U.S., WW2-Late 1941, Smith & Wesson Pre-Victory Military & Police .38/200 Early Lend-Lease Canadian Contract Revolver, Matching Serial No. 938848, EU Deactivated - 26

*U.S., WW2-Late 1941, Smith & Wesson Pre-Victory Military & Police .38/200 Early Lend-Lease Canadian Contract Revolver, Matching Serial No. 938848, EU Deactivated*

- Scarce Pre-Victory Smith & Wesson Military & Police revolver, manufactured immediately before introduction of the famous Victory Model series.
- Manufactured circa late 1941, confirmed by the "WB" inspection mark of Colonel Waldemar Broberg on the butt.
- Desirable combination of Canadian Government "C" Broad Arrow property marks and U.S. Ordnance "WB" inspection and Flaming Bomb acceptance marks, illustrating Allied wartime procurement.
- Official Canadian Government military contract, retaining two Broad Arrow within a "C" ownership marks on the butt.
- Retains the superior pre-war commercial polished blue finish, now displaying an attractive, honest military service patina.
- Matching serial number 938848 on the butt and cylinder.
- Matching factory assembly number 82 708 on the crane and frame, confirming the original factory-fitted major components remain together.
- Original 5-inch military barrel, smooth walnut grips and military lanyard ring.
- Honest, unrefinished military service wear throughout, preserving its original wartime character.
- Complete with its original Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House EU/UK Deactivation Certificate.

An original Smith & Wesson Military & Police (Model of 1905, Fourth Change) double-action service revolver manufactured in Springfield, Massachusetts during the early years of the Second World War. This desirable Pre-Victory example was produced circa late 1941, immediately before Smith & Wesson introduced the wartime "V"-prefix Victory Model. Chambered for the British/Commonwealth .38 S&W (.38/200) service cartridge, it was manufactured during the period in which Smith & Wesson supplied large numbers of Military & Police revolvers to Britain and the Commonwealth under direct military contracts and the rapidly expanding Lend-Lease programme.

The revolver retains matching serial number 938848 on both the butt and cylinder, together with matching assembly number 82 708 stamped to the crane and frame recess, confirming the original factory-fitted major components remain together. It is fitted with its original 5-inch barrel, smooth walnut grip panels and military lanyard ring.

The left side of the barrel is correctly roll-marked "SMITH & WESSON", while the top rib carries the full factory legend: "SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MASS. U.S.A. PATENTED FEB. 6. 06. SEPT. 14. 09. DEC. 29. 14." The right side of the barrel is correctly marked: ".38 S.&W. CTG." The left sideplate retains the crisp Smith & Wesson Trade Mark logo with "TRADE MARK REG. U.S. PAT. OFF.", while the right side of the frame is marked "MADE IN U.S.A." British commercial proof marks remain visible on the barrel following its later release from military service.

The butt is particularly well marked, retaining the matching serial number 938848, together with two overlapping Canadian Government Broad Arrow within a "C" ownership marks, the U.S. Ordnance Flaming Bomb acceptance stamp, the "WB" inspection mark of Colonel Waldemar Broberg, Chief Inspector of Ordnance at Springfield, and the "P" proof mark. The combination of Canadian Government property marks and U.S. Ordnance inspection stamps on the same revolver provides a particularly attractive illustration of Allied wartime procurement and acceptance procedures.

Approximate Measurements: Barrel Length: Approx. 12.7 cm (5 inches). Calibre: .38 S&W (.38/200)

History Note:
The Smith & Wesson Military & Police revolver became one of the principal Allied sidearms of the Second World War. As Canada rapidly expanded its armed forces following the outbreak of war, it joined Britain and other Commonwealth nations in procuring large numbers of revolvers chambered for the British .38 S&W (.38/200) service cartridge. Smith & Wesson adapted its proven Military & Police design to meet these military contracts, producing revolvers renowned for their strength, reliability and high standard of commercial manufacture.

This revolver is a desirable Pre-Victory example, manufactured before Smith & Wesson introduced the wartime "V"-prefix Victory Model in April 1942. Its production can be confidently dated to late 1941 through the combination of its serial number and the "WB" inspection mark of Colonel Waldemar Broberg, Chief Inspector of Ordnance at Springfield. Broberg's inspection stamp was applied between July 1941 and June 1942, placing this revolver within the transitional period following the introduction of the U.S. Lend-Lease Act in March 1941 and amongst the last commercially finished Military & Police revolvers produced before wartime manufacturing adopted the simplified Victory Model configuration. As such, it retains the superior polished commercial blue finish characteristic of pre-war Smith & Wesson production, a feature highly prized by collectors and absent from the later Victory Models.

*Condition*
Presented in good, honest military condition displaying the expected signs of wartime service and subsequent handling. The original high-polish commercial blue finish has worn extensively to an attractive bright steel patina, with scattered handling marks, light freckling and age-related surface wear consistent with prolonged military service. The original smooth walnut grip panels remain sound with expected service wear but no significant losses, while the original military lanyard ring remains fitted.

All principal markings remain clear and legible, including the Smith & Wesson barrel legends, Trade Mark logo, Canadian Government ownership marks, U.S. Ordnance Flaming Bomb, "WB" inspection stamp, proof marks and matching serial numbers.

Mechanically, the revolver remains a good display piece. The single-action mechanism does not retain the hammer when cocked and therefore does not function in single-action. The double-action mechanism operates correctly, with the trigger rotating and indexing the cylinder before releasing the hammer. The cylinder swings out normally for inspection and the ejector rod operates correctly. Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the condition report.

Deactivation Certificate:
Deactivated to current EU/UK specification and accompanied by its original Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House Deactivation Certificate numbered 167958, dated 25 February 2022. The certificate records the revolver as a Smith & Wesson revolver, serial number 938848, calibre .38, with a barrel length recorded as 4.5 inches and country of origin listed as the U.S.A. The barrel physically measures approximately 5 inches when measured conventionally from the front face of the cylinder to the muzzle, indicating the Proof House measurement is most likely a recording or measuring discrepancy rather than an alteration to the revolver.

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