Correct term for WWII British Revolver Cartridge, .380" or ".38-200"?

[Kilroy was Here]

It might be a bit before I can post some photos.

As for owning a .38 S&W Special Cal. US version of the S&W "Victory Model"...I can't wait to find one. It might take a while to find a good deal, seeing as money is a bit skint now, but I'm hoping one will come my way sooner or later.

The motivating factor for me finding one?...my Dad was US Navy aircrew in the Pacific Theatre during the War. He carried one as a gunner in a TBM Avenger.
Mark

Hi Mark, OK, no problem, take your time to post pics when you are ready.

Godspeed to your Father, and all the other WW2 Vets. My Dad was in U.S. Army. As far as the U.S. Navy and Victory revolvers, they used many of them as you know, and there were a few special S&W Victory revolvers that were marked on the top of frame "U.S. Navy". I still kick myself in the ass for not buying one about 20 years ago for about $150. The price of these Navy marked pistols is sky high today for a nice condition example.

Here's a pic of my Victory model. Sorry, not that good of a pic, and my dogs nose is in the pic, but the only photo handy right now. The pistol is marked "U.S.Property" on top of frame, but the Navy used these also. The gun and holster actually came from a WW2 Navy Vet, and the holster is stamped U.S. Navy on the rear, which is a bit harder to find :tinysmile_twink_t:

The bullet loops sewn on the shoulder strap was done by a "rigger" and was a common thing done with these Navy aviator shoulder holsters, and they can be found with some searching.

I hope you find a nice Navy Victory revolver rig to honor your father Mark. Good Luck hunting one down!! If you want it bad enough, it will come to you........

 

[zwerge]

Here`s a couple more Kynoch blank cartridge HS,I suppose one is military and the other is commercial.

 

[TonyE]

Blanks

The left hand round is commercial as you say, either made for theatrical/film work or for starter pistols. The right hand blank may be the same or for an overseas contract, since it has a ball headstamp. Kynoch had many orders at this time for .380 ball and blank from places like Pakistan, Singapore etc.

It could be for a British military order as headstamps on blanks can be from reject cases, but the correct headstamp for the .380 blank should include "LIT", where "L" is the code for blank, "I" is the Mark number and "T" the code for blackpowder. The latest date I have is an RG made blank dated 1964 with the correct "LIT" headstamp.

Typical label below.

Regards
TonyE

 

[TomcatPC]

If this photo turns out, this is my S&W M&P "Victory Model" .380" calibre revolver.
Mark

 

[TomcatPC]

My other .380" calibre revolver, not certain if this belongs here since it is post-WWII. Webley & Scott Mk.IV .380" Revolver, Singapore Police Contract, Post-WWII.
Mark

 

[TomcatPC]

Carton for Canadian-made .380" Mk.IIz Cartridges.
Mark

 

[TonyE]

.380 Revolvers

Nice revolvers. They will all have fired some of these when they were born!
(I don't have photo to hand of the round itself, but I will post one later)

Regards
TonyE

 

[Kilroy was Here]

If this photo turns out, this is my S&W M&P "Victory Model" .380" calibre revolver.
Mark

The photo turned out great Mark. Thanks for sharing your S&W revolver rig, very nice original items, I like the binoculars too, I have a few WW2 binocs I've collected also.

Both your revolvers are nice, I like them :tinysmile_twink_t2:
Great condition box of ammo also, I need to find one like that too sometime.

 

[Muskey]

.380 Mk 1 / .38-200

Just to reinforce what's already been said in this debate, here are three cartridges in my collection:-

1:- .380 Mk 1 Revolver from UK

2:- .380 Mk 1 Revolver from Canada (late production, 1942)

3:- Virtually identical cartridge as (1 except hedstamped (quite faintly!) 'Kynoch .38-200'

In other words the .38-200 was just the commercial version of the .380 Mk 1 Service Revolver.

 

[TonyE]

.380 Mark I

You are almost certainly correct, although I am not sure how much was made in 1937, as by then they had already decided to replace the Mark I and the Mark II was approved in October that year. The earliest Mark I that I have is a Kynoch Mark Iz from 1931, unusual in that it is NC loaded. The bulk of the production seems to have been by Royal Laboratories in 1934-36, AFAIK all cordite loaded.

Regards
TonyE

Edit: Sorry, I should have quoted smle's post from page 1, which the above refers to!

 

[relbut]

.380" Revolver ammunition

Just to add to this thread, I have the following in this calibre: R^L 32 .380 I, R^L 35 .380 I, R^L 36 .380 I, R^L 37 .380 I, and R^L 38 .380 I, also R^L .380 D I. Although they are probably around, the Kynoch Mark I cartridges are scarce on the ground down here. The R^L 36, 37 and drill cartridges seem to be the easiest to acquire.
For my own interest, I would like to see a scan of a bundle wrapper or box of .380 Mark I - does anyone have one?

Les

 

[TonyE]

.380 Mark I

Thanks for that, I had not seen one for 1938 previously.

I don't have a Mark I label unfortunately, only Ball Mark IIz, Blank and proof, all of which I have posted previously.

Regards
TonyE

 

[Muskey]

Thanks guys. I'll have to get the magnifying glass out again and check a few more headstamps! Pete.

 

[relbut]

.380 Revolver Mark I Headstamp

The headstamp of the 1938 .380 Mark I is attached:

Les

 

[V40]

Steve,

as usuall, I am too envious on your collections. Just one question, is that you or a dog in the bottom left side where I can definately see fur. I think I shall not go any further Mate with the questions and the photo if I do say so myself. :tinysmile_hmm_t2:

When all this was coming out Steve, was it in the dark hours of the Singapore police and names like Applegate and Fairbairn? I might be getting one or the other confused with S.PD. I think it was Fairbain that became to the chief of the Singapore PD?

I was also curious if they were using the Webley back then too?:tinysmile_hmm_t:

Maybe too that my History of that age needs to be cleaned up a little?