Posted on 02/04/2011 5:05:15 AM PST by marktwain
What were the revolvers chambered for .38 S&W (short&weak?)
I have one of these that I got from my grandfather. Gun fanatics I have known love seeing and shooting this gun. It’s not powerful, but it is a very fundamental weapon.
I have always said if one can get the job done with five or six shots a revolver is hard to beat.
The first pistol I carried in the Air Force in 1978 was a S &W 38 Special. The cops got the new semi-autos and the officers got the old 1911s. We lowly command post guys got the cast offs.
This gentleman should take care about the ammo he feeds that revolver. It won’t take any +P loads at all. And I seem to recall that it fired a lower powered load that was specially made for the military. It was an FMJ if I recall correctly.
I’ll have to do some research on it later.
It's a great little gun. And, it ALWAYS does the 3 things that I want my guns to do.....go boom, boom, boom every time I pull the trigger.
I'm hankering to get a new handgun. At first I was looking at all those 10-15 'high capacity'(snix) magazine ones - then I stopped.
I started going only to .45ACP 1911's with a 7 or 8 round mag, or wheel guns. Now I know I want a wheel gun - period. A .357, 45LC or maybe The Judge: .45LC/.410.
Found a nice 'Judge', Blued finish & 6½ barrel. A little over $400 out the door through Davidson's Gallery of Guns. Looks like a 'Dirty Harry' hand cannon :-)
Price IS a factor. No way I'm paying $1,200 for 45LC Colt, or $1K for a S&W.
My favorite revolvers always have been, and continue to be, the Model 19 / 66 series from S&W. Great guns right out of the box - smooth, even trigger pull, and a great, classic sleek look. Especially the deep blue early Model 19’s. There’s no better looking gun made, IMHO.
The Combat Magnums are definitely good looking guns, but to me, the Combat Masterpiece is down right elegant. Just something about that tapered barrel (over the HB on the 19/66) that really speaks to me.
I love revolvers. That being said, it’s a mistake to call a revolver “more dependable” then a semi-auto. A revolver is a complicated mechanism with significantly more moving parts then a semi-auto. There are some advantages to a revolver without a doubt, but let’s not get carried away.
Many of the Victory models were chambered for the .38 S&W and were sent to Britain for use by the Commonwealth troops. Their version of the cartridge was the .38/200 which used a heavier bullet but on the .38 S&W cartridge case. Prior to the Victory, a number of blued S&W M&P models were produced for Britain under Lend Lease, and are alternately designated K-200 or British Service Pistols.
That was pretty much it for wartime revolvers. Civilian ones included a number of the single action guns, early break top double actions including tons of the Safety Hammerless models. The swing out cylinder hand ejector models also were produced, particularly in the smaller frames in .38 S&W.
Some Victory bring back guns or re-imports in .38 S&W were rechambered for .38 Special, and the accuracy leaves much to be desired as the .38 S&W has a bullet diameter of .361 as opposed to .357 for the Special.
It should be safe with any modern standard pressure .38 Special load. Smith heat treated the cylinders of guns of this period. The FMJ is probably in regards to types of bullets permissible under the Geneva Convention.
I recall a few years ago there was much discussion of the use of +P in pre-war M&P’s on the S&W Forum. Some individuals with old load data concluded that +P (post-1974 IIRC designated ammo) was equivalent to standard loadings of the time. One member ran ~500 +P rounds through a 30’s vintage M&P with no discernible ill effects.
Not saying that it should be an accepted practice, but carrying with +P should be OK if the gun is in good condition.
Thank you very much for the information.
You’re welcome.
A lot of these (and other revolvers like the M13 Aircrewman) were issued in the Air Force. You could carry them with a round ready to go and not need both hands to work the slide as in a 1911.
According to the Third Standard Catalog of S&W (the definitive source) Victory models were issued to AF tanker and cargo crews as late as Desert Storm.
I have one of these Victory models made for Great Britain but it is “different”.
The barrel had been replaced with a .22 barrel covered with British proofmarks.
The cylinders have been sleeved for a .22 Long Rifle rim fire and proof marks on each chamber, ejector modified, and it has adjustable sights, definitly not S&W type.
It looks like it might have been converted to .22 for training purposes.
Unfortunately, some fool in the US tried to reblue it and it looks like hell, but it shoots great!
Also, according to an article years ago in SHOOTING TIMES, some Victory .38 spl were made with an Aluminum cylinder for US air crews.
Some officer decided they were too dangerous and instead of ordering steel cylinders to replace the aluminum he had the pistols destroyed.
***Victory models were issued to AF tanker and cargo crews as late as Desert Storm.***
When flying combat missions off the coast of North Viet Nam (1968)I was issued a .38 COLT with six loose rounds sealed in a plastic bag.
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