Enfield .38

[Charles B Gatewood]

Hello the Barracks!

I have a friend that has an Enfield Revolver in .38. This gun is in great condition, but he cannot find the correct ammunition. I am hoping someone here may have a source or other information that I can give him.

Thank you.
CBG

[St. George]

It'll handle modern .38 S&W just fine - then, once fired, he can reload with the 200gr RN lead bullet, and duplicate the service load.

Doing so will change the POA to what it was originally designed for in the 1930s, when it replaced the .455.

Scouts Out!

[Drydock]

Yep, just go down to your local shop and pick up some .38 S&W.  As has been said, the only difference between .38 Enfield and .38 S&W is the bullet weight.  In addition to the orginal 200 grain lead round, later rounds were loaded with a 178 grain jacketed bullet per the Hague convention.

The Enfield No.2 Mk I was designed for use with the .38 S&W cartridge, now officially termed the 380/200, Revolver Mk I, but also known as the .38/200. It had a 200 gr (13 g). unjacketed round-nose, lead bullet of .359" diameter that developed a muzzle velocity of 620 - 650 ft/s (200 m/s).

Just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, British authorities became concerned that the soft unjacketed lead bullet used in the 380/200 might be considered as violating the Hague Convention of 1899 governing deforming or 'explosive bullets'. A new .38 loading was introduced for use in combat utilizing a 178-grain (11.5 g), gilding-metal jacketed lead bullet; new foresights were issued to compensate for the new cartridge's ballistics and change to the point of aim.[24] The new cartridge was accepted into Commonwealth Service as "Cartridge, Pistol, .380 Mk IIz", firing a 178 - 180 grain (11.7 g) full metal jacket round-nose bullet. The 380/200 Mk I lead bullet cartridge was continued in service, originally restricted to training and marksmanship practice.[24] However, after the outbreak of war, supply exigencies forced British authorities to use both the 380/200 Mk I and the .380 Mk IIz loadings interchangeably in combat. U.S. ammunition manufacturers such as Winchester-Western supplied 380/200 Mk I cartridges to British forces throughout the war.[29]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.38_S%26W

[Charles B Gatewood]

Drydock & St George,

Thank you gentlemen. I am not familiar with the Enfields, but I knew someone here would have an answer. I have forwarded the information to him.

Thanks again,
CBG

[Drydock]

Quite welcome, y'all come on out an' shoot with us sometime!   

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

The S&W VICTORY Model made for Commonwealth service used the same .38/200 round.  As far as I know they all had 5 inch barrels.  

The Victory model made for US service had a shorter barrel and was chambered for .38 Spl. (See St. Georges post below.)

[St. George]

The 'Lend-Lease' S&W Victory Models all had 5" barrels - the US-issued .38 revolvers (Colt and S&W) had both 4" and 2" barrels, and were chambered for .38 Special.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Charles B Gatewood]

Quite welcome, y'all come on out an' shoot with us sometime!   

Thanks for the invite! I may have to take you up on that someday. If our CO SASS State match wasn't at the same time I would be at the Powder Creek Cowboys in Lenexa, KS next week. Oh well, maybe next year if the days fall right.

Thanks again,
CBG

[Pitspitr]

Where at in CO? Sargent is about 6 hours from Denver. Maybe y'all could come to the GAF Dept. of Misouri Muster in July.

[Charles B Gatewood]

Where at in CO? Sargent is about 6 hours from Denver. Maybe y'all could come to the GAF Dept. of Misouri Muster in July.

Howdy Pitspitr,
The match is next week (June 7-10) in Byers which is east of Denver on I70. I live by Grand Junction on the other side of the hill, but it would be fun to make a muster sometime. I'll need to plan it with a trip back home, so we'll see. Yessir, that would be a blast!

Regards,
CBG

[Pitspitr]

I live by Grand Junction on the other side of the hill, but it would be fun to make a muster sometime. I'll need to plan it with a trip back home, so we'll see. Yessir, that would be a blast!

Another option with travel might be to contact Bowview Haymaker. He's in AZ and I think he's planning on coming to it. He might welcome some company.

[Charles B Gatewood]

Another option with travel might be to contact Bowview Haymaker. He's in AZ and I think he's planning on coming to it. He might welcome some company.

If I could get the time off it wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately my vacation time is already scheduled. Only 4 more years and that will change. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

CBG

[Pitspitr]

Maybe next year