Hello,
Found a early Victory 90%+, US property marked.
#V76219 .Best guess on date of Mfg.

Thanks

Late in the war - 1944-45?

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VIVERE MILITARE EST

More like early in the war 1942-43. It's only a five digit number. Someone can get it closer.

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Dick

You're dealing with a pretty narrow time window. The first units with V-prefix serial numbers shipped in late spring of 1942 (May/June). I think they were over 200,000 by the end of the year, so I would guess your gun may have been in the world in late summer or early fall of 1942. Note that I'm assuming the guns were numbered and shipped in a fairly strict numerical sequence, which is not something you can assume about the company's commercial production. But it seems to be fairly reliable for military contract production.

I think enfield read the serial number with six digits rather than five, which is why he dated it later. At first I did too; a V-prefix gun in the 750000 range would probably date to early 1945.

ADDED: I see Dick caught the five digit thing, too. He posted while I was taking my sweet time to check out a couple of dates.

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David Wilson

Too Many:

Is it a 4 inch barrel in .38 Special?

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Charlie Flick
SWCA 729 HF 215

Yes a 4in barrel in 38spl.
US property marked,No flaming bomb.
Thinking Sept 1942.
Letter Incoming from Jinks.
Thanks

V76219 would be Aug. 1942 Ed.

V77420 went on 8.14.42 to the Springfield Armory.

Lettering a VM really is a waste of $50, IMO.

They were all made within a 3 year period and the letter won't say anything special.

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No life story has happy end.

I have to disagree with with SaxonPig on this one. Many of the guns went to civilian contractors and some of the letters are quite interesting. As an example I just saw one that lettered as going to John Hopkins University. I don't know if this was for a campus security force or if the university was engaged in critical war time research and required firearms to guard the facility or information. Another I own went to ALCOA in McCook IL, not too far from where it presently resides.

Perhaps others will contribute information about Victory Models they have lettered.

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John. SWCA #1586

John is correct, many Victory Models have very interesting histories. I have about 30+ that all went to places I would never had known, if I had not lettered them, such as the OSS, Marine Corp, Civil Defense, famous war plants, etc. I once had one that went to Warner Bros for the US Army 1st Motion Picture Unit, Lt. Ronald Reagan, XO ! I have one that went to the OSS and now has both Israeli military & police stamps. That's one that you wish could talk!
Having said that, there are some that depending on how they are marked ( U.S.N. for example) it's a pretty good guess that they went to the Navy, and are in pristine unissued condition, so they sat in a supply depot all during the war until sold surplus. Don't bother to letter those. That's my opinion. Ed.

Thanks for the Info.
I have recieved a few boring letters from Jinks on other S&W,s.
Never on a Victory though,
Only way to tell where it was sent to and some collectors just have to know.
Me being one of them.Sure did like it when it was $35 for a letter.
Only been picking up US issue victorys in 38spl
Not to interested in export models.(yet)

Just picked up a Colt Lwt Commander in 9mm.MFG 1970.LNIB
Guy was asking $600-had to have it-
Seems that prices are coming down a bit more.

Too Many

Too Many:

Thanks for the additional info.

My friend opoefc (Ed) got it right when he told you that your Victory shipped from the factory in the August, 1942 time frame. That is what I can estimate for you based on the Victory Model Database.

One last question. You mentioned the US Property marking. Does it say "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" and is it located on the left top strap?

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Charlie Flick
SWCA 729 HF 215