Neat old pistol, M&P

[Buckshot]

............Was out with a couple buddies today and went by a gunshop and there in the Peestol case, 2nd shelf down was a VERY nice looking old S&W M&P in 38 Special with a 6" bbl. There was some bluing wear around the muzzle and some on the leading edge of the cylinder. I'd guess (I didn't ask to handle it) it was probably a least 90% blue. Had the old skinny grips.

The price was marked $385 so I didn't dare ask to see it as just looking at it lying there was tough enough to deal with. If I would have had it in my hand, and the action and barrel would have been in good shape I don't know what I would have done :-)

.................Buckshot

[454PB]

I thought you didn't like pistols?

[Meatco1]

Hi Rick:

One of these days, I'm going to have to show you an old S & W M&P that was originally factory marked at 38 S&W. At some point it was changed to 38 Special. It has the lanyard ring on the butt, and is parkerized.

I don't really know for sure, as it was my Grandfathers, but I believe it to be a WW1 original.

The trigger is ungodly stiff, with more creep than any gun I've ever shot. The timing leaves much to be desired, but when you pull the trigger, you know it's going to fire every time.

Richard

[Larry Gibson]

First deer I shot with a handgun was with a 6" M&P........Back when I was a young and dumb kid (12), and didn't know it couldn't be done, bright and early one morning I snuck the S&W M&P with 6" barrel out to pot at some squirrels. My Uncle had loaned it to my Mom when we moved out on the ranch for "protection". I'd managed to pot a couple deer with my .22LR and a couple with the M94 my Uncle had loaned us also so I had a little "big game" hunting under my belt. Anyways my Uncle had showed me how to shoot the revolver and had slipped me some extra ammo "for practice". It was a .38 Special of course and the ammo was Peters 158 gr lead RNs.

My Mom didn't like me shooting the revolver without her or my step dad around but she was asleep, my step dad had already left for work and I would be out to check on the cattle, shoot a little and have the revolver cleaned and put back all before she woke up. That was the plan anyway. I rode my horse out to the back forty where there was about 20 acres of cherries. I spotted several deer meandering through the small orchard and figured I knew which trail into the woods they'd take. I slipped off my horse, tied her to a tree and slipped off along another trail through the woods to set up an ambush. I got to my spot about 5 minutes before the deer came along. There was two does in the lead with their four fawns following and big old dry doe bringing up the rear. I was nestled down into some scotch broom and was pretty well oblivious to the deer. I had the M&P cocked and held in both hands as I was sittng. I let the first two does and their fawns walk by. Then as that big doe came abreast I raised the revolver, lined up the front sight in the rear notch aiming just behind the close front leg as the doe stepped foreward. I pulled the trigger and the doe flinched, walked about fifteen or twenty steps and fell over dead. The others milled around until I stood up then they took off.

I was one pretty excited kid. I gutted the doe (I always cared a Barlow pocket knife back then-didn't every kid?) and took her back and hung her in our garage/shed and skinned her. I then cleaned the revolver and put it back. No one asked what I killed it with, guess everyone thought I'd used my .22LR. Anyways I almost got away with it until a couple days later when we were cutting and wrapping the deer for the freezer. My step dad found the .38 slug stuck in the offside shoulder bone. He just stuck it in his pocket and later when we were down at the barn he pulled out a bottle of whiskey (he always had one down there) gave it to me in one hand and the bullet in the other hand and said; "good shot, take a snort." Of course all that was when the deer were weak and hadn't been issued body armor by the PETA folks. I also didn't yet know you couldn't kill anything with a .38 Special 158 gr RN let alone a deer.

Larry Gibson

[Swagerman]

Rick, did it look anything like this one, which is a five screw.

Jim

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e321/44and45/PB210026croppeda698Xcroppedagain.jpg

[Glen]

Yeah, I like those old M&Ps myself. I guess that's why I've got a 5" .32-20 M&P for my avitar!

[Meatco1]

Swagerman:

Your photo looks exactly like mine, except mine is parkerized. Does yours have any marking on the bbl showing it was originaly a .38 S&W?

I"ll have to post a photo later today showing the different cal marks. Both look to be factory stamped.

It also appears I've made a mistake in the age of these guns. Turns out they are WWll models, although I don't have a clue as to why the stampings show show first .38 S&W, (crossed out), then .38 Special. Any ideas?

Richard

[Meatco1]

Who would have thought this old pistol would have auctioned off for $938.00??

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:rYPhTbAviZsJ:www.gunbroker.com/auction/View
Item.asp%3FItem%3D99023995+.38+Smith+%26+Wesson+Vi ctory+mdl&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&
gl=us

[StrawHat]

Swagerman:

Turns out they are WWll models, although I don't have a clue as to why the stampings show show first .38 S&W, (crossed out), then .38 Special. Any ideas?

Richard

The victory model was originally chambered for the 38 S&W aka 38/200. A stubby 38 caliber cartridge that found favor in Great Britain by using a heavy for caliber bullet at moderate speed. Some of them were reworked after the war to accept the 38 Special cartridge because the 38 S&W was hard to find and not considered powerful enough.

Check out the dimensions of the two cartridges and see what you think.

I don't believe it was a well thought out conversion.

Good luck.

[Nueces]

Wow. I had an M&P Navy just like that one, carried it around a Texas gunshow in the early seventies and couldn't get $35 for it. Finally traded it to a gunshop. Rats.

Mark

[Swagerman]

Meatco1, where the barrel screws into the frame, on the left side it has BNP with a little crown above it.

On the right side of it above in front of the trigger the frame says: MADE IN USA
so I guess it was contract revolver for Britain or Canada. As to being a .38 sw, kind of doubt that. It says clearly stamped .38 special and no crossed out .38 sw.

Also has cylinder throats for .38 special.

Jim

================================================== =======================

OK, I checked the barrel again, my memory isn't what it use to be....it is indeed once a .38 sw caliber that evidently has been converted very nicely to .38 special. Dang! When your wrong...ya gotta own up to it.

Jim

[dominicfortune00]

You probably have a Victory Model S&W.

I have one marked US Property in 38 Spl.

Would like to get one of the British contract ones in 38 S&W, it'd go good with my Webley Mk4's.

[Swagerman]

dominicfortune00, your MK4 Webley would go good with my .38, but I doubt you'll sell.

However, my .38 special is available if its of any interest to you. I'm in the process of thinning my catch of revolvers, getting too old to shoot them all.

Jim

[lathesmith]

Well, since you guys DID bring the subject up...I have to trot out a few pics of my S&W Victory Model (again). I love these old guns, they just reek of history and nostalgia. This one had a pair of checkered grips on it when I got it; I replaced them with a correct pair of smooth grips. On these old guns even the grips were stamped with the serial #. I thought the checkered grips were just stuck on much later, but after doing a bit of research I discovered they are period-correct and may possibly be armory-replacement/upgrades, probably when this gun finally ended up in Australia in the 1950's. I wish this thing could talk, what stories it could tell!
I think Buckshot has one that is just about its twin; these were originally lend-lease guns, I believe. Ah, those were the days....
lathesmith

[Buckshot]

Rick, did it look anything like this one, which is a five screw.

Jim

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e321/44and45/PB210026croppeda698Xcroppedagain.jpg

..............Yes, except it didn't have a lanyard ring. The card by the pistol just said, "Pre M-10 S&W M&P", and it looked to be in VG-Exc condition.

454PB I thought you didn't like pistols?

..........Well, I didn't use to until I bought a K38 :-) Heck I could Hit Stuff with it with my eyes closed almost! Makes a whole bunch of difference.

http://www.fototime.com/4D6280719DF2FAE/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/8D7CF413F4B724E/standard.jpg

Got a Couple Victory models:drinks:

...................Buckshot

[Jim]

Larry,
Cool story about you an' the ol' man havin' a celebratory shot together. I like it.