. If dropped it could fire, so leave the chamber under the hammer empty.
There is a slight possibility that the gun is a .38 Military & Police as these were made in the same serial range, but it is unlikely. All of the chopped barrel guns that I am aware of from that era were BSRs.
Value is probably no more than $150.
You probably have a British Service Revolver manufactured in 1941 or 1942 for the British govt.. This was a .38 S&W chambering of the .38 Special Military & Police Model of 1905 4th Change.
The barrel length would have been 5 inches originally, post war it was sold as surplus, the barrel cut down (hence no caliber markings) and the chambers bored out to accept .38 Special.
The base of the .38 S&W case is wider than the .38 special. Fired brass will deform to fit the oversize chamber and may split. Because of this use of jacketed, semi jacketed, Plus P & +P+ ammo is probably unwise. If the locking lug under the barrel is missing, then definitely only use lead standard pressure ammo. I sprang the crane on a gun without the crane. It only took 5 rounds of PlusP.
The gun also lacks a positive hammer block safety. If dropped it could fire, so leave the chamber under the hammer empty.
There is a slight possibility that the gun is a .38 Military & Police as these were made in the same serial range, but it is unlikely. All of the chopped barrel guns that I am aware of from that era were BSRs.
Value is probably no more than $150.