Help: Where to find .38 S&W ammo for Victory Model?

[--Terry--]

Hi,

I'm waiting for an S&W Victory Model in .38 S&W CTG (not .38 Special) to come in next week, and I need a small quantity of ammo of this british caliber for test firing the revolver.

Does anybody know how I can get my hands on maybe 50 rounds of this type of ammo? I live in Vancouver, BC.

And, after reading in the S&W Forum, this revolver also seems to be referred to as the ".38-200". This is the same as the .38 S&W?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Terry

 

[Novus Collectus]

.38-200 is basically .38 S&W beefed up with a heavier load and heavier bullet. The first .38-200 had a 200 grain bullet, but then they issued just I think a 170 grain or thereabouts bullet, but still way more powerful than regular .38 S&W.
You can shoot normal power .38 S&W in a .38-200 revolver, but don't fire a .38-200 in many handguns marked just .38 S&W.
If you want real .38-200 in North America, you may never find it. Here in the US they can be found by commercial reloaders, but are not milsurp or factory made. You can reload them yourself too.

 

[BCRider]

I suspect that you should have been up at the Kamloops show last weekend scouring the tables for suitable brass and reloading dies. If you do find any factory ammo in this size I suspect the price will make your heart miss a few beats.

 

[stsfld66]

Last time i was at Italian sporting goods, they had some for 37$$ a box .I picked up brand new RCBS dies for 20$$ at the Kamloops gun show on saturday aaahhh

 

[brewmech]

38 S&W(short and wimpy) shouldn't be hard to find, may not be cheap. Any shop with a decent ammo selection should have some on hand.

 

[NAA]

Last time i was at Italian sporting goods, they had some for 37$$ a box .I picked up brand new RCBS dies for 20$$ at the Kamloops gun show on saturday aaahhh

It pays to look closely at tables at gunshows.... I scored well at Kamloops too... I got 100 new, primed .38 S&W cases for $10. The seller then threw in 50 more fired cases in good shape. And a set of RCBS dies.

NAA.

 

[de-mix]

145gr. LRN (lead round nose)
Around $34-35 for 50 at your local gun shop.

 

[--Terry--]

I don't want to reload this round because after a little test firing this revolver will become a permanent safe queen. I have other revolvers that are better shooters.

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't go to the Lamloops show.

 

[NAA]

I don't want to reload this round because after a little test firing this revolver will become a permanent safe queen. I have other revolvers that are better shooters.

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't go to the Lamloops show.

I was kinda in the same boat. I picked up a "US Property" marked S&W Victory model in .38 S&W with 5" barrel to go with the collection. It's always nice to have a box or two of factory to go with one, even if you don't want to shoot it or shoot it much. But locally factory .38 S&W is ~ $35 a box. I scored a box of Remington factory at another gunshow for $10, though.

But it also made sense, since I'm already set up to reload, to get a set of dies & some brass to make up some plinking loads for when the occasion presents itself.

NAA.

 

[--Terry--]

This is exactly the same type of revolver I'm waiting for. Won't see it until maybe the first couple of days in May.

I guess when you collect 1911s, the next "must have" is a nice Victory Model. However it is a shame that I can't have one of the standard 4" barrelled US Navy Victories, because of the damn law.

 

[NAA]

Being old enough to have 12(6), I scored a fairly decent 4" Victory model in .38 Special off the EE a couple years back. Not "US" property marked on the top strap but does have the "V" prefix serial number [& US flaming bomb proof on the butt]:

I'm not sure the grips are original to it though. The early pre-Victory models had these type grips. But by the serial number range [V127,###] of this model [1942-1943] they were smooth grips numbered on the inside of the panels to the revolver they were on.

NAA.

 

[--Terry--]

Maybe this is a question that you can ask Roy Jinks. Maybe the grips could be original? I can't see the logic behind someone's taking off the "worthless" smooth walnut grips and putting on the earlier checkered grips.

 

[deadman]

I usually keep all my brass, but my enfield is so unbelievably inaccurate (or maybe its just me), that I've never gotten around to setting up for loading it. If you want, I can send you a bag of once-fired empties, I don't see myself using it. As for the price of factory .38 s+w, I find it varies quite a bit. I have found it for anywhere between $20-45.

 

[NAA]

Maybe this is a question that you can ask Roy Jinks. Maybe the grips could be original? I can't see the logic behind someone's taking off the "worthless" smooth walnut grips and putting on the earlier checkered grips.

Well, curiosity got the best of me, so I took those stocks of the 4" Victory model above. They had a serial number inside them too but not the one of the V model.

NAA.