If I wanted to buy a .38 S&W chambered revolver

T

TruthTellers

New member
which would be the better choice: A Webley in .38/200 or an H&R Defender?

th


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Or would the original .38 S&W revolver be a better choice?

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I do plan to reload the ammo and shoot whichever revolver I may end up getting.
 
Webley for me.

If you plan to handload, I suggest you slug the cylinder throat and the bore. For reason still unknown, at least to me, the nominal bullet diameter for 38 s&w is 0.361". But throat and bore in actual revolvers could be much smaller. Both of my 2 revolvers do the best when I used 9mm, 0.355”, bullets.

-TL


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I had a S&W .38 Single Action and shot it in CAS pocket pistol side matches.
It is a bit of a kicker and if you break it, parts are scarce.

A friend is a Webley man.

I have no experience with the H&R.
 
I once owned a Marlin double action top break that was very similar to one of the S&W models.

I would try to find a decent S&W.
 
Wow, a variety of answers. Good.

So, the reason I'm made the thread is in the back of my mind I want to reload for the .38 S&W and have a top break .38 revolver. I had been thinking about the Webley because i have a thing for WW2 era guns, especially sidearms from all the major nations that fought.

The H&R I like because I like H&R revolvers and the Defender is probably the best .38 S&W revolver they ever made.

The S&W is just cool. That gun looks so small it could be a fair carry gun even today.
 
The break top S&W's aren't a robust design. I've put a couple hundred rounds through the ones I own but wouldn't plan on shooting them on a regular basis. However they can be found for cheap with some searching - $100 to $200 isn't uncommon. They are really neat guns and small even compared to J frames.

As far as I'm concerned the WW2 era S&W's would be the best option for a shooter. A .38/200, AKA Victory model, AKA British Service Revolver in 38 S&W should hold up to 1,000's and 1,000's of rounds of shooting without any issue. If anything does break parts should be easy to find.

I'll admit I Know nothing about the Webley's and they have never really interested my. And the same with anything H&R
 
I own a Webley that is pretty much just like the one in your picture however mine has wooden grips.

I haven't shot it a lot, but I have put several hundred rounds through it over the years and it seems to be a very good shooter. Although I am an avid reloader, I have never reloaded .38 S&W. I just buy whatever .38 S&W factory ammo I happen to see in the stores. A couple years ago, when any kind of ammo was very hard to find, I used to go to my local Cabellas store and the shelves were bare except for some of this more obscure vintage military stuff, so I just sort of impulse bought some various factory ammo for these guns that I don't shoot a whole lot and ended up shooting them a bit more than normal. I had plenty of ammo for my normal line-up of guns but used this as an excuse to take some of these relics out and get them a little exercise.

I used to shoot in vintage military rifle matches and they would also have one stage where you used a vintage military pistol. What I shot varied, but I did use the Webley in .38 S&W quite a bit. The stage was always shooting at a steel plate at fairly close range and it was a timed stage. So with the almost non-existent recoil of the .38 S&W, I would fire the six rounds in a couple seconds with easy hits on the plate. More recently, I shoot indoors during the winter and usually at least one evening during the winter I take the Webley and run 50 rounds of factory ammo through it on bullseye targets and at the short range we shoot, it shoots as good as anything else I own. It is kind of fun in that if someone doesn't know much about vintage military firearms, I can sandbag them because they look at it and think it is some cheap junk gun and then I easily out-shoot them with it.

I always get a laugh out of the finish that is on that gun. It looks almost like spray paint. Of course today, these kind of finishes: Duracoat, Cerocote and things like that are common and this isn't much different. I have no idea what it actually is.
 
There are plenty of Smith & Wesson K-Frame Pre-Victory Models and Victory Models (Lend Leases revolvers too) out there in .38 S&W caliber. Most parts are interchangeable with other K-Frames from the WW II period. Just make sure it has not had the cylinders bored out to accept .38 Special.

I have a Smith & Wesson produced in March 1943 that was a Lend Lease to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Good quality heavy duty revolver. I also have a Pre-Victory that according to S&W factory records was shipped directly to the Union of South Africa on Dec. 1, 1940. Both are nice shooting revolvers in both single and double action.
 
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The Webley is a solid, well made design, that is strong and durable for the caliber. They are also cool.

Still, I'd look for one of those S&W contract .38 S&W British service guns in the original .38/200 chambering first. Just real hard to beat a Model 10 style S&W, and in .38 S&W would be a low recoil sweet shooter.
 
Webley's and the "tanker" Enfields are fairly robust if you want a top-break. Victory model S&W's are available, but the prices are going up. Colt made the Police Positive
in 38 S&W, 38 New Police and 38 Super Police--all 38 S&W with different bullets.
S&W made the model 32 "38 Terrier" and The model 33 "38 Regulation Police" .

I've got a Model 32 and a Webley--fun little guns.
 
Oh, I forgot until someone mentioned it. I also had a Victory model British lend lease gun. It was a neat 38 S&W chambered revolver.

I got it cheap at an auction. Should have kept it.
 
Your only choices? A number of revolvers have been chambered in 38 S&W.

About a million Victory Model S&Ws for Great Britain in WW II...

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An the Regulation Police (4") and Terrier (2") models...

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Among others.
 
Howdy

The Smith and Wesson revolver you have posted a photo of is a Single Action, 2nd Model. That gun was made from 1887 until 1891. Just like the one I have posted a photo of. These guns were made during the Black Powder era and should not be fired with modern Smokeless 38 S&W ammunition, despite what you may hear. Besides not being suited to the pressure spike of Smokeless ammo, they will probably shoot themselves loose in not too long if fired with Smokeless ammo.

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The same goes for this 38 Double Action, 3rd Model, made in 1888.

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This 38 Safety Hammerless, 3rd Model was made in 1896 and I would be reluctant to fire it with Smokeless ammo too.

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The only S&W Top Break 38 I can recommend shooting with modern Smokeless ammunition is the 38 Double Action Perfected Model. The Perfected Model was the last Top Break revolver S&W designed. It is a complete departure from all the other Top Breaks, notice how the trigger guard is integral with the frame, just like any modern S&W revolver. The other unique thing about the Perfected Model is it incorporated a thumb piece to break open the action, just like a modern Smith, but it was also a Top Break. To open one of these up you have to push the thumb piece forward at the same time as you lift the barrel latch up. Do one at a time and you cannot open the gun. The lockwork inside is almost identical to a modern S&W. These were produced in the Smokeless era, from 1909 until 1920. An interesting revolver, but they can be difficult to come across.

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"Just make sure it has not had the cylinders bored out to accept .38 Special."

This in reference to an S&W M&P "Victory Model". My question is why not? Accuracy may suffer some with the .38 Special, but you get two for the price of one in caliber. (I don't claim to have done exhaustive testing, but I have checked several WWII S&W's and it looks like they really made all the barrels the same (.357") no matter what they marked on the outside.)

Jim
 
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