It appears to have a 5" barrel, and is therefore very likely to be a .38/200, made for the British Commonwealth during WWII. The caliber ".38 S&W" should be stamped on the barrel. This is NOT the same cartridge as the .38 S&W Special. However, many of these had the chambers bored to accept .38 S&W Special cartridges. I doubt if yours is. .38 S&W ammunition is not easy to find, and expensive, but it is still available.

That fits because among the ammo he had I found 2 boxes of .38 S&W (not Special), one Remington and one Winchester.
It seems to be in very nice condition with only a few minor wear marks where you would expect them to be, no rust, and in good working order (although if it ever did come to me I would never take it to the range until it was checked by a competent gunsmith).
Do you have any idea of what the value ranges on this would be?
I know the "55" impressed onto the bottom of the wood handle is probably a local mark of some kind, but I was hoping some reader on the forum might recognize its meaning.
Do you think it would be worthwhile contacting S&W directly to see if they can tell me any more details about it?

An S&W factory letter will provide very little information beyond that already given above, mainly just a more precise shipping date. A good value estimate for a private sale would be around $400, assuming the chambers have not been bored for .38 Special. I have no idea what the "55" is - could be anything.

Most of those who enjoy shooting old revolvers chambered in .38 S&W load their own ammunition because of the availability and cost difficulties associated with factory ammunition.

Very similar to my ribbed Victory in the same SN area, V670313 w/jeweled trigger & hammer. Your rib has basically the same diamond pattern. Your rib is a mite taller and the front sight has a flying bridge of sorts.
Is that sight a notched original blade?

It appears this cross-member lines up w/slot in the blade to help secure the front end of the rib. I'd like to see close-up pics from the front, sides & top of the front sight/rib combo. From the pics it seems as if the right side of the cross-member could be pushed through perhaps allowing the rib to separate from the barrel. If that's the case you might have to pull/slide the rib forward to release a catch in the rear. [ETA: if indeed the front sight is the original still affixed to the barrel albeit customized to present shape.]

Are the .38 S&W chambers still unaltered?

Hi DWalt. I just purchased a Victory and have no info other besides it is all matched. I once had a pristine Navy model but sold it because I was afraid to shoot it. This one I like because it is a shooter and I just could not resist the grips. Appears to be non-military issue with a serial of V399886? Any approximate date on her?

.38spl.
4" barrel
No military marks
Parked
S stamped on cylinder

Thank you, Dave

I have a victory model in 38 S&W CTG it is original by the look of it it has not been reblued and it has not been bored out for 38 special. Serial number is v 404xxx it has the smooth wood grips and is marked US PROPERTY GHD on the top left strap. The bore is very nice, shines like a mirror when I put a light to it. The bluing or whatever finish it was is quite worn very evenly throughout as I would consider normal for a gun of this age and the wood grips are dented up from use.

This is part of my deceased father in law's collection which I have been tasked with selling off for my mother in law, I would like to know any history on this gun as well as an approximate value.

Could someone help with info on a Victory, Navy marked with SN V1902XX
Thanks,

Hello Medic, welcome to the S&W forum. I have two victories that bracket yours. V184422 on 17 Dec 1942 & V191467 was shipped on 28 December 1942 both to the Oakland Navy Yard. That puts yours around 26 December 1942 or so. That's about as close as you will get without a Factory letter.

First - what a great resource here! I have a s&w .38 victory, chambered to .38 special I am seeking some info on. It was inherited and the info will be pretty damn cool to know. Hopefully this will be enough for somebody

38 s&w ctg (shoots special)
"United States property"
5" barrel
Smooth walnut grips, not parkerized, looks blued
v138xxx
Butt has s/n, W.B, bomb mark and a "P", and 5L

I can try todo some pics but not sure how - typical newbie lol
Thanks - I'm a tad bit curious

Yours likely shipped in October 1942. It is a British .38/200 service revolver. They were originally chambered in .38 S&W (British name: .380 Revolver Mk2), and a 5" barrel length was standard. These were supplied to the British Commonwealth under the Lend-Lease Act of 1941 throughout WWII. That's the meaning of the "United Stated Property" stamping. They were legally US property, on loan to the British. W.B. are the initials of Waldemar Bromberg, a U. S. Army Ordnance officer who accepted these revolvers. Yours has had its chambers rebored to .38 Special, and therefore has lost any collectible value. OK as a shooter, however. Many .38/200s imported into the USA after the war met the same fate.

Thanks dwalt. It appears it isn't a special tho. The paperwork states it's a special,but all the ammunition is .38 S&W. What would a mid range shape one be worth considering it wasn't messed up and rechambered

Without good pix, difficult to say. One in good condition and not messed with would be maybe $400 or a little more in a private sale. In very high original condition, maybe $500 is closer. The British .38/200 version usually does not bring as much as the US .38 Special Victories, as .38 S&W ammo is a little tough to find and expensive, so it is not that attractive to those who like to shoot Victories.

You have already asked this question in your other posting. No need to post the same question twice.

To add more information on my Victory Model serial number V 652134 that I was wondering if anyone could tell me the History of?? It has a "P" on one side if that would help? And it is Blued. The front sight is a little different then most of the other Victory Models I had and seen but the barrel serial number is the same as the other parts on the gun. Can anyone tell me about this Gun?? Many, Many Thanks.

JJP - You still have not provided the necessary information and pictures requested in response to your earlier posting. So no one can be very specific about what you have, except that it's a Victory.

Hi DWalt and everyone, I don't have a way of taking a photo at this time maybe someday, I don't know what other information you need?? I have limited time on the net for these days. The serial number on most guns would be the key. Again V 652134. I may have missed the post your are talking about that you ask for more information? This is what I posted before "To add more information on my Victory Model serial number V 652134 that I was wondering if anyone could tell me the History of?? It has a "P" on one side if that would help? And it is Blued. The front sight is a little different then most of the other Victory Models I had and seen but the barrel serial number is the same as the other parts on the gun. Can anyone tell me about this Gun?? Many, Many Thanks." John is the name here by the way. I would like to know more about the history when made and sent and etc.? If you can give me some information that would be great and I Thank you for taking the time to look and help anyway. Many Many Thanks John

Good Day All

I have a Victory Model SN: V750096. It has a 5 Inch Barrel, Still Chambered to S&W 38/200. With the Stampings SAP on the left hand side. I have attached a few pictures. Any information on the Revolver would be greatly appreciated, i.e. Age, Value, First owner, etc

I am in South Africa so I am Assuming the SAP Markings are for the South African Police, therefore it would be a Lend agreement Revolver, to the British Commonwealth

It probably left S&W about March 1941. That's too early for it to have been a Lend-Lease revolver, and it would not have the "United States Property" topstrap stamping. It's obviously been re-finished and has later replacement grips, neither of which is surprising if it has been in police service.

Hello all. I have one with a 5 inch barrel marked 38 s&w ctg(not bored out for 38sp) and on the other side above smith and wesson is F.R. R.F.I. 1968. It has the lanyard ring with Serial v107190. Where it is marked made in usa there is a mark below it that looks like a upside down V with a line in it going 2/3 up the V looks like an arrow sort of. US property on the left strap. From what i can tell there is SI ALB. VI. on the bottom of the barrel. Thanks for your help im puzzled and have been researching all night.

The SN would date shipment of your .38/200 Victory from September 1942, originally a Lend-Lease revolver. That's what the "United States Property" stamp on the topstrap means. It's very good it has not been rechambered for .38 Special, nor the barrel shortened. The V with a line is the famous British "Broad Arrow" marking indicating Crown property. Century Arms, Inc. was (is?) a gun importer in St. Albans, VT, and that "SI(T) ALB. VI(T)" is their import marking. I can't say for sure what the other "F.R. R.F.I. 1968" stamping means. Probably some other property stamping or possibly a refinishing stamping. I would guess the latter. I have seen it on other Victories. Someone else will probably know.

This is an interesting link which explains everything about the Broad Arrow: http://www.wilkinsonfscollection.com...oad_Arrow.html
--------------------------------------------
A possible meaning for "F.R. R.F.I. 1968": Factory (or Full) Refinish, Rifle Factory Ishapore, 1968 (India).

I have a 29-2, 8 3/8" blue Serial # N68743 that was given to me in the mid 80's. Any info on it's origin available for it?

This thread has nothing to do with Model 29 revolvers. Please start a new thread for your question.

Just got a Victory & wanted to know shipping date. It has been cut down to a 2 1/2" barrel, so I know it's not a collectors item. It has also been nickel plated at some point & I think some info has been lost. The SN is V 37187. I have noticed from older post that a lot of people don't know what the original barrel length was. Well the SN on the underside of my barrel is 553187, could the extra 5 at the start of the SN signify it was a 5" barrel? There is also a different number behind where the cylinder swings out, M 92 506. Thanks for any help with this.

V 37187 indicates original shipment at about July 1942. I won't bother going into everything incorrect about it. Suffice it to say its market value is minimal, just like the many thousands of chopped and bored Victories just like it. The original barrel length of these was 5". Yours may have a replaced barrel.

Thank you for your help.

Is there any reason I couldn't shoot the 38 short cartridges in one of the Victory 38 Specials? I figure the recoil would be easier on my wife.
Thanks in advance.

.38 Short Colt should work OK, if you have it. As yours probably has bored-out .38 S&W chambers anyway, you might use .38 S&W ammunition instead. Neither caliber is easy to find at most retail outlets, so you might have to look at gun shows, order it from internet sources, or have a dealer special order it for you. Another light-recoiling round would be .38 Special wadcutter target loads, which would be cheaper than the other options..

The V gun I have was nickel plated a long time ago & needs to be refinished. Does Smith & Wesson do this? About how much in nickel & how much for bluing? Would cerecoting be better? It would probably be cheaper. I bought this gun for my wife & if she really likes it I'm gonna have it refinished in some form, whatever it cost, I just want the best job that can be done. I don't mind paying top dollar as long as I get my monies worth. Also the insignia in worn, could the factory refurbish it? Thanks for any help.

First, S&W won't touch it with a 10-meter pole. Second, you are talking some substantial expense to refurbish a revolver with very little monetary value, and afterwards, the revolver won't be worth any more than it was. Why don't you just buy her a new revolver? That would be better and cheaper.

I've just acquired a Victory Model that I'd like to get some information on. Its in .38 Special with a 5" barrel, parkerized finish, marked "US Property GHD" on the top strap, the serial number is S V 799734, it also has a "P" stamped on the left side of the frame near the hammer. Unfortunately the original grips and lanyard ring are gone, but I am working on getting the parts to return it to original configuration.

It's difficult to date shipment of a SV series Victory precisely. Early 1945 would be my best guess. A factory letter would definitely be in order for yours. The SV series was the first to have the improved hammer safety, beginning in very early 1945. The fact that you have one in military guise (phosphate finish) is fortunate, because I suspect there were not many of those released. There were only about 40,000 SVs made (perhaps as many as 45,000), and I have always believed that most of those were finished as commercial revolvers and sold on the post-war civilian market starting in early 1946. Numerically, an original military SV (in .38 S&W or .38 Special) is probably among the rarest of the Victories.

If yours has a 5" barrel, it would most likely have originally been chambered in .38 S&W, not .38 Special, i.e., it's likely to be a .38/200 British Service Revolver (BSR). What caliber is stamped on the barrel? Do all serial numbers match? Replacement swivels and grips are readily available. Please post some pictures.

The cylinder is definitely .38 Special, 38S&W cartridges won't go it. The barrel is marked 38S&W CTG. The numbers on the frame and crane match, but the one on the cylinder does not, neither is the one on the barrel; Frame - 61674, Crane - 61674, Barrel - V 288973, Cylinder - P V 799734. Does this sound like a frankenstein gun? Assembled from loose parts and refinished? Also, should I slug the barrel to see if its a .38 special bore or a 38 S&W bore?
P1250648.JPG

P1250649.JPG

P1250650.JPG

P1250651.JPG

It's obvious what you have - a 1945 SV .38 Special with a .38 S&W replacement barrel. The crane (actually yoke) numbers are not serial numbers, but assembly matching numbers. The barrel would date from around May 1943. And it is a Frankengun (or sort of). It's possible the only replacement parts are the barrel and grips. As a shooter, it's OK, but as it is not entirely original, it will have no collector value. I wouldn't put too much money into it.

You might take a peek at the back side of the extractor star and at the rear face of the yoke arm (look through a chamber) to see if the SNs there match the one on the butt.

The serial number on the yoke arm matches the cylinder, not the frame. Which is odd, since the assembly number on the yoke matches the assembly number on the frame. I removed the extractor star and there is no serial number visible. Thanks for the info. Would there be any point in finding a 38 Special replacement barrel? I guess with a 38S&W barrel, accuracy with 38 Special ammo will not be very good.

The serial number on the yoke arm matches the cylinder, not the frame Aren't the butt SN and the cylinder SN the same? (799734)

The extractor star should have the same SN as on the butt. If not, or if there is no SN, it is likely a replacement.

Even though the .38 S&W barrel has a slightly greater bore diameter, .38 Special (.357"-.358") bullets should work well enough, especially at moderate distances. I wouldn't waste the money to have someone replace the barrel. That will not increase the value of the gun any, and it probably will have only a minimal effect upon grouping capability.

You're right, I had so many numbers running through my head I got confused. I think I have some hollow base lead 38 Special ammo. I'll see how that shoots. I slugged the barrel and its .360".

For a long time I used .357-.358 cast bullets to reload .38 S&W ammunition, and they worked fine in my .38 S&W revolvers.

Hello to all. I have a S&W Model 10 Victory that I acquired from my uncle years ago. It's been in a safe for about 25 years. Got it out and looked at it today. Serial number is V272621. Left side of barrell, it has stamped "S&W Special" and what looks like "C70" (but hard to tell). Also has what looke like "U.S. BB". Original finish. Any information about this old Model 10 would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Ed C.

Pictures would help. Also, some additional details. The barrel length (if it is marked ".38 S&W Special CTG" on the barrel) should be 4" from front face of the cylinder to muzzle. Stocks should be smooth wood, and the metal finish a dark gray to blackish dull phosphate (like Parkerizing). Bluing would be incorrect. One key ID factor is what is stamped (or not stamped) on the topstrap. At that time, virtually all Victory Models (Note: Model 10s did not exist until 1957) made for military use had "U.S. PROPERTY" stamped on the topstrap. If not present, it was probably made for civilian use - stateside police or defense plant guards, etc. The SN would date its shipment to about April or May 1943. I have no idea what U. S. BB would mean. Can you supply a picture showing it, and where located?

DWALT,
I'll check the barrel, but sure it's 4". It does have the dull "parkerized" finish. It had checked grips on it when I first got it. I put Pachmayrs on it. Changed nothing else. I'm 99% sure it has "U.S. Property" stamped in the topstrap. It's in my brother's safe, so i don;t have it front of me. I've forwarded him your questions, and hope to have more pictures soon. Haven't figured out how to insert pictures here yet. I'll give it a try. Thanks! Ed C.

DWalt, Here are the pictures I have. I'll send others as soon as I get them...

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DWalt, is anyone still building a data base of these SN? If so, I picked this one up this week:

Pre-Victory Model, .38S&W (38-200), ordnance mark/WB on butt, “UNITED STATES PROPERTY” on top strap, SN 889549, all matching, 90+% original polished blue finish, no British proofs/export marks, smooth wartime service grips number to gun.

__________________
Cy

Duplicated post.

__________________
Cy

There are others with much more extensive data bases than mine. They'll pick up your information. That one would likely have shipped sometime in late 1941, possibly early 1942, but I cannot get any closer than that. A blued finish would have been correct at that time, also (probably) diamond checkered wooden stocks with small silver medallions. If it got here by other than through "official" channels, it would likely have no British proof marks. The topstrap property stamping merely means it is a Lend-Lease revolver.

It seems correct, except for the Pachs. Period smooth wood stocks and lanyard swivels (and I imagine the original swivel is missing) are not difficult to find.

DWalt, Called my brother. He was able to confirm that on the topstrap is stamped "U.S. Property G.H.D." In front of the "U.S." is a small insignia that he can't ID. Left side of the barrel has ".38 S. & W. Special CTG". On top of the barrel is stamped "Smith & Wesson Springfield, Mass." with patent dates of Feb 8, 1908; Sept 14, 1909; and Dec 22, 1914. Right side of frame behind the cylinder is "Made in U.S.A." and a trademark stamp (?). Close-up pictures forthcoming.
Thanks!
Ed C.

DWalt,
Have a few mores pictures.
Thank you!
Ed C.

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GHD is (Col) Guy H. Drewry, the commanding officer of the Army's Hartford Ordnance District, responsible for contract administration. Appears on Victory revolvers from about SN V151350 onward. Everything seems Kosher about it. The little insignia is probably the "flaming bomb," an Ordnance acceptance mark. It's found on all sorts of military weapons beside these revolvers.

Thank you DWalt. I'm interested in buying a set of original gerips and the lanyard. Where can these be found? Prefer used grips to better match the condition of the VM, but not trashed.
Thanks, again. Ed C.

Look on eBay. Both grips and swivels show up there frequently. Also get on SARCO's website, they often have used grips - sometimes very used. There are other sources. Just Google around.