I have a line on a Victory model. 3" bbl, five screw frame, chambered in .38 spl.

Has the 'GHD' inspector mark

I thought all Victory models had 5" barrels.

Is this rare? a fake?

thanks

Vic

Is the barrel 3" from the cylinder face to the muzzle, and does it still have the forward ejector rod locking point under the barrel? It should have a 4" barrel if a standard .38 Special VM.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

seller states it is a victory model. says it has the GHD stamp. I am waiting for more info from him.


If not a Victory model, what is it and what would it be worth?

It's hard to see but when I blow this photo up 400%, it looks like it is stamped "S&W .38 Special" on side below the cylinder release latch.

Starting to think this may be a frankengun!!!

A few possibilities here. It looks to have a 3" barrel, but it has been shortened from either a 4 or 5" and the front sight relocated. It may have been a .38 S & W with the charge holes bored through to accept Specials, which will make the cases split with firing because the chambers are bigger in diameter.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Thanks Murph...I'm starting to think I may need to steer clear of this gun

You're correct, it it likely a converted British .38/200, with the attendant problems noted above. Shootable with .38 S & W ammo but not a collector's item.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I'm thinking your thinking is correct. The barrel's original markings have been polished off. The barrel has been cut to just in front of the locking lug and the front sight moved back. The caliber stamping on the frame is not something the factory did. That is sometimes seen on lend-lease guns that were converted from .38 S&W to .38 Special. If your cylinder was originally chambered for the shorter round, you should see two shoulders in it -- one for the short round, one for the special. The problem is that the special has slightly smaller diameter than the .38 S&W, so those cases tend to swell or even split when fired in converted cylinders.

Stocks are shellacked, gun refinished. The ejector rod is from a postwar M&P -- no knob at the tip even though the barrel is cut to receive an enlarged ejector rod tip.

It might have started as a Victory -- if there is a V prefix to the serial number, it certainly did -- but it is modified and a little overprocessed in this condition.

EDITED TO ADD: Well, this thread sure moved on a ways in the time it took me to hammer out a reply of my own. At least we are all in agreement.

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David Wilson

I have seen many S&W Victorys and even some Colts with barrels cut down to odd lengths (approx 2-3in) in various Navy base armories. The barrels were cut down , front sights replaced and they were for issue to Aircrewman. A 4in barrel was too long to fit in the pocket of the modern pilots/crewmans survival vest (LPA).

It's a $150 gun.